 Logo of IGNOU | |
Other name | IGNOU |
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| Motto | जन-जन का विश्वविद्यालय[1] |
Motto in English | The People's University |
| Regional centres | 67 (including 11 Recognized Regional Centres – RRCs) |
| Type | Nationalopen university |
| Established | 1985; 41 years ago (1985) |
| Founder | Government of India |
| Accreditation | NAAC |
Academic affiliations | |
| Endowment | ₹88,65,99,162 |
| Budget | ₹955,88,01,906 |
Officer in charge | Secretary, Department of Higher Education,Government of India |
| Vice-Chancellor | Uma Kanjilal |
| Visitor | President of India |
Administrative staff | 831[2] |
| Students | 3,093,583 (2024) |
| Address | Maidan Garhi ,New Delhi ,New Delhi ,110068 ,India |
| Campus | Urban, 151.32 acres (61.24 ha) |
| Language |
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| No. of Certificates Awarded | 4603173[1] |
| No. of Programmes on Offer | 333[1] |
| Colours | Deep Sky Blue |
| Website | www |
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Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) is apublicopen anddistance learning university located inDelhi, India. Named after the formerprime minister of India,Indira Gandhi, the university was established in 1985 with a budget of₹20 million, after theParliament of India passed theIndira Gandhi National Open University Act, 1985 (IGNOU Act 1985).[3] IGNOU, operated by theGovernment of India is theworld's largest university, with enrollment of over 3,000,000 students. It provides 333 academic programs through its 21 Schools of Studies, supported by a network of 67 Regional Centres and 2,257 Learner Support Centres (LSCs).[1]
IGNOU has achieved an all-time high in total registrations, reaching 753,286 for the 2023–24 period (covering the admission cycle of July 2023 and January 2024). Of these, 352,354 students enrolled in bachelor's degree programs, with the Bachelor of Arts (BAG) being the most popular, garnering 109,840 registrations.[4][5]
IGNOU had started a decentralisation process[6] by setting up five zones: north, south, east, west and north-east. TheMinistry of Educationhas entrusted the responsibility of developing a Draft Policy onOpen and Distance Learning and Online Courses to IGNOU.[7] IGNOU also partners up with other organizations to launch courses. IGNOU offers aBBA in Retail distance learning course in association withRetailers Association of India (RAI).[8]
Dipanshu Sharma, theMinistry of Education and Social Welfare organized a seminar on 'Open University' in collaboration with theMinistry of Information and Broadcasting, theUGC, and theIndian National Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO. After the seminar recommendation, an open university in India was established on an experimental basis. Starting in 1974, theGovernment of India appointed an eight-member working group on the open university, the leading role was given to G. Parthasarathi, the then Vice-Chancellor of theJawaharlal Nehru University.
The working group recommended that an open university be established through an act of Parliament as soon as possible. They stressed the importance of the university having jurisdiction over the entire country, ensuring that once it is fully operational, students in even the most remote areas can access its educational resources and degrees (Working Group Report, 1974).
To support effective instructional and management processes for the open university, the working group proposed several key measures, including: a streamlined admission process, age relaxation policies, the development of comprehensive reading materials, the creation of core groups of scholars in various disciplines, the establishment of study centers, the implementation of curricular programs, and opportunities for live interaction with instructors. Following these recommendations, the Union Government prepared a draft bill for the establishment of a National Open University; however, progress on this initiative was delayed for various reasons.
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In 1985, the Union Government made a policy statement for the establishment of a national open university. A Committee was constituted by theMinistry of Education to chalk out the plan of action for the National Open University. On the basis of the report of the Committee, the Union Government introduced a bill in Parliament. In August 1985, both the Houses of Parliament passed the bill. Subsequently, the Indira Gandhi National Open University came into existence on 20 September 1985, named after the late prime minister.
In 1989, the first Convocation was held and more than 1,000 students graduated and were awarded their diplomas. IGNOU audio-video courses were the first broadcast by radio and television in 1990 and IGNOU awarded degrees received full recognition by theUniversity Grants Commission in 1992 as being equivalent to those of other universities in the country.[11]
In 1999, IGNOU launched the firstvirtual campus in India,[12] beginning with the delivery of Computer and Information Sciences courses via the Internet.
As of 2011[update] IGNOU has served over three million students in India and 40 other countries abroad.[13] These are theUAE, theUK,Qatar,Kuwait,Oman,Bahrain,Saudi Arabia,Seychelles,Mauritius,Maldives,Ethiopia,Namibia,Kenya,Myanmar,Vietnam,Singapore,Indonesia,Malaysia,China,Nepal,Sri Lanka,Kyrgyzstan,Afghanistan,Fiji,France,Ghana,Gambia,Sierra Leone,Madagascar,Liberia,West Indies,Samoa,Lesotho,Malawi,Switzerland,Nigeria,Mongolia, andZambia.
