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IGNOU OPEN LETTER | AUGUST 15, 20102

IGNOU is heading for a paradigm shift in its research policy and research facilitationprocesses in the context of the global scenario of full-time research, part-time researchand systemic research under the open university and distance education systems.

IGNOU has contributed significantly to educational technology, systemic research in ODL,learning management systems, satellite education, and ICT-enabled teaching and learning.The technologies developed by IGNOU are in use the world over by ODL institutions. TheIGNOU Act mandates research at all levels and the Research Council has been created asan Authority of IGNOU under Section 16 of the Act. Ordinances for research degrees likeM.Phil and Ph.D. are also in place. The University has a research project scheme. Paidresearch study leave, in addition to the sabbatical leave scheme, are available to teachersand academics. Participation in national and international research conferences isfacilitated by travel grants. Research schemes from funding agencies are systematicallyavailed by faculty. A new scheme, the first of its kind in the country – the Research andTeaching Assistantship (RTA) – was introduced two years ago where full-time research ina domain area, along with development of teaching modules and teaching assistanceactivities, are taken up by young researchers under the supervision of a senior faculty

member. About 800 teachers and academics with Ph.D. andhigher-level research qualifications are working in the University.An exclusive Research Unit was created in the Universityrecently to coordinate all these research activities.

Research programmes of Open Universities are recognisedthroughout the world. The UK Open University, for example,supports a broad and vibrant research and enterprise portfolioand fosters research teams able to compete with the best inthe world. Over 1,000 research students are currently workingwith the British Open University, in addition to several hundredsaround the globe linked to UKOU through its Affiliated ResearchCentre (ARC) Programme. ARCs are organisations with which

UKOU has entered into agreements to register students. They are higher educationinstitutions or commercial or public sector research organisations with state-of-the-artinfrastructural facilities and a large pool of highly qualified research scientists. Some ofthese are: the UK Architectural Association, the School of Architecture, the BritishAntarctic Survey, the Royal Botanic Gardens, the Defence Science TechnologiesLaboratories, the Institute of Pharmacological Research, and the International Centre forGenetic Engineering and Biotechnology. ARCs are in addition to UKOU’s own researchlaboratories/centres in the various faculties at its main Walton Hall Campus in MiltonKeynes. The results of UK’s latest Research Assessment Exercise placed UKOU in the top50 higher education institutions, according to the Times Higher Education Table ofExcellence. More than 50 percent of the UKOU’s research is rated “internationallyexcellent” and 14 percent is rated as “world leading”. Other leading Open Universitiesalso have very strong research programmes.

IGNOU, with its 800-strong research-trained faculty, over 100 full-time RTAs and morethan 400 registered Ph.D. scholars, has great research potential. Collaboration andnetworking with various national and international research institutes is the key toaccomplishing research goals. Training an optimum number of post-graduates in subject-specific domain areas and giving them opportunity for full-time research leading to Ph.D.degrees and post-doctoral awards need to be a focussed activity of this large talent poolof academics.

The collaboration of IGNOU with the Harichandra Institute of Mathematics (under theDepartment of Atomic Energy), Indian Institute of Astrophysics (Department of S&T),Madhya Pradesh Council of Science and Technology, Institute of Biotechnology and Bio-informatics, International Institute of Informational Technology, Madras Institute ofDevelopmental Studies, and the Indian Institute of Economic Growth, for post-graduateeducation and research is in line with the global trends of open universities strengtheningresearch by effective utilisation of infrastructural facilities and intellectual capabilities.The Ph.D. programme of IGNOU follows international norms of quality and standards.Successful completion of course work, publication of at least one original researchpublication in a peer-reviewed journal, pre-registration and pre-submission seminars bycandidates and open defence of the thesis are now mandatory for the award of Ph.D.degrees.

Considering the global trend of research in open universities, it is imperative that ouropen universities and distance education institutes develop a clear Code of Good Practicein respect of the management, quality and academic standards of research programmes.Peer review, publication in refereed journals, analysis of impact factor of original researchpublications – all these should be in such a code. This issue of OpenLetter features therecent research initiatives of IGNOU.

4

CONTENTS

Research in Action

Pan-Commonwealth Forum

INFOCUS: IGNOU’sResearch andTeaching Assistantship (RTA) is a unique schemeto help the countrymeet its high-endresearch targets

BEST B-SCHOOLS......03

ODLSOFT....................10

NEWS UPDATES..........12

REGIONAL UPDATES ...15

MILESTONES ..............16

GYAN DARSHAN..........16

8 SPOTLIGHT: IGNOU will host the Sixth Pan-Commonwealth Forum on OpenLearning in Kochi in November with anaim to open up access to learning atevery level via ODL system

IGNOU OPEN LETTER is Printed by Printek Grafix, 148-D, Pocket-F, GTB Enclave, Delhi-110093 and

Published by Ravi Mohan, Chief Public Relations Officer, Indira Gandhi National Open University,

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Managing Editor: Ravi MohanPhotos: Rajesh Sharma/Amlan Paliwal

Advisory Council:Prof P.R. Ramanujam,

Dr Latha Pillai

Design and Production: IANS Publishing

www.ianspublishing.com

FROMthe vice chancellor

V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai

IGNOU OPEN LETTER | AUGUST 15, 2010 3

INTOPranks

Renowned Kannada writer and criticDr U.R. Ananthamurthy has beenappointed the Honorary Chair of

‘Tagore Chair in Indian Literature’ atIGNOU. The Tagore Chair, located in the School of Humanities, has beenestablished to organise symposia,seminars and undertake research studieson Indian literature.

The activities of the Chair include theediting of a bilingual (English and Hindi)Journal on Literature, Language andCulture Studies.

“I feel deeply honoured and excited. TheTagore Chair will give me an opportunity todo a lot of meaningful work in the area ofIndian languages and literature. Throughthe new responsibility, I want to worktowards Rabindranath Tagore’s vision of empowering Indian languages, especially regional languages,” said DrAnanthamurthy, who is known in India forhis social commitment and as animportant representative of the ‘Navya’movement (the new movement) inKannada literature.

Born in 1932 in Melige village inKarnataka, Dr Ananthamurthy startedhis education in a traditional Sanskritschool in Doorvasapura and laterstudied English and ComparativeLiterature in the cities of Mysore (India)and Birmingham (England).

He was a professor of English

Literature for several years at MysoreUniversity, later Vice Chancellor of theMahatma Gandhi University in Kottayam,Chairman of the National Book Trust andPresident of the Sahitya Akademi inDelhi. At present, he is serving as thesecond-time chairman of the Film andTelevision Institute of India (FTII), Pune.

Dr Ananthamurthy began his literarycareer in 1955 with the story volumeEndendhigu Mugiyada Kathe. Sincethen, he has published five novels, oneplay, six short story volumes, four

poetry volumes (including translation ofTao, Yeats and Rilke and Brecht) and 10essay volumes in Kannada and severalpieces on English literature.

