open letter march

IGNOU OPEN LETTER | MARCH 15, 20112

Indira Gandhi National Open University, in addition to providing higher education at the Graduate,

Post-Graduate and Doctoral levels, has a strong presence in the skill development and

vocational education sectors across the country. This is reflected in the number of Diplomas

and Certificates awarded by the University during the last five Convocations. Out of the seven

lakh qualifications awarded by the University in the last five years, 2.5 lakh (35 percent) were

graduates and above, and 4.5 lakh (65 percent) were Certificates and Diplomas. This emphasis

on skill development is well in line with the objectives of the University delineated in the IGNOU

Act, 1985: “To strengthen and diversify the Degree, Certificate and Diploma courses related to

the needs of employment and necessary for building the economy of the country on the basis of

its natural and human resources; provide education and training in the various arts, crafts and

skills of the country, raising their quality and improving their availability to the people”.

A seamless transition from the Certificate/Diploma to higher-level university degrees is also

intended through such activities. The course-credit pattern and the modularity of the various

courses, which constitute several programmes leading to a qualification,

were in vogue in IGNOU from its very inception. In this connection, it is very

important that the University system should promote the Diploma to Degree

transition for aspiring Diploma holders. In the technical education system,

there are avenues in specific universities for Diploma holders to join at the

second or third year of the Engineering Degree Programme. A similar pattern

is necessary for the conventional universities and the Open University

System as well.

The fact that a vast majority of these Diploma holders are working people

from industry or working in grassroots-level organisations lends further

credibility to this proposal. Making Diploma or Advanced Diploma holders eligible for admission

to a University Degree has been an established practice in higher education systems all over

the world. In the US University system, 46 percent of the admissions to University Degree

programmes are through the Associate Degree (Credit equivalence to the Advanced Diploma)

programme of the vast and robust network of Community Colleges over there. This will be a

major step towards linking the skill development sector and vocational education with higher

education, that is the major forte of the University System.

In the proposed National Vocational Qualification Framework (NVQF) of the Ministry of

Human Resource Development, this transfer from the vocational sector to the higher education

sector is being facilitated. Certificate (16 credits), Diploma (32 credits), Advanced Diploma

or Associate Degree (64 credits) — which is a terminal qualification — are the qualifications

prevalent in the skill development and vocational education sectors. The difference between

the Advanced Diploma and Associate Degree specifications are that the Associate Degree

provides additional content, which will make the candidates well-prepared for University

education in the concerned discipline.

A look at the Statistical Bulletin on the 2010 status of the Open University System of China

indicates that the Associate Degree, which is in between the Certificate and Bachelor’s

Degree, is the largest qualification base over there. In 2010, 4,12,400 students graduated

with an Associate Degree, 6,914 received a Bachelor’s Degree and 38,000 received

Certificates from the China Open University System.

Similar possibilities of acquiring two-year Associate Degree/Advanced Diploma qualifications

and making students employable in the work-sector and at the same time giving them

opportunity to acquire a higher qualification from a University, as and when they want, are in

existence in all developed and fastly-developing countries. IGNOU has initiated the two-year

Associate Degree Programme through the Community Colleges in line with the

recommendations of the National Knowledge Commission and the Planning Commission,

Government of India. After a two-year-long academic deliberation involving expertise from all

over the country, we formally launched the programme in 2008. The first Associate Degrees

are being awarded in the forthcoming Convocation of the Indira Gandhi National Open University.

Such efforts in skill development that provide multiple horizontal and vertical pathways for

mobility are very necessary for making people employable and enhancing the Gross Enrollment

Ratio (GER). The Governments of Haryana and Madhya Pradesh, Indian Army, Indian Navy,

M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Jindal Education Initiative, Ministry of Textiles,

Government of India, Apparel Promotion and Exports Council (APEC) of India and about 300

Civil Society Organisations in the public and private sector are the partners of IGNOU in this

nationwide Community College Initiative.

4

CONTENTS

Strengthening HR

Bars No Barriers

INFOCUS: The four-

year period of the

11th Plan heralds an

overall faculty/staff

growth, thus

redefining the

concept of HR

Management within

the IGNOU system

SKILL DEVELOPMENT..03

NEWS UPDATES..........11

STUDENTS’CORNER....13

REGIONAL UPDATES...15

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

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

8 SPOTLIGHT: IGNOU’s free

education initiative has given

prisoners a new lease of life

through the first-ever placement

drive for jail inmates in the

country held at Tihar Jail

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, Maidan Garhi.

