THE UNIVERSITY
Introduction
The Indira Gandhi National Open University was established by an Act of Parliament in 1985 to achieve the following objectives: democratising higher education by taking it to the doorsteps of the learners
- providing access to high quality education to all those who seek it irrespective of age, region, religion and gender
- offering need-based academic programmes by giving professional and vocational
orientation to the courses - promoting and developing distance education in India
- setting and maintaining standards in distance education in the country as an apex
body.
Prominent Features
IGNOU has certain unique features such as:
- international jurisdiction
- flexible admission rules
- individualised study: flexibility in terms of place, pace and duration of study
- use of latest information and communication technologies
- nationwide student support services network
- cost-effective programmes
- modular approach to programmes
- resource sharing, collaboration and networking with conventional Universities,
Open Universities and other - Institutions/Organisations
- socially and academically relevant programmes based on students need analysis
- convergence of open and conventional education systems
Important Achievements
- Emergence of IGNOU as the largest Open University in the World.
- Recognition as Centre of Excellence in Distance Education by the Commonwealth of Learning (1993).
- Taking IGNOU programmes to African and West Asian countries including Maldives, Mauritius, Nepal and Seychelles in all to 35 countries.
- Award of Excellence for Distance Education Materials by Commonwealth of Learning (1999).
- Launch of a series of 24 hour Educational Channels ‘Gyan Darshan’. IGNOU is the nodal agency for these channels and regular transmissions are done from the studio at EMPC, IGNOU.
- Launch of ‘Edusat’ videoconferencing channel (2 way video, 2 way audio)
- Launch of Gyan Vani and other dedicated educational FM channels.
The Schools of Studies
With a view to develop interdisciplinary studies, the University operates through its Schools of Studies. Each School is headed by a Director who arranges to plan, supervise, develop and organise its academic programmes and courses in coordination with the School staff and different academic, administrative and service wings of the University. The emphasis is on providing a wide choice of courses at different levels. The following Schools of Studies currently are in operation:
- School of Humanities (SOH)
- School of Social Sciences (SOSS)
- School of Sciences (SOS)
- School of Education (SOE)
- School of Continuing Education (SOCE)
- School of Engineering & Technology (SOET)
- School of Management Studies (SOMS)
- School of Health Sciences (SOHS)
- School of Computer & Information Sciences (SOCIS)
- School of Agriculture (SOA)
- School of Law (SOL)
- School of Journalism and New Media Studies (SOJNMS)
- School of Gender and Development Studies (SGDS)
- School of Tourism Hospitality Service Sectoral Management (SOTHSSM)
- School of Interdisciplinary and Trans-disciplinary Studies (SITS)
- School of Social Work (SOSW)
- School of Vocational Education and Training (SOVET)
- School of Extension and Development Studies (SOEDS)
- School of Foreign Languages (SOFL)
- School of Translation Studies and Training (SOTST)
- School of Performing & Visual Arts (SOTST)
Academic Programmes
The University offers both short-term and long-term programmes leading to Certificates, Diplomas and Degrees, which are conventional as well as innovative. Most of these programmes have been developed after an initial survey of the demand for such Programmes. They are launched with a view to fulfil the learner’s needs for:
- certification,
- improvement of skills,
- acquisition of professional qualifications,
- continuing education and professional development at work place,
- self-enrichment,
- diversification and updation of knowledge, and
- empowerment.
Source: IGNOU VERTICALLY INTEGRATED ENGINEERING PROGRAMMES STUDENT HANDBOOK AND PROSPECTUS:
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