His works have been translated intoseveral Indian and European languages andhave been awarded with significant literaryprizes, including the Jnanpeeth Award(1994). He was honoured by theGovernment of India with the PadmaBhushan in 1998. His most significantworks include Samskara, Bhava, BharathiPura and Avasthe.�

Dr Ananthamurthy appointed Tagore Chair

In OpenLetter July issue, we carried astory on Careers in Management and how IGNOU's management

programmes are providing managerialskills not only to the top-end MBAstudents via Face-to-Face mode but alsoto learners via Open and DistanceLearning (ODL) System.

Now the fact is being acknowledgedby the world. In an annual survey byBusinessworld, a reputed businessweekly, IGNOU has become the only OpenUniversity to be part of the prestigious‘India’s Best B-Schools’ list — a listing ofthe country’s crème de la crème in the

field of management education. Theworld’s largest University came 40th inthe overall ranking in the survey ofIndia’s best 50 business schools.

The University offers a slew ofProgrammes in management andcommerce streams through School of Management Studies (SOMS) in the ODL mode. Some of the programmesare Master of Business Administration(MBA); Master of BusinessAdministration (Banking & Finance);Master of Commerce in Finance &Taxation (MCom, F&T) and PG Diplomain International Business Operation.�

IGNOU enters India’s Best B-Schools listing

Renowned writer Dr U.R. Ananthamurthy.

Prof Anurag Saxena, SOMS, with Dr Silima

Nanda, Director (I/c), International Division,

during an interactive session with MBA

learners of Pan-Africa e-Network.

Eminent Malayalam writer

K. Satchidanandan has

taken over as Director,

School of Translation

Studies and Training

(SOTST) at IGNOU.

Satchidanandan was one

of the pioneers of modern

poetry in Malayalam and is

well known for the subtle

and nuanced articulations

of socio-political contexts

in his poetry. He has 22 collections of

poetry, 16 collections of translations of

poetry and 19 collections of essays on

literature, language and society to

his credit.

Satchidanandanis SOTST Director

K. Satchidanandan


InFocus

Research in ActionSandhya Chopra, 26, is pursuing

Ph.D. in Public Administrationunder the School of SocialSciences (SOSS). Her core area of

research is Disaster Management. ThroughGyan Darshan and Gyan Vani, she hasparticipated in several tele-conferenceswhere she has communicated directly withlearners across the country on how toprevent or mitigate disasters like floods,earthquakes and forest fires.

“IGNOU has provided students a wideplatform to establish themselves in dualrole — of a researcher and a teacher —while pursuing higher education. As aResearch and Teaching Assistant (RTA),I’m not only involved with full-timeresearch but also spend a considerable

time teaching on the campus— it is likebeing part of a holistic and comprehensivehigher education stream in an ODLsystem,” says Chopra, before rushing toattend a practical demonstration on firesafety management on the campus.

Road to Academic Excellence

Assisting faculty, revising the courseware,proofreading the course work, publishingresearch papers, giving presentations,attending seminars and conferences... thelist is endless, but what you get at the endof the day is purely rewarding in terms ofacademic excellence. This is what over400 RTAs enrolled in discipline-basedresearch at IGNOU aim at.

IGNOU’s Researchand Teaching Assistantship(RTA) is a uniquescheme to help the country meetits high-end research targets

THE TEAM: Dr V. Venugopal Reddy (centre), Director, Research Unit, with his team at the Convention Centre, IGNOU Headquarters.

On campus, 98RTAs are enrolled in full-time Ph.D.Programmes; out ofthem, 91 learnershave earnedfellowships. Thereare 36 M.Philstudents, while 278are part-time Ph.D.students.

“While higher educationestablishments andgovernment focuson Ph.D.programmes, thereis also greatconcern andapprehension aboutthe poor quality of

M.Phil and Ph.D. programmes offered inlarge numbers by some institutions, whichmisuse the autonomy and concept ofdistance education,” says Vice ChancellorProfessor V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai.

“Strict enforcement of quality criteria,following international benchmarks inresearch, is the only way to curb theseundesirable practices. Quality research ofhigh impact happening in renowned openuniversity and distance education systems

should be supported and encouraged toset national benchmarks in this area.Achieving high levels of researchperformance in discipline-based researchis the target of IGNOU in this ‘Decade ofInnovation’, adds Prof Pillai.

“The RTA Scheme is for highlymeritorious full-time postgraduates. TheUniversity follows a rigorous selectionprocess. Once the initial screening is doneby the faculty of the Discipline, eligiblecandidates are invited for Ph.D. proposalpresentations (Category ‘A’), entrance testand personal interview (Category ‘B’).However, qualified UGC/CSIR candidatesare exempted from writing the entrancetest,” informs Dr V. Venugopal Reddy,Director, Research Unit.

Based on the qualifications, experienceand research proposal, the applications areshortlisted by the Discipline. The selectedcandidates are then called for an interviewwith the Doctoral Committee of Discipline,which recommends whether the candidateshould undertake the course work or not.

All selected candidates are placedbefore the School Board allotting Ph.D. topics. The Board approves researchsupervisors specifying categories (A or B)subsequently before the Research Council.

Many open universities in the world, like


l Shivdatta Wavalkar. (2010), ‘Upanyaskar

Vinodkumar Shukla’ (in Hindi), Kanpur (U.P),

Vidhya Prakashan, ISBN:81-88554-57-X

l Dhanyasree V.K. (2008) ‘Social Network

Sites in Online Learning-Supporting Features:

A Case Study of Orkut,’ in ‘Library Profession

in Search of a New Paradigm’ (pp. 785-787)

selected papers published by the Indian

Association of Special Libraries and

Information Centres, India. ISSN: 09723668

l Nidhi Chopra. (2010), ‘Education Stress

Syndrome,’ Science Reporter, Vol. 47,

No. 3. ISSN 0036-8512.

l Syed Hayath Basha. (2010), ‘Systematic

Development in Open and Distance Learning

through Programme Evaluation,’ University

News, Vol. 48, No. 26. ISSN:0566-2257.

l Kiran. (2009), ‘Teachers in 21st Century:

Redefining Objectives and Process of

Teacher Education’ in selected papers

published by All India Association

Educational Research (AIAER) and Khalsa

College of Education, Amritsar, pp.19-24.

l Beauty Gogoi. (2010), ‘Intervention

Programme to Combat Malnutrition’ in

Malnutrition: issues and concern, selected

papers published by Narotom Sekhsaria

Foundation, Mumbai, India.

l Sony Kuriakose, M.S. Senam Raju and N.V.