New Delhi 110068. Ph: +91-11-29571000

(30 lines); +91-11-29535924-29

Fax: +91-11-29535933;

E-mail: [email protected]

Managing Editor: Ravi Mohan

Photos: 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 | MARCH 15, 2011 3

SKILLDEVELOPMENT

Even a little bit of training in the

field of tourism will contribute to

employment, which is why every

state must realise the worth of this

sector, said Union Minister for Tourism

Subodh Kant Sahai at the national seminar

on ‘Skills Development in Tourism &

Hospitality Sector in India’, organised by

the School of Tourism and Hospitality

Services Sectoral Management

(SOTHSSM) on March 18.

“In the tourism industry, even if we

spend a meagre amount, the returns are

enormous. IGNOU is doing a great job in

this field by training even school drop-

outs,” Sahai said in his valedictory speech.

The minister also pointed out the

importance of those pursuing the courses and

said, “Domestic tourism is also a big area of

activity. People indulge in religious pilgrimages

to Amarnath, Vaishno Devi, and other places,

and wherever such activities happen, your

requirement is absolutely necessary.”

The seminar comprised of two technical

sessions – the first focussing on the

challenges of skills development and the

second, a panel discussion on the human

resource development in the tourism &

hospitality sector.

“This industry contributes to seven

percent of the Gross Domestic Product

(GDP). The public and private sector

together can meet 40 percent of the

demand, but the question comes as to

how other industries could innovatively

deal with this industry,” said Vice

Chancellor Prof V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai.

Invoking the University’s collaboration

with the Madhya Pradesh government, the

VC extended his hand towards collaborating

with the Jharkhand government by

requesting Sahai to take necessary action

for the same.

“Home catering, such as the famous

Dabbawalas of Mumbai, is growing in a

huge way and can be a lucrative growth

opportunity for the country. All we need to

do is tap the skills and channelise the

capacities. There should not only be job

seekers, but job creators as well. The

entrepreneurial skills should be honed

at skills development level,” said Pro-VC

Prof K.R. Srivathsan.

According to Dr Harkirat Bains, Director,

SOTHSSM, “We are offering programmes

ranging from Certificate to Ph.D. to meet

various demands of the tourism and

hospitality sector. The recently introduced

certificate programmes in Housekeeping,

Front Office Operations and Food &

Beverages Services aim at educating

students in some of the core areas. They

add value by upgrading skills and make

students employable immediately.”�

‘Tap opportunities in tourism sector’

Union Minister for Tourism Subodh Kant Sahai addressing the gathering at the seminar

organised at the IGNOU Convention Centre on March 18.

The University has signed a Memorandum of

Understanding (MoU) with the Commissioner

of Higher Education, Government of Madhya

Pradesh (MP) to offer Certificate, Diploma and

Associate Degree programmes through

Community Colleges.

“Our government has declared 2010-2020 as

the ‘Decade of Innovation’. We need to achieve

inclusive and sustainable growth in education and

skill development. We have the largest youth

population in the world. We need to explore all

means to provide them employable skills,” said VC

Prof V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai.

“The community

college will identify

academic

programmes on the

basis of a need

analysis of the local

job requirements and

opportunities and

incorporate these

findings into the

curriculum, and if so

required, shall take

assistance from

IGNOU in identifying the programmes. Programme

delivery is the responsibility of the Community

College,” said the MoU signed by Registrar U.S. Tolia.

The MoU highlighted the roles and

responsibilities of both the institutions and said,

“All the programmes offered by the community

college shall have enrollments twice a year i.e.

July and January, for which term end examinations

will be conducted twice a year i.e. in December

and June.”

Programme-wise list of registered students

shall be submitted to IGNOU within 15 days of

completion of admissions.”

Promoting vocational education in MP

Registrar U.S. Tolia.


INFOCUS

The four-year period beginning 2006-

07 has not only witnessed an

impressive growth for the Indira

Gandhi National Open University —

the People’s University — but also resulted

in empowering its academic and non-

academic staff on all counts.

Numbers speak for themselves. The

University appointed 146 academics

during the 11th Plan Period (2006-2011).

