Delhi::

The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), Delhi

The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) is a national university with its headquarters in New Delhi, Delhi, India. Named after former Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, the university was established in 1985 when the Parliament of India passed the Indira Gandhi National Open University Act, 1985 (IGNOU Act 1985) .

IGNOU, one of the largest universities in the world ; was founded to impart education by means of distance and open education, provide higher education opportunities particularly to the disadvantaged segments of society, to encourage, coordinate and set standards for distance and open education in India and strengthen the human resources of India through education . Apart from teaching and research, extension and training form the mainstay of its academic activities. It also acts as a national resource centre, and serves to promote and maintain standards of distance education in India. IGNOU hosts the Secretariats of the SAARC Consortium on Open and Distance Learning (SACODiL) and the Global Mega Universities Network (GMUNET) initially supported by UNESCO.

Contents

1 History
2 Prominent Features of IGNOU
3 Schools
4 Divisions
5 Institutes, cells, centers, and consortia
6 Accreditation & Recognition
7 Convocations in the Past
8 See also
9 References
10 External links

History
In 1970 (International Education Year), the Ministry of Education and Social Welfare in collaboration with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the UGC and the Indian National Commission for cooperation with UNESCO, organised a seminar on `Open University'. The seminar recommended the establishment of an open university in India on an experimental basis. The Government of India appointed eight member working group on Open University in 1974. The leading role was given to G. Parthasarathi, the then Vice-Chancellor of the Jawaharlal Nehru University.

The working group had recommended establishing an Open University by an act of parliament as early as possible. The university should have jurisdiction over the entire country so that, when it is fully developed, any student even in the remotest corner of the country can have access to its instruction and degrees (Working Group Report, 1974).

The working group suggested several measures to be followed in instructional and management processes of the open university which include: admission procedure, age relaxation, preparation of reading materials, setting up of core group scholars in different fields, setting up of study centres, vehicle of curricular programmes, live contact with teachers, and so on. On the basis of the recommendations of the working group, the Union Government prepared a draft bill for the establishment of a National Open University, but due to some reasons the progress was delayed.

In 1985 the Union Government made a policy statement for establishment of a national open university. A Committee was constituted by the Ministry of Education to chalk out the plan of action of the national Open University. On the basis of the report of the Committee, the Union Government introduced a Bill in the Parliament. In August 1985, both the Houses of the Parliament passed the Bill. Subsequently, the National Open University came into existence on September 20, 1985. It was named after late Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi. The Indira Gandhi National Open University (established by the Act of Parliament) is responsible for introducing and promoting distance education at the university level, and for coordinating, determining and maintaining standards in such systems functioning in the country.

In 1989, the first Convocation was held and more than 1,000 students graduated and were awarded their diplomas. IGNOU audio-video courses were first broadcasted by radio and television in 1990 and IGNOU awarded degrees received full recognition by the University Grants Commission in 1992 as being equivalent to those of other universities in the country.

In 1999, IGNOU launched the first virtual campus in India, beginning with the delivery of Computer and Information Sciences courses via the Internet.

Prominent Features of IGNOU
IGNOU has the following prominent features:

National jurisdiction
Relaxed admission rules
Flexibility in terms of place, pace and duration of study
Flexibility in choosing the combination of courses
Student support services
Use of specially prepared course materials
Use of latest communication technologies
Cost effective programmes
Modular programmes
Reformed mode of evaluation
Two term-end examinations in a year
Resource sharing, collaboration and networking with other open
universities/distance learning institutions

Training and research in distance education.

Schools
IGNOU currently serves approximately 1.4 million students in India and 35 countries abroad in eleven schools and a network of 58 regional centres, 7 sub-regional centres, 1400 study centres, and 41 overseas centres. Approximately 10% of all students enrolled in higher education in India are enrolled with IGNOU. IGNOU offers 125 academic programs comprising 1100 courses at certificate, diploma and degree levels. In addition, a number of non-accredited extension and skill-oriented programmes are on offer through the twenty-one Schools:

1. School of Humanities
2. School of Social Sciences
3. School of Sciences
4. School of Education
5. School of Continuing Education
6. School of Engineering & Technology
7. School of Management Studies
8. School of Health Sciences
9. School of Computer & Information Sciences
10. School of Agriculture
11. School of Law
12. School of Journalism and New Media Studies
13. School of Gender and Development Studies
14. School of Tourism Hospitality Service Sectoral Management
15. School of Interdisciplinary and Trans-disciplinary Studies
16. School of Social Work
17. School of Vocational Education and Training
18. School of Extension and Development Studies
19. School of Foreign Languages
20. School of Translation Studies and Training
21. School of Performing and Visual Arts

Divisions
The Indira Gandhi National Open University has the following Eleven Divisions to take care of various activities.

Academic and Coordination Division
Administrative Division
Construction and Maintenance
Computer Division
Finance and Accounts Division
International Division
Library and Documentation Division
Material Production and Distribution
Planning and Development Division
Regional Services Division
Student Registration and Evaluation

Institutes, cells, centers, and consortia
Distance Education Council
Electronic Media Production Center
National Centre for Innovations in Distance Education
Inter-University Consortium For Technology-Enabled Flexible Education & Development
Centre for Extension Education
Staff Training and Research Institute of Distance Education
National Council for Differently Abled
Public Information Unit
Hindi Cell
Legal Cell
SC/ST
Vigilance Cell
Horticulture Cell

Accreditation & Recognition
IGNOU is 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 the University Grants Commission of India. The Association of Indian Universities (AIU) recognises IGNOU conferred degrees as on par with the degrees conferred by its members and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) recognises the Master of Computer Applications and Master of Business Administration program of IGNOU.

In 1993, IGNOU was designated by the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) as its first Centre of Excellence for Distance Education empowered "to actively participate in Commonwealth co-operative endeavours to identify, nurture, and strengthen open learning institutions throughout the Commonwealth, particularly in the Third World ..".

IGNOU also operates as an accreditor for open university and distance education systems in India through the Distance Education Council (DEC). Authority to do so is granted under Clause 16 and Statute 28 of the IGNOU Act 1985 .

Click On The Link Below To Access The Details About The Institution

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Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), New Delhi*

Indian Law Institute, New Delhi*

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Jamia Millia Islamia - Centre for Distance and Open Learning (JMI-CDOL)**

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi

Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha Vishwavidyalaya*

Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth,

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School of Planning & Architecture, New Delhi

TERI University, Delhi*

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** Represents that the institution of concern is a daughter institution of the heading college or university, or is a distance learning course branch of the same.

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