Narasimham. (2009), ‘Voluntary

Amalgamations in Indian Banking: Valuation

Practices and Adequacy of Swap Ratios’

Indian Journal of Commerce. Vol.62, No.3,

pp. 32-44. ISSN: 0019-512X.

l Libison K.B. and N.V. Narasimham. (2010)

‘Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) from Tourism

Industry in India: An Analysis of Short- run

Secondary Market Performance,’ in Raya

Madgerova (Ed.), Economics, Management

and Tourism (pp. 31-42) selected papers

published by South West University of

‘Neofit Rilski’, Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria.

ISBN: 978-954-300-104-0.

Publications by RTAs

l Sri Aurobindo Centre for AdvancedResearch Trust (SACAR), 39,Vanniar Street Vaithikuppam,Pondicherry — 605012

l Institute for Research in SocialSciences and Humanities (IRISH),Nirmalagiri, PO, Kannur Dist.,Kerala — 670 701

l Rajagiri College of Social Science,PO, Kalamassery, Kochi, Kerala — 683 104

l CSI Centre of Educational Researchand Development, Pasumalai,Madurai — 625 004

l National Institute of AdvancedStudies (NIAS), Indian Institute ofScience Campus, Bangalore — 560012

l Model Institute of Education &Research (MIER), B.C. Road,Jammu — 180001

l Gujarat Institute of DevelopmentResearch (GIDR), Ahmedabad

l Mount Carmel College (MC),Bangalore

l J.J. College, Tiruchirappallil DAV College, Dehradunl Jyoti Niwas College, Bangalore

List of RRCs

“I’m not onlyinvolved with

full-time researchbut also spend aconsiderable timeteaching on thecampus — it is like being part ofa holistic highereducationsystem.”

— Sandhya Chopra,RTA, SOSS


the UK Open University, the OpenUniversity of Netherlands and Hong KongOpen University support extensive doctoraland post-doctoral research.

“IGNOU is proud of the fact that itssystemic research feeds directly into thecontent of its world-leading teachingprogrammes,” says the Vice Chancellor.

“Research is a process of systematiccollection, investigation and analysis ofinformation to increase a research scholar’sunderstanding of the study which he or shehas undertaken with specific objectives. Inthis context, it is the responsibility of theresearcher to commit himself/herself to thestudy undertaken. Researchers need to putsincere efforts and hard work with thesupport of their guides to come out withinnovative ideas which could be of great usefor the community-at-large,” says Dr Reddy.

“The University is committed to utiliseits large pool of academics with extensiveresearch experience to train youngresearchers, in both systemic as well asdiscipline-based research of the highestquality,” adds Prof Pillai.

Recognised Research Centres

In this direction, IGNOU has alreadyidentified the institutes offering higherlearning programmes for conduct ofResearch DegreeProgrammes of theirchoice, subject toavailability ofinfrastructure (building,labs and libraries, etc.),qualified researchsupervisors and ability

to conduct research in their institutes.“Any institution which intends to

conduct research can submit anapplication form prescribed by theUniversity. An Expert Committeeconsisting of subject experts is deputed tothe institute to assess the availability ofinfrastructure, academic resources andrelated matters. Recommendations of theExpert Committee are placed before theResearch Council. On approval of theResearch Council, the institute is notified

“I have understood the mechanism of ODLand how this systemhelps students like meachieve their goals. Ifind the Ph.D. coursework here at par with any reputed

conventional university.”— Libison K.B., RTA, SOMS

NECRD, A TORCHBEARER IN RTA DRIVE

Vice Chancellor Prof V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai with Research Unit Director Dr V. Venugopal Reddy in the exhibition area of the Convocation Ceremony on March 15, 2010. (Photo right), Research Unit staff at the stall.

The North East Centre for Research

and Development (NECRD) in

Guwahati was conceived and

operationalised to be a think-tank

dedicated to the North-East. It instituted

the Research and Teaching Assistant

(RTA) scheme for research scholars from

or outside the region working on North-

East related themes to pursue Ph.D.

programme under the auspices of the

University.

“The objective of the scheme is to

attract the best talents into teaching–

cum-research in the areas of Open and

“I go to Delhi University for lab work.Owing to IGNOU, I have got thisopportunity which I could not have hadgot anywhere.”

— G. Lakshmi, RTA, SOS

Dr Anil Ch. Borah, Deputy Director, NECRD.


as a “Recognised Research Centre”(RRC),” informs Dr Reddy.

Opportunities Galore

Libison K.B., 27, pursuing his Ph.D. inCommerce under the School ofManagement Studies (SOMS), is happy tobe here. His research area is ‘Initial PublicOfferings and Investors’ Behaviour’.

“I have now understood the mechanismof ODL and how this system helps studentslike me achieve their goals. At SOMS, Ihave full support from the faculty towardsmy research.”

“I have presented four research papersand several papers have already beenpublished in various reputed journals, allthanks to the support from my researchsupervisor... I find the Ph.D. course work

here at par with any reputed conventionaluniversity,” Libison adds.

G. Lakshmi, 29, shares a similar story.A Ph.D. student of Life Sciences at theSchool of Sciences (SOS), her researcharea is ‘Metagenomics’.

“IGNOU’s collaboration with otheruniversities in the area of research hasbeen a boon to us. I have learned newtechniques. The course work is preparedin a very simplified manner,” saysLakshmi, who has attended severaltraining programmes pertaining to herstudy area.

From Arabic language to Economics,from Biotechnology to PublicAdministration, IGNOU researchers are notonly writing new chapters in the ODL worldbut also charting a new route in highereducation like never before.�

l Kanika Singh (RTA in History)

Her topic of study isrepresentation of heritage inmuseums. She is an activeparticipant in heritage activitiesorganised in New Delhi. She is ateam member of a group called‘Delhi Heritage Walks’ whichleads heritage walks to lesserknown areas in the city. She was panel member at adiscussion on ‘ExperiencingDelhi’ at Ramjas College, DelhiUniversity in February 2010,where she spoke on history ofconservation practices in Delhi.

l Dhanyasree ( RTA in Library

and Information Sciences).

She has done content checkingand editing for IGNOU’s onlineMLIS programme: Library andInformation Virtual Education(LIVE). She has also undertakencontent checking and editing ofdifferent modules of the webenhanced training programmetitled ‘Digitisation and DigitalLibrary,’ funded by TIFP, DSIRand Ministry of Science andTechnology. This is a Pilotproject to deliver online and CD-based training programme ondigitisation and digital libraries,involving multimedia-based self-learning material withsynchronous and asynchronousonline interactive environment.

From heritagewalks to books

Distance Learning/Teaching and Research

in discipline–based as well as general

Open and Distance Learning pedagogy,”

says Dr Sujata Dutta Hazarika, Deputy

Director, NECRD.

“NECRD-IGNOU organised its first RTA

Meet in May this year to update the Centre

about the status of Ph.Ds currently running

under the RTA scheme. The meet also

aimed at capacity building of the

researchers through a lecture series from

experts.

“We discussed and informed the RTAs

about the current status of research in the

North-East region. One should conduct

his/her research in such a manner so that

the cost-benefit issue will be maximised.