IGNOU is actively engaged in various initiatives through the SANKALP project in collaboration with theMinistry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE). The university has signed aMoU with theDr. Ambedkar Foundation, under theMinistry of Social Justice and Empowerment, to provide training for civil service aspirants fromSC/ST backgrounds. Additionally, IGNOU has established a knowledge partnership with the Capacity Building Commission (CBC) of theGovernment of India and has set up a Centre for Modern Indian Languages to promoteIndian languages. The university's refresher courses have received recognition from theUniversity Grants Commission (UGC).
The university has introduced audiobooks for its Self-Learning Materials (SLMs) in management courses and has recorded promotional materials for its programmes in regional languages, including 23 recognized regional languages for theMBA programme. IGNOU has also signed an MoU with theNational Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to provide opportunities through skill-based courses, launching three such courses. Another MoU with theDattopant Thengadi National Board for Workers Education & Development (DTNBWED) aims to provide training for workers in both organized and unorganized sectors. Under theUnnat Bharat Abhiyan, the university has adopted over 90 villages, and as part of the celebration ofAzadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, 74 lectures have been completed. Notably, IGNOU's Regional Centre inAizawl has been awarded the Government Online Excellence Award by the Department of Information and Communication Technology,Government of Mizoram.
IGNOU was founded to serve the Indian population by means ofdistance and open education, providing quality higher education opportunities to all segments of society. It also aims to encourage, coordinate and set standards for distance and open education in India, and to strengthen the human resources of India through education.[14][15] Apart from teaching and research, extension and training form the mainstay of its academic activities. It also acts as a national resource center, and serves to promote and maintain standards of distance education in India.[15] IGNOU hosts the Secretariats of theSAARC Consortium on Open and Distance Learning (SACODiL) and the Global Mega Universities Network (GMUNET), initially supported byUNESCO.
The IGNOU offers education in undergraduate degree in differentModern Indian Language (MIL):Malayalam,Marathi,Odia,Punjabi,Tamil,Telugu,Assamese,Bengali,Bhojpuri,Gujarati,Kannada,Kashmiri,Meitei (Manipuri), andNepali.[16]
Established in 1996, the International Division of IGNOU, originally the International Cell, focuses on promoting collaborations with international educational institutions and inter-governmental agencies to enhance global access to higher education. It operates on a four-fold approach of collaboration, cooperation, coordination, and competition, providing comprehensive support services to overseas and foreign students in India, including admission, examination, and degree awarding. The division also serves as the nodal center for online programs for international students and coordinates international delegations and visits to the University.
On an international scale, IGNOU has formed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) andMoU with the Open University of Kenya and maintains a strong presence in 88 countries, including 19African nations connected through e-Vidyabharti and e-Arogya Bharti (e-VBAB) project ofMinistry of External Affairs, offering 51 programmes.Afghanistan was also included later. Additionally, the University has signed Memoranda of Collaboration (MoC) with Baikal State University of Russia, theFinancial University of Moscow, and theHellenic Open University (HOU) ofGreece. Further, to promote its online programs internationally, it has introduced the Overseas Facilitator scheme and signed Memoranda of Agreement with 14 existing Overseas Study Centres in the first phase. Recently, MoAs were also signed with ICA Education Pvt. Ltd. inNepal and the Centre for Open and Distance Education inKenya. The university is also offering a Hindi Awareness Program in collaboration with theCentral Hindi Directorate (CHD) and theIndian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), with registration from 42 countries in its latest third batch. Furthermore, IGNOU operates 14 online facilitation centres and offers 168 programs (including 44 online programmes) through 25 Overseas Study Centres across 15 foreign countries, with a cumulative international student enrollment of approximately 92,000.[17]
IGNOU has 21 schools of studies as listed below :-
IGNOU has been granted the authority to confer degrees by Clause 5(1)(iii) of the IGNOU Act 1985. IGNOU is also recognised as a Central University by theUniversity Grants Commission of India (UGC).[18] TheAssociation of Indian Universities (AIU) recognises IGNOU conferred degrees as on par with the degrees conferred by its members[19][20] and theAll India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) recognises theMaster of Computer Applications andMaster of Business Administration program of IGNOU.[21]
In 1993, IGNOU was designated by theCommonwealth of Learning (COL) as its first Centre of Excellence for Distance Education empowered "to actively participate in Commonwealth co-operative endeavors to identify, nurture, and strengthen open learning institutions throughout the Commonwealth, particularly in the Third World ..".[22]
IGNOU also operates as an accreditor for open university and distance education systems in India through theDistance Education Council (DEC). Authority to do so is granted under Clause 16 and Statute 28 of the IGNOU Act 1985.[23]
IGNOU is accredited byNational Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) with the highest grade of A++.[24]
In addition to these disciplines, the School has an elective basket of Modern Indian Languages on offer to undergraduates: Malayalam, Marathi, Odiya, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Assamese, Bengali, Bhojpuri, Gujarati, Kannada, Kashmiri, Manipuri and, Nepali.
28°29′40″N77°12′16″E / 28.4945°N 77.2045°E /28.4945; 77.2045
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