The total number of academics who have

been promoted, at least once during 2006-

2011, stands at a record 122, while the

number of administrative staff promotion

has reached 300 in the same period.

The period beginning November 2006-

2007 has been a golden era as far as the

the Human Resource practices within the

IGNOU system are concerned, and the role

of Academic Co-ordination Division and

Administrative Division is crucial in

achieving this goal — the goal of nurturing

a large pool of academics in the Decade of

Innovation.

“Promotions given in the Administrative

Division from November 2006 till date

show the University has taken care of each

and every individual when it comes to

honouring one’s skills, dedication and hard

work. In Group A cadre, the University

promoted 98 individuals; in Group B cadre,

143 staffers were promoted while in Group

C (technical cadre), 60 people were given

promotions in last four years,” informs U.S.

The four-yearperiod of the 11thPlan heralds an overallfaculty/staffgrowth, thusredefining theconcept of HRManagementwithin the IGNOU system

Dr. M.S. Senam Raju with his Academic Co-ordination Division staff members at the IGNOU campus in Maidan Garhi, New Delhi.

Strengthening HR

Tolia, Registrar, Administrative Division

(see the graph).

The Academic Coordination Division at

IGNOU is entrusted with the

responsibilities of Establishment,

Administration and other service matters

pertaining to Teachers and Academics of

the University.

“IGNOU hired 93 Consultants

(Academic) and 215 Consultants

(Administration) since November 2006-

present, a record of sort for the University.

Senior-level superannuated teachers who

have retired from service were also

appointed on re-employment basis to

utilise their experience and expertise in

the development of various programmes

and courses of the University,” says Dr

M.S. Senam Raju, Director, ACD.

The Division is also entrusted with the

responsibility of co-ordinating appointment

of Adjunct professors and engagement of

Consultants, On-line Experts,

Web Developers and Project

Associates, etc. on full-time

as well as part-time basis for

various academic activities to

support the permanent

faculty appointed for

performance of certain core

functions and all other

development needs.

“The idea is not only to

strengthen the faculty in

terms of numbers, but

also sustain and nurture a

large pool of academics

who can help the nation

achieve its educational

goals in the Decade of

Innovation,” says Vice

Chancellor Prof V.N.

Rajasekharan Pillai.

In the same period, the

number of Ph.D. holders

(including Administration)

rose to 342 (227

Teachers and 115

Academics) in this period.

The number of research

scholars (both full-time

and part-time) stands at

540. These include 38

M.Phil., 376 part-time, 35 full-time and 91

RTAs.

“About 800 teachers and academics

with Ph.D. and higher-level research

qualifications are working in the University.

An exclusive Research Unit was created in

the University recently to coordinate all

these research activities,” adds Prof Pillai.

“Research is a process of systematic

collection, investigation and analysis of

information to increase a research

scholar’s understanding of the study which

he or she has undertaken

with specific objectives. In

this context, it is the

responsibility of the

researcher to commit

himself/herself to the study

undertaken. The RTA

Scheme is a unique move in

this period and will benefit

highly meritorious full-time

postgraduates,” stresses Dr

V. Venugopal Reddy,

Director, Research Unit.

IGNOU is heading for a

paradigm shift in its

research policy and

research facilitation

processes in the context

of the global scenario of

full-time research, part-

time research and

systemic research under

the open university and

distance education

systems.

“The University has a

research project scheme.

Paid research study leave,

in addition to the

sabbatical leave scheme,

are available to teachers

and academics. Participation in national

and international research conferences

is facilitated by travel grants,” says

Prof Pillai.

“IGNOU has a faculty strength of over

1,000 with doctoral and post-doctoral

qualification who are occupying permanent

full-time positions as Assistant Professors,

Associate Professors and Professors or

equivalent academic positions as

Assistant Directors, Deputy Directors and

Directors.”


“Promotions given in

the Administrative

Division from

November 2006 till

date show the

University has taken

care of each and

every individual when

it comes to honouring

one’s skills, dedication

and hard work.”— Udai Singh Tolia,

Registrar, IGNOU

146 Academics appointed during the11th Plan Period (2006-2011)

122 academics promoted at leastonce during 2006-2011

300 members of administrative staffpromoted in the same period

93 Consultants (Academic) and 215

Consultants (Administration) hiredin the same period

342 (227 Teachers and 115 Academics) Ph.D. holders are in IGNOU at present

GROWTH-O-METER


“In addition, the University has a rich

pool of over 40,000 part-time academic

counsellors. A large number of very

eminent scientists and academicians are

also serving the University as

consultants, Emeritus Professors and

Chair Professors. The University also

provides family residential facilities for

over 400 teachers and other staff,” adds

the Vice Chancellor.