Dissemination of research is needed hence

publication is mandatory,” adds

Dr Hazarika.

“If ethics and accountability are

followed in the research output, then only

a quality research work based on scientific

temperament can be produced,” says Dr

Anil Ch. Borah, Deputy Director, NECRD.

Take the case of Beauty Gogoi. She

completed her PhD from School of

Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary

Studies (SOITS). Her area of research was

‘Role of Man Tai Women in Transition: A

study of A Aitorian village in Karbi Anglong

district, Assam.’

“I taught students of M.A. Programme

in Labour Development at SOITS. Under

the duel Ph.D. scheme, I was selected for

the Ph.D. Programme in Queensland

University, Australia and I must thank

IGNOU for this,” says Gogoi.

NECRD also sponsors major and minor

research project to academician, research

scholars and organisations of the North-

Eastern Region.

NECRD, A TORCHBEARER IN RTA DRIVE

Vice Chancellor Prof V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai with Research Unit Director Dr V. Venugopal Reddy in the exhibition area of the Convocation Ceremony on March 15, 2010. (Photo right), Research Unit staff at the stall.

Dr Sujata

Dutta

Hazarika,

Deputy

Director,

NECRD.

8

PCF6Kochi


‘Access to learning at every level’

For the first time, a leadinginternational conference on openlearning and development — thebiennial Pan-Commonwealth Forum

(PCF) on Open Learning, an initiative bythe Commonwealth of Learning (COL) —will be held in India this November.With the aim of exploring thecontribution of Open and DistanceLearning to international developmentgoals by opening up access to learning atevery level, PCF6, jointly organised byCOL and IGNOU, will be held at the LeMeridien Hotel in Kochi, Kerala, fromNovember 24 to 28, 2010.Renowned agricultural scientist Prof

M.S. Swaminathan, father of the GreenRevolution in India, is the Honorary Chair.Sir John Daniel, COL President, and ProfV.N. Rajasekharan Pillai, Vice Chancellor,IGNOU, are the Co-Chairs.Coinciding with the completion of

IGNOU’s Silver Jubilee Year, PCF6 aims toconsider what ODL has done and still cando in terms of success, informed Prof P.R.Ramanujam, Pro Vice Chancellor andProgramme Chair, PCF6. The overall themeof PCF6, titled Access and Success inLearning: Global DevelopmentPerspectives, will focus on four key areas— Social Justice, Community Development,Skills Development and Formal Education.“The Forum brings together

practitioners, researchers, planners andpolicymakers in the fields of Open and

Distance Learning and development fromover 70 countries,” said Prof Ramanujam.Over 800 delegates are expected to takepart in PCF6.“It provides opportunities to share

experience and expertise and tocontribute to future policy and provision.Participants will represent theCommonwealth, internationalinstitutions, including UNESCO, andagencies active in the field, such asfunding bodies and technology providers,”he added.The objective of PCF6 is to provide an

accessible forum for all member nationsof the Commonwealth who are committedto increasing access to and flexibility ininitial and lifelong quality learningthrough ODL, said VC Prof Pillai.Among the keynote speakers are: Sir

John; Prof Badri N. Koul, former Pro-VC,IGNOU; Steve Maharey, VC, MasseyUniversity, New Zealand; and ProfessorEmeritus Tan Sri Anuwar Ali, ViceChancellor and President of the OpenUniversity, Malaysia. Former UnionMinister Dr Shashi Tharoor will deliver theprestigious ‘Asa Briggs Lecture’.For registration, kindly contact: Prof

P.R. Ramanujam, Programme Chair, PCF6,The Sixth Pan- Commonwealth Forum(PCF6), IGNOU Maidan Garhi, New Delhi-110068. Phone number: (011) 29572606.E-mail: [email protected]: http://www.pcf6.net.�

From left, Prof P.R. Ramanujam, Pro-VC and Programme Chair, PCF6; VC Prof Pillai; COL President Sir John Daniel; economist M.S.

Swaminathan; Prof A. Kalyani, VC, Tamil Nadu Open University and Pro-VC Dr Latha Pillai at the launch of PCF6 at IGNOU Headquarters.

KEYNOTESPEAKERS

hon’BlE stEVE

maharEy

Vice Chancellor of massey

university, new Zealand,

maharey will deliver a

lecture on the theme titled

‘formal Education’ at PCf6.

Prof BaDri n. Koul

former iGnou Pro-VC,

Prof Koul will deliver a

speech on ‘skills

Development.’

Dr shashi tharoor

former union minister

Dr shashi tharoor will

deliver the prestigious ‘asa

Briggs lecture’ at PCf6.

Prof EmEritus tan

sri anuwar ali

Vice Chancellor and

President of the open

university, malaysia, ali

will speak on the theme

titled ‘Community

Development.’

Keeping in view the need to makethe agricultural sector moreefficient in terms of planning anddelivery as well as churn out

professional workers and stakeholders inthe same, IGNOU’s School of Agriculture(SOA) is organising a three-dayInternational Conference titled ‘AgricultureEducation and Knowledge Management.’Organised in collaboration with the

International Food Policy ResearchInstitute (IFPRI), Washington, theconference is scheduled to be held atIGNOU Centre for ODL in Research andTraining in Agriculture (ICRTA) inAgartala from August 24-26, 2010.The conference will primarily focus on

sharing experiences on the challengesfaced by agriculture educational system inmanaging indigenous knowledge as wellas knowledge generated by research andeducational institutes for innovativeagriculture. The main objectives of the conference

are to discuss various approaches andmodels of agricultural education forstrengthening capacity of professionals,researchers and educators; to discuss therole of effective knowledge managementsystems for socio-economic developmentof agricultural sector; to identify suitablepedagogic approaches and curriculum toeducate farmers, upgrade their technicaland entrepreneurial knowledge andanalytical skills; and to developknowledge management strategiesthrough cost-effective and efficientapproaches, public-private-NGOpartnerships, business models anddelivery mechanisms.“There is an urgent need to expose

farmers to the latest knowledge andadvances in agriculture. It is importantthat new knowledge is first created, thenmanaged in combination with indigenousknowledge and finally shared bystakeholders on the food and agriculturevalue chain. We are confident that theconference will go a long way in evolvingintegrated strategies to achieve foodsecurity and sustainable agriculture

development, particularly in the North-East,” said Prof B.S. Hansra of SOA.The conference will commence with an

inauguration function and addresses byManik Sarkar, Chief Minister of Tripura andChief Guest at the function, ViceChancellor Prof V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai,and Dr Kwadwo Asenso-Okyere, Director,Knowledge, Capacity, and InnovationDivision (KCID), IFPRI.�


SOAconfEREncE 2010

The international conference on Agriculture Education and Knowledge Management aims to

make agricultural activities more efficient in terms of planning and delivery.

