For the majority of the students in Kerala a government job spells the ultimate achievement. Even the money-spinning private sector jobs take a back seat when compared to the smooth efficacy of the public sector jobs. And a good job invariably requires that the candidate be highly qualified.
The fact that a higher education degree works positively while searching for a job makes it mandatory for the students to attain as many course certificates as possible. In their rush for gaining a job often the students finds themselves victims of unrecognized courses.
The situation has come to impasse with the tremendous increase in the number of students joining courses offered through distance education by other state universities. The prevailing belief about the ease in syllabus and the time bound completion of the courses ensnares the Kerala students.
Most of the universities of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka attract students from Kerala to their distance education courses through attractive advertisements in newspapers and other media. The gullible students will only realize the pitfall after the completion of the course. By then they would have spent huge amounts as course fees and had wasted years for studying a course that is not even recognised by any of the universities of Kerala.
In the Kerala scenario for obtaining a job in the government sector it is mandatory that the course be recognised by any one of the universities in Kerala. If the course is a recognised one in Kerala, then the students will get an eligibility certificate, which is a requirement to appear for PSC exams.
The Academic section of all the universities of Kerala maintains list of distance education courses offered by other states and which are recognized in Kerala. The students, before taking up a job in another state must careful check whether the said course is recognized by Kerala University or Calicut University or MG University.
IGNOU (Indira Gandhi National Open University) is one of the many trusted Universities in India for doing distance education courses. All the courses offered by IGNOU are recognised by the Calicut University.

        List of Courses in distance education recognised by Calicut University

Agra University MA English (Private)
Alagappa University M.Phil (Maths)
Alagarh Muslim University MA Malayalam (Pvt),
MA Arabic (Pvt), MA Urdu (Pvt)
Post Basic Diploma in Computer Science & Application
(Recognition only for employment)
Annamalai MA English, M Com (For Emp other than Teaching in Colleges and(Not for Higher studies)
M.Sc Maths MA. Population Studies Recgn only for empt)
BA. Economics (Dist. Edn) Recgn only for empt
BA. Tamil (Dist. Edn) (For Higher Studies only)
Bangalore University MA Urdu, MA Hindi
Barkathulla University MA History (Pvt)
Bharathiar University B.Com, BA. English
Bharathidasan University MA English (For empt.
Except for Graduate and PG level Teaching)
Choudhari Charan Singh Uty. MA. History (Pvt)
Delhi University B. Com (3 Year pass)
Dr. H. S. G. V. Vidyalaya MA Hindi (Pvt)
Jiwaji University MA Sociology (Pvt),
MA English (Pvt) Karnataka Open University MA Hindi, MA Politics, MA English Karnataka University MA History (Private), MA Politics (Extn) Madras University MA History, MA Politics, MA English, MLISc, CLISc, B.Sc. Maths,
BA History, BA Indian Music, BLISc (for Employment only)
Madurai Kamaraj University MA Politics, MA English M.Com and SCA
Mangalore University MA English (upto 1995-96)
Mysore University BA (Open)
Osmania University M Sc Maths, MA English, MA Economics
Pondicherry University MA History
Pune University, BA History (External) MA English (External)
M.Com (External) for Employment only, other than Teaching in Colleges & University.
Punjab University ,MA Politics
Shivaji University, MA Sociology (Private)
Sree Venkateshwara MA English (Private &
University Correspondence)
MA Politics (Private),
MA Sanskrit (Private) Library Science Certificate (Recgn only for empt)
Utkal University MA Economics (Pvt)

List of courses recognised by Kerala University

Andhra University MA English
Annamalai University MA Sociology, English History.
BundelKhand University, MA Sociology Jhansi
Himachal Pradesh M. Com University, Shimla
Madras University M. Com, MA History, English, Economics,
Political Science
Mysore University MA Hindi, Sanskrit, English, History, Sociology, Political Science
Punjab University MA English.
Rajasthan University, M.Com (Business Administration)
MA History, Political Science
Sri Venkateswara University M.Sc Maths,
Tirupathi MA Political Science History, English, Economics.