IGNOU regional centre in capital soon

Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), the nation’s largest distance schooling supplier, will soon have a regional centre in Thiruvananthapuram. Foundation stone for the constructing that can home the centre was laid on Sunday.

Speaking on the ceremony, Vice Chancellor Nageshwar Rao mentioned IGNOU had reached out to a lot of learners by on-line programmes in current occasions.

Social networking platforms have been additionally being utilised to disseminate studying content material.

Online programmes

Following the University Grants Commission (UGC) resolution to exempt the college from its stringent laws on on-line programmes, IGNOU had launched 16 on-line programmes with nationwide and worldwide attain. While there had been good response for these programmes, the college had additionally been taking part in a big function by SWAYAM, an enormous open on-line course platform, and SWAYAM PRABHA, a gaggle of 34 channels dedicated to telecasting academic programmes, he mentioned.

“During the COVID-19 lock down, Gyan Darshan (a State-owned television channel telecasting from Doordarsham) and four SWAYAM PRABHA channels allotted to the IGNOU could reach out to several learners in their homes. We have also been tapping the social networking platforms such as Facebook to provide study content at a fast pace,” he mentioned.

Prof. Rao added that the IGNOU launched a set of latest programs together with 9 undergraduate Honours and 4 postgraduate programmes final yr as a part of increasing its bouquet of programmes.

The college, which was accredited A++ grading by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) in its first cycle of accreditation three months in the past, has been constructing a sturdy worldwide model of late.

Its international acceptance had come to the fore not too long ago when the federal government of Guyana approached the IGNOU to offer scholarships for 20,000 learners in the Caribbean nation.

Guyana tie-up

The programme was promised by Mohamed Irfaan Ali, president of Guyana, in his occasion’s manifesto in the run-up to the nation’s basic elections final yr, Prof. Rao mentioned.

Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, who laid the inspiration stone just about, mentioned the Centre was dedicated to offering all technical help to IGNOU’s regional centres. The progress of those centres was essential for the implementation of the National Education Policy, he added.

Envisaged to be developed with a built-up space of 2264.60 sq.m, the two-storeyed everlasting campus of the Thiruvananthapuram regional centre will come up at Muttathara.

An quantity of ₹17.48 crore has been sanctioned for the challenge that’s anticipated to be accomplished by March subsequent yr. The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) has been awarded the challenge.

IGNOU Pro-Vice Chancellor Satyakam, Registrar V.B. Negi, Finance Officer Jitendra Dev Gangwar, CPWD chief engineer Sandeep Mehta, and regional director B. Sukumar additionally spoke.