Thrust on agriculture, rural education

l assessment of educational needs and human

resource development of the agriculture

sector

l approaches, case studies, concepts and

methodologies as applicable in agriculture

education and knowledge management

l open and Distance learning for continuing

education for professionals engaged in agri-

industry, research and extension activities

l Knowledge access, concepts, creation,

applications and services to agricultural

community and their organisations

l Participation of the private sector, farmers’

organisations and nGos in educating farmers

l Effective pedagogical methods for agriculture

education

Action plan to scale up teachers’ training

In order to ensure the active participationof all Universities in training, re- trainingand continuous capacity-building of

teachers, the Higher Education Departmentof the Ministry of Human ResourceDevelopment has constituted a CoreCommittee of Vice Chancellors to evolveeffective and unconventional strategies forscaling up teacher training, Vice ChancellorProf V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai said recently.

“In the context of the Right toEducation Act, a time-bound action plan isbeing formulated jointly by the NationalCouncil of Teacher Education (NCTE),IGNOU and State Education Departmentsto achieve these targets,” he added.IGNOU has set up five Institutes of

Competency Advancement of Teachers(ICAT) in five geographic regions of thecountry where the technology-enhanced

distance learning and Open Universitypractices are being adopted.“Delivery of programmes via ODL mode

can alleviate shortages by making teachertrainees available earlier for service in theclassrooms. Facilitation of teaching-integrated learning for working teachers, byway of self-help faculty improvementmodules, can also be achieved by ODLstrategies,” Prof Pillai added.�

MAJOR THEMES

IGNOU has taken a step towardsmodernising its management practiceand IT infrastructure by

adopting an EnterpriseResource Planning (ERP)software — ODLSoft.

The idea behind the newautomated ERP is to boostefficiency in IGNOU byenhancing the institutionalperformance. Financialresources are limited; the onlyway to improve is by the use of technology.

IGNOU took the initiative to integrate all its businessprocesses in back-officeautomation by way ofimplementing ERP. TheUniversity has decentralisedaccount disbursing system forall Schools of Studies andservice Divisions at itsheadquarters.

“It was desired that thereshould be an innovativelydesigned system to make all theaccounting activities and human resourcesdata operable through a single, central andintegrated database to capture all day-to-daytransactions and reconcile the sameperiodically and regularly,” says Wg. Cdr.(Retd.) Arun Verma, Joint Director (ERP).

The ERP, ‘PeopleSoft version 9.0,’meets the twin objectives of achieving afoolproof, paperless and transparentadministration at the operational, tacticaland strategic levels. It enables automationof IGNOU’s back-office processes likeHuman Resources, Payroll, Purchasing,

Accounting & Finance to cater to therequirements of its headquarters, thus

making IGNOU one of the fewnon-IT organisations to achievethis feat.

“Being the largestUniversity in the world, IGNOUis confronted with managing awide range of activities. Thus,it goes without saying thatIGNOU deserves the best interms of modern managementpractice and state-of-the-arttechnology for managing itsinternal and externaloperations,” said Dr V.S.P.Srivastav, Head, ComputerDivision, IGNOU.

Complete employee life-cycle from recruitment toretirement or separation isavailable to all IGNOUemployees in New Delhi.Various benefits like leaves,LTA, medical claims, loans andadvances can be availedonline. The software has also

enabled online budget preparation andautomatic generation of financialstatements (balance sheet, income &expenditure and schedules).

The ERP implementation had twophases. While Phase I included automation of back office processes likeHR, Administration, Purchase andAccounting, Phase II undertook processeslike student registration, evaluation,student administration and specialisedprocesses of operating divisions like EMPC,RSD and SRE.n

10

ODLSoft


Log into ODLSoft for ERP solutions

Wg. Cdr. (Retd.) Arun Verma, Joint

Director, (ERP), and his team are in touch

with the implementation partner TCS in

achieving the following functionalities:

l Generation of Final Statement of Accountsbased on all accounting entries of the university

l Recording and tracking of Budget and RevisedEstimates against actual expenditure

l Recording and accounting of all valuables l Investment details and online calculation of

interest and interest accrued l Recording of all contingent bills pertaining to

different vendors and managing their payment l Managing and maintaining complete details of

all fixed assets of the universityl Issuing, Tracking and Payment of all Employee

related claims pertaining to travel l Handling complete procurement cycle, from

requisition till receiving of materialsl Issuing and managing all service requests

pertaining to maintenance, additional work, etc.l Maintenance of the cost of projects and its

timelines with resources and assetsl Maintaining Personal & Job information of

employee and subsequent job actions (liketransfer, deputation, retirement, etc.)

l Online request submission for Housing,Transport, Conference Room Booking

l Online request submission for Leave &Approval process

l Payroll generation with details of earning & deductions

l Online request submission for LTC, Claims & approval process

l Board of Management, Parliament questions & Dispatch//Receiving of files/papers/AKS

l Online request for Medical reimbursement l Complete online recruitment process &

screeningl Schedule and track training courses, handle

enrollments for available course session andmaintain list of trainings conducted

l Issue of Course material from the central store(Material Production and Distribution Division— MPDD) to students, faculty, staff, etc. andreceipt of printed study material from variousprinters

l Cross checking Degree/Diploma/Certificates/Grade Card/Marks Sheet as andwhen required from the digitised and integratedstorage using Documentum software

l Maintaining consistent live data with propersecurity provisioning

ODLSoft Facilities

Computer Division staff examining a unit in the server room.

“IGNOUdeservesmodern

managementpractice andstate-of-the-arttechnology formanaging itsinternal andexternal

operations.” — Dr V.S.P. Srivastav,

Head, Computer Division


Conserving wetlands should assumethe role of a ‘People’s Movement’,so that people can lead more fuller

lives, said Minister of State forEnvironment & Forests Jairam Ramesh,while launching IGNOU’s ‘AppreciationProgramme on Sustainable Management of Wetlands’ in New Delhi on July 22.

The programme has been developed by IGNOU’s Chair for SustainableDevelopment (CSD), headed by eminentagricultural scientist Prof M.S.Swaminathan.

“Most wetlands in the country are beingdevoured due to more highways, sewageand dumping grounds. The Ministry ofEnvironment and Forests has uploaded theDraft guidelines for protection of wetlandson its website. These regulations will benotified in the next two-three months. TheMinistry is also in the process of mappingall wetlands in the country and there areplans to open a University on Environmentand Sustainability in the near future,”Ramesh said.

The programme, to be delivered in onlinemode, provides awareness about theimportance of wetlands, why they aredisappearing, restoration efforts and

sustainable management. The programme isopen to graduates from any discipline. It canbe completed in a minimum period of onemonth and a maximum of six months.

“What is needed to conserve theenvironment is education, socialmotivation and regulation. Regulationalone will not do the job. In this context,the Chair is working on the launch of anew programme on the Biodiversity of theGanges. We shall soon be launching a PGProgramme in Sustainability Science,”

Prof Swaminathan added. According to Vice Chancellor Professor

V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai, “CSD hasemerged as a model for all the Universitiesin the country. There is an urgent need tolink education with development and wewere the first Indian University to startsustainability science as a discipline.”

The ceremony was held at theElectronic Media Production Centre’sStudio-II and was telecast live to all the Regional Centres.n

From left, Prof M.S. Swaminathan, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh and Vice Chancellor

Prof V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai at the launch of ‘Appreciation Programme on Sustainable

Management of Wetlands’ in New Delhi on July 22.

‘People’s Movement’ to conserve wetlands

Community Colleges need a greater push: Kiran Bedi

The Community College movementneeds to grow in order to ensure thatIndia is not overwhelmed by

unemployable youth in the next threeyears,” said Dr Kiran Bedi, former IPSofficer and Founder General Secretary,Navjyoti India Foundation.

She was delivering a lecture titled‘Community Colleges — the Answer forPresent and Future: The Experience ofNavjyoti India Foundation,’ organised byIGNOU on July 27.

While drawing attention to the fact thatthe movement of Community Colleges hascrossed the 400 mark, Dr Bedi called foran active and priority-based involvement ofthe Government, the Industry and thePanchayati Raj institutions.

Vice Chancellor Prof V.N. RajasekharanPillai, Pro-VC Dr Latha Pillai, Dr C.K.Ghosh, Nodal Officer, Community CollegeUnit (CCU) and functionaries and studentsof Navjyoti were present at the lecture that

was telecast live viaEdusat.

Speaking about the communitydevelopment workbeing done by NavjyotiIndia Foundation andits march towardsbecoming an IGNOUCommunity College, Dr Bedi remarked, “Westarted as a ‘Galli’school and have growninto a Communitycollege. IGNOU has given us fourCommunity Colleges and that too in a veryshort time-frame.”

Calling Community Colleges a ‘People’sMovement,’ Prof Pillai said that “We haveset up 442 Community Colleges within oneyear of launching the scheme. Thousandsof applications for establishment of moreCommunity Colleges are still pending. It is

a ‘People’s Movement,’ where we let thecommunity decide what it wants in termsof programmes of study and timing ofclasses.”

Dr Bedi added that “Communitycolleges must take up adult literacy as a mandate. We must make this a priority area in all IGNOU CommunityColleges.”n

From left, Dr Kiran Bedi, CCU Nodal Officer Dr C.K. Ghosh and

Pro-VC Dr Latha Pillai at the lecture.

NEWSupdateS

12

NEWSupdates


Rajkumar Namdeo, a learner ofIGNOU’s Certificate Programme inFood and Beverages ServiceOperation, is a happy man.

A Class XII pass-out from Shahdoldistrict in Madhya Pradesh, he got enrolledin the six-month Programme this January.Today, he has bagged an entry-level job atthe prestigious Sayaji Hotel, a three-starfacility in Indore. “I resumed my confidence level after

going through the extensive theory andpractical sessions during the Programme.IGNOU has designed a state-of-the-art,market-oriented courseware that has helpedme get my first job at the city’s best hotel,”says Namdeo. In all, 17 students of Certificate

Programme in the tourism and hospitalitysector being run by IGNOU’s BhopalRegional Centre have got entry-level jobsand training opportunities at Sayaji Hotel. According to Sujit Desai, Sayaji Head

(Learning and Management), “As part oftheir placement drive, these IGNOU learnerswill undergo a six-month training periodbefore they get appointed at different postsin the food and beverages department.” “We conducted a week-long training

workshop for theselearners from August 2-August 9. We are opento recruiting youngsterswho have completedCertificate Programmesas long as they are able

to pass the psychometric test that Sayajiconducts,” adds Desai.IGNOU Certificate Programmes are run

in collaboration with the Madhya PradeshTourism Development Corporation(MPTDC). The University is in talks with thetourism boards of three states — Assam,Jammu and Kashmir and Sikkim — to beginsimilar Programmes there.The Programme comprises theory

classes followed by practical training at

MPSTDC-run hotels and resorts. According to Dr Harkirat Bains, Director,

School of Tourism and Hospitality ServicesManagement, most of the learners haveeither got jobs or have set up their ownbusinesses. “To begin with, we assiststudents in attaining a basic knowledge ofEnglish — the foremost requirement in thissector. Then the core training begins,” DrBains adds.B.M. Namdeo, chief general manager,

MP State Tourism Development Corporation(MPSTDC) Ltd., says that “in the next fewyears, the Indian tourism industry willrequire at least 20 lakh trainedprofessionals. In IGNOU courses, evenhigher-secondary pass students can getenrolled and benefit.”�

Atotal of 92 teams, of two memberseach, participated in the multi-cityinter-school general quiz contest,‘IGNITE 2010,’ hosted by IGNOU

in Bengaluru on August 10.Sri Kumaran’s Children Home (SKCH)

team, comprising Milind Hegde and VikasKashyap, bagged the winner’s trophy andindividual trophies. Aditya Hebber and ShishirBhardwaj, also from SKCH, were the runnersup and received individual trophies and bookvouchers. The competition was held atYavanika, to create greater awareness aboutIGNOU and its courses, which have apotential to benefit millions of young Indians.

Vice Chancellor Prof V.N. RajasekharanPillai presented the prizes to the winners.Dr Latha Pillai, Pro-Vice Chancellor and Dr B.S. Sudhindra, Regional Director,Bengaluru, were also present at theoccasion. The third spot was shared bytwo teams — Anurup A.K. andNanjundeshwara N. of Deeksha Centre forLearning, and Arun S. and Ameya M.Talanki of Christ Junior College.Prithvi Hegde and P.V.S.S. Raju of

National Hillview Public School camefourth, while Vivek Aithal K.R. and K.Krishna Chaitanya of Deeksha Centre forLearning bagged the fifth spot.n

Sujit Desai, Head (Learning and Management), Sayaji Hotel, at a hospitality training session

with 17 IGNOU learners in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.

92 teams at IGNOU inter-school quiz in Bengaluru

Lucrative offers for hospitality learners

“IGNOU has designed a market-orientedcourseware that has helped me get myfirst job at the city’s best hotel.”

—Rajkumar Namdeo,Student

VC Prof V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai and Pro-VC

Dr Latha Pillai meet the participants of

IGNITE 2010 in Bengaluru.

Siddharth Varadarajan, Delhi BureauChief of The Hindu and a dynamic

member of the School Board ofIGNOU’s School of Journalism and NewMedia Studies (SOJNMS), has receivedthe prestigious ‘Ramnath GoenkaJournalist of the Year Award.’Varadarajan’s articles on the

Indo-U.S. nuclear deal becamestandardised source material for thosewho wanted an assessment of theclaims and counter-claims being madeby the supporters and its critics. Theentire IGNOU family congratulates himon his golden accomplishment.


NEWSupdates

Role of Arts in society is not just the icing on the cake, but on yeast,said dancer-politician Dr Mallika

Sarabhai while delivering the Silver Jubileelecture, titled ‘Bringing Them into theFold: Using the Arts to Bridge the Gap’ atthe Indira Gandhi National Open Universityheadquarters in New Delhi on July 29. “Sixty-two years after independence,

injustice and gaps still exist inour society, in fact, these gapshave broadened. We now needdifferent solutions. Art forms acrucial part of these solutions.What’s required is that artforms be integrated into thesociety,” she said. Delivering his presidential

address, Vice Chancellor, ProfV.N. Rajasekharan Pillai said,“IGNOU is in its Silver Jubileeyear, with over 30 lakhstudents on roll. The theme ofdemocratisation of education that IGNOUfollows is synchronous with the theme ofthis lecture series — ‘Inclusion of theExcluded’. The lecture will be an eyeopener for all practitioners of Art.”Through her lecture, Dr Sarabhai

argued that art is the most powerful wayto bring about change, whether political,social or personal. Speaking about herencounters of using art for things whichare ‘not art,’ she focused on her

endeavors to reach ‘people who can dosomething to make the excluded theincluded.’The talk also explored the ways in

which arts can become a potent languagefor empowerment — to break down wallsof prejudice and become an agent ofsocial change. Dr Sarabhai gave severalexamples of how she has achieved this

aim at her dance academyDarpana, through plays for the underprivileged, TVprogrammes talking aboutempowerment of women andcommunications targetingschool children. Established byher parents Mrinalini andVikram Sarabhai in 1949,Darpana uses dance and thearts for social change.Talking about the ‘other,’

Dr Sarabhai remarked that itis the rich and the privileged who are the‘other’ in the society today and there is an urgent need to get them back intothe mainstream. “There is a need to bring the rich and

powerful back into the fold, as they havegiven up on the country and retreatedinto their ivory towers. In fact, there isno segment of the society that does notneed sensitisation. IGNOU and Darpanahave the blueprint for transforming thesociety,” Dr Sarabhai added.�

Let art bridge the gap: SarabhaiDr Mallika Sarabhai delivering the Silver Jubilee lecture at IGNOU Headquarters in New Delhi.

factoids IGNOU will soon launch B.A. programmes in Lab Technology,

Medical Radiology and Medical Records Science and

Health Technology in Cooperative Medical College, Kochi.

NEWSscan

Ramnath Goenka award

IGNOU has signed a Memorandum ofUnderstanding (MoU) with the All India Institute of Local SelfGovernment (AIILSG), Mumbai, forlaunching a flagship Post-GraduateDiploma Programme in UrbanGovernance (PGDUG).PGDUG, being conducted by the

faculty of Public Administrationdiscipline, School of Social Sciences,is open to graduates from differentdisciplines. For more details, please visit

www.ignou.ac.in

Urban Governance

Indira Gandhi National OpenUniversity (IGNOU) has announcedmajor relaxation in B.Ed admission.Prof Pushplata Tripathi, Registrar,

Student Evaluation Division, saidthat the requisite eligibilitypercentage for B.Ed Programme2011 has been revised to 50percent marks instead of 55 percentin Bachelor’s or Higher Degree froma recognised University. For details,kindly visit www.ignou.ac.in

B.Ed admission relaxed

“There is a needto bring the rich

and powerfulback into thefold, as they

have given upon the countryand retreated

into their ivory towers.”


I-DAYcelebrations

Remembering Mahatma Gandhiji’sfamous slogan ‘Do or Die’, IGNOUpaid homage to the martyrs of thefreedom struggle by

commemorating the 68th anniversary of theQuit India Movement. A flag-hoistingceremony was organised by the IndiraGandhi Centre for Freedom Struggle Studies(IGCFSS) at the Convention Centre onAugust 9. Dr Yoganand Shastri, Delhi Vidhan Sabha

Speaker, Justice Vijender Jain, former ChiefJustice, Punjab & Haryana High Court andShashi Bhushan, Chairman, IGCFSS unfurledthe national flag.On August 8, IGCFSS and Freedom

Movement Memorial Committee organised apublic meeting in the campus to observeSecular Day. The function was inauguratedby former Foreign Secretary RomeshBhandari. Jagannath Pahadia, HaryanaGovernor, was the Chief Guest and G.V.G.

Krishnamurthy, former ElectionCommissioner, was the Guest of Honour.Eminent speakers at the function

included Farooq Abdullah, Union Minister forNew and Renewable Energy; Ram NareshYadav, former Chief Minister of UttarPradesh; Satya Prakash Malaviya, former

Union Minister; Bali Ram Bhagat, former LokSabha Speaker; Prof B.B. Bhattacharya,Vice Chancellor, Jawaharlal NehruUniversity; Major Ved Prakash, Secretary, AllIndia Congress Committee (AICC); RajendraSingh, former minister from MadhyaPradesh; and Prof K.R. Srivathsan, Pro-VC.n

Dr Yoganand Shastri (second from left), Delhi Vidhan Sabha Speaker, and Shashi Bhushan

(right), Chairman, IGCFSS, unfurling the tricolour at IGNOU on August 9. (Right) Union Minister

for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah speaking at the Secular Day function.

Remembering Quit India Movement

Awave of freedom swept across the IGNOUHeadquarters in New Delhi as VC Prof V.N.Rajasekharan Pillai unfurled the National

Flag to mark India’s 64th Independence Day onAugust 15. The celebrations were marked by cultural performances, dance programmes by students from IGNOU creche and a play by learners.n

IGNOU celebrates India’s 64th I-Day

(Clockwise from top) Students performing a play at the IGNOU grounds; VC Prof V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai addressing people after unfurling the

tricolour; children from an IGNOU-run creche in a dance performance; and a cultural programme in progress.


REGIONALroundup

factoidsIGNOU has started agricultural programmes at the Institute of Agricultural

Sciences, BHU. Some of the programmes are Diploma in Value-Added

Products from Fruits and Vegetables and Diploma in Dairy Technology.

IGNOU’s Institute for VocationalEducation and Training (IIVET),Shillong, has signed a Memorandum ofCollaboration (MoC) with the State

Institute of Capacity Building (SICB),Department of Personnel AdministrativeReforms and Training, Government ofSikkim, to offer vocational and skilldevelopment programmes to unemployedyouth in the region.

As per the MoC signed on July 16,2010 at the IGNOU Headquarters inNew Delhi, the following threeprogrammes will be launched initially —Certificate Programme in Housekeeping,Certificate Programme in Front OfficeManagement and CertificateProgramme in Food and Beverages. IGNOU and SICB will also introduce

programmes in the following areas:

medicinal plants; computer hardware;computer software; cultural andtraditional craft; paper bags and bookbinding; electrical wiring, masonry,painting and carpentry; foreign languages(Chinese, Japanese, Tibetan, English);landscaping; tourist guide; eco village;cooking and catering; beautician; culturaltourism; cultural craft; and woodcarving/bamboo craft.n

Sikkim govt to offer skill development courses

IGNOU has initiated ICT training ofteachers in Tamil Nadu in collaborationwith the ICTACT, the ICT capacity-building

academy under the Ministry of InformationTechnology, Tamil Nadu.Dr Poongothai Aladi, Minister of State for

Information Technology, Vice Chancellor ProfV.N. Rajasekharan Pillai; LakshmiNarayanan, Chairman, ICTACT and Dr M. Shanmugam, Regional Director, Madurai,were present during the event.The Regional Centres in Tamil Nadu, with

Madurai RC as the Nodal Centre, arecoordinating the programme.n

Basic computer training for N-E youth

IGNOU Institute for VocationalEducation and Training (IIVET),Shillong, in collaboration with Basix,

a new generation livelihood promotioninstitution, has provided ‘BasicComputer’ training to students from ruralareas of Meghalaya through variousCommon Services Centres (CSCs).The training is part of an MoU signed

between IIVET and Basix on December4, 2009. According to the MoU, theinstitutes had to deliver vocationaltraining on Computer Literacy, Tailoringand Grocery, Dairy Management,Electrical Wiring, etc, through 60 CSCs

— 50 in Meghalaya and 10 in Sikkim.As on date, 72 students have finished

the 45-day computer training in CSCslocated in the following areas: Lawbah,Lawsohtun, Mawlong, Mawkyrwat,Shella, Shangpung, Nongbah,Laitryngew, Tura, Laitkor and Phulbari. The training has benefitted many

students, especially those from ruralareas. After completing the training, atleast 25 candidates have becomeeligible to apply for jobs in the BorderSecurity Force Department as computeroperators. Five students have startedworking in local computer shops.n

ICT training for Tamil Nadu teachers

Students undergoing computer literacy training at a Common Services Centre in Meghalaya.

Dr Poongothai Aladi, MoS for IT, with VC Prof Pillai after the signing of an MoU.

WEDNESDAYAugust 1807:30: Pariveshiye Addhyan Mein11:30: Phir EkKhamoshi 12:00: Bhasha Mandakini (Sanskrit):Vedic Maths- 11,Prakrit Part- 15 18:30: NIOS: 1. Skeleton,Muscles & Movement2. Statistics(Hindi)

FRIDAYAugust 2008:30: AadhunikBharatiya SahityaBharatendu10:30: NCERT/CIET:Sec. & Sr. Sec.:Mathsfor Class – XII: Deriva-tive as Rate of Change13:00: Science/Environment/Health:The Story of A River18:30: NCERT-CIET-Primary: Natak KhelnaAasan Hai (Baten Kahani Ki)

SUNDAYAugust 2208:30: IGNOU:OET-031, Humsafar11:30: North EastKaleidoscope/ WomenEmpowerment: Whenwater Breathes Again 17:00: United Nations:An Experiment to SaveThe World18:30:NIOS: 1. Com-munication 2. Algorithm& Flow Chart (Hindi)22.30: BROU: ProjectReport

WEDNESDAYAugust 2517:00: United Nations:Malaria Battle of the Merzoites, Life Story 21:00: IGNOU: DPE-Adhigam Mein Sampreshan Ka Mahatva

SATURDAYAugust 2808:30: IGNOU: Brahmand Ki Khoj12:00: Bhasha Mandakini:VedicMaths, Prakrit Part-2413.00: Science/Environment/Health:Brahmand Ki Khoj

MONDAYAugust 3008:30: IGNOU: Disorder of Thoughts12:00: Bhasha Mandakini (Sanskrit):Vedic Maths -218:30: NIOS: SimpleMachines (Hindi)

Dr R.R. Rausaria has beenappointed new Director of

IGNOU’s Distance EducationCouncil (DEC). Prior to joiningDEC, Dr Rausaria worked asRegistrar (I/c) in the MaterialProduction and DistributionDivision (MPDD). Earlier, he worked as

Director, Directorate ofDistance Education,Kurukshetra University. He has alsoserved in the Distance Education Council(DEC) as Deputy Director since 1994. A recipient of ‘Alexander von Humboldt

Fellowship’ from Germany, Dr Rausariahas also been a faculty member of National Institute of Technology, Srinagar.

In addition to the alreadycontinued initiatives of DEC,his main priorities would be todiversify the activities of theCouncil in the following thrustareas: development ofProgrammes, specific normsand guidelines; strengtheningthe research activities of ODLsystem — both systemic anddiscipline-based research;

programme-specific assessment andaccreditation; development of norms forstrengthening of Student Support Services;use of technology for enhancing the reachof programmes in remote and distant areas;and establishment of Centre for InternalQuality Assurance in all ODL Institutions.n

Dr R.R. Rausaria.

At six, children are usuallyexpected to study primary

school subjects. But DivyaPrakash Pandey is special. The six-year-old has become the youngeststudent in the Indira GandhiNational Open University (IGNOU),and perhaps the youngest in any university. Having a keen interest in the world of

clay and designs, Divya enrolledhimself in Certificate Programmein Craft and Design (Pottery)(CCDP).Divya dreams of doing wonders

in craft and design. He alsowishes to design and develop the

famous magic trick ‘Water Of India’through his world of clay.n


MILEsTONEsONcampus

HIGHLIGHTS

Dr Rausaria appointed new DEC Director

Six-year-old Divya is IGNOU’s youngest student

[Not to be

MissedWatch a special programme on‘Water Resources: HydrologicCycle and Indian Rainfall’ at 11 am on August 23. A near-perfect rainfall in the past fewdays has boosted cropplanting, thus raising hopes ofa considerable increase in thecountry’s total crop output.

]

Divya Prakash.

IGNOU, Navy sign MoU

September, 2000: The IGNOU–Navy Educational

Project is initiated by signing of an MOU with

Indian Navy on September 23, 2000.

lVice Chancellor Prof Abdul Waheed Khan

leaves IGNOU for Commonwealth of Learning

(COL), Canada

lMinistry of External Affairs offers 100

scholarships for the learners of South Asian

countries to enable them to carry out their

studies.

lIGNOU starts a scheme to offer two to four

short-term Visiting Fellowships to Distance

Education Professionals working in Asian Open

Universities for carrying out a small project

connected with the promotion and development

of Distance Education. For 2000, four

professionals from Hong Kong Open University,

Payame Noor University, Tehran; Open University

of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh Open University

are awarded the fellowships.

lA new Regional Centre is established in

Ranchi, the capital of newly-created Jharkhand

on EIL for construction of second phase of

campus construction.

Gyan Darshan goes 24-hour

January, 2001: Gyan Darshan becomes

a 24-hour channel.

24-hr Gyan Darshan

Download - Open Letter - August 2010

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