“IGNOU has 62 Regional Centres in its

own buildings or in rented premises. The

University is in the process of building

facilities for all the Regional Centres.

Laboratories for specific science

programmes and an Inter-University

Consortium for Technology-Enabled

Learning are also housed in the Campus,”

informs Pro-Vice Chancellor Dr Latha Pillai.

The University, as did other autonomous

institutions across the country, also bore

a major additional burden on account of

outgo toward salaries and wages.

The payment of arrears due to the

generous award by the Sixth Pay

Commission also added to the outgo.

Payments toward salaries and wages – due

to both higher payout and recruitment –

went up from 35.68 crore to 86.12 crore.

As a result, the percentage-expenditure

under this head, which was hovering

around 18 percent till a few years ago,

ballooned to nearly 25 percent.

“IGNOU was one of the first Universities

in the country to implement the

recommendations of the Sixth Pay

Commission, including clearing the

arrears,” Prof Pillai points out.

Added to that, the non-plan expenditure

toward staff welfare – due to the reasons

aforesaid – also shot up from `̀9.23 crore to

`̀57.02 crore. These expenses are toward

contributions for the new pension scheme,

bonus, pension, gratuity, leave

encashment, leave salary, honorarium and

other welfare schemes.

“This expenditure is also a necessary

part of the University’s effort to keep its

staff and faculty satisfied and maintain

high productivity levels,” says Prof Pillai,

adding that a concerted effort has been

made to ensure that senior faculty

members have independent rooms and

The Inter-University Consortium (IUC) of

IGNOU works as a nodal point to

undertake various collaborative activities

involving ODL, e-learning, new knowledge

creation and appropriate technology. It

organises a variety of training programmes

and workshops for the faculty/staff

towards meeting these aims.

Web 2.0 Tools

IGNOU and other State Open

Universities, in the last 20 years, have

moved from print material to web-based

courses for delivery of instruction. Web

2.0 is the current generation World Wide

Web. It is a software which supports

group interaction and is being used in

the higher education sector, particularly

distance education. The traditional

approach to e-learning or online courses

is merely uploading the text/printed

material with objectives and a few

multiple choice questions. By using the

new web services (web 2.0), which has

a potential to make learning more

personal, social and flexible, we can

create learning communities. IUC

conducted a training for the faculty of

State Open Universities as well as for the

faculty of IGNOU. Programmes ranged

from three to five days. Each faculty was

provided with an individual terminal with

Internet facility. They developed

individual blogs, worked on Wikis,

created and posted their audio and

video clippings.

The training was appreciated by all

the participants and was rated as Very

Satisfactory. The faculty listed the areas

where they can use the web 2.0

technologies. These are: Providing news

and announcements to the students,

designing course material collaboratively,

tutoring, guiding, editing, and hosting

their powerpoint presentations, etc.

Research MethodologyCourse for RTAs

Distance Education has come a long

way and it will stay and grow significantly

in the foreseeable future. Research is an

important mechanism for growth and

development of distance education.

Importance of research has been

recognised as it helps shape a

university’s character and influence. Open

universities, especially in India, must take

the issue of research seriously if they

wish to be in the forefront of higher

education nationally and internationally.

Research Unit was established in

IGNOU in October 2008. The objective of

this unit is to register full-time/part-time

M.Phil and Ph.D. candidates and to

TECH-POWERING STAFF


conduct workshops on Research

Methodology for the research scholars.

IGNOU has engaged Research and

Teaching Assistants.

Keeping the importance of research

in distance education and the objectives

of Research Unit in view, IUC conducted

a training-cum-workshop for the

Research and Teaching Assistants

enrolled in IGNOU on Research

Methodology. More than 70 RTAs and

Ph.D. scholars have been trained in

batches. The duration of the programme

was three days.

RTAs found the programmes very

effective and liked the sessions on “How

to write the Review of Literature,

Research Designs and use of SPSS

package for analysis”. They said the

training should be given for more days.

Future

IUC will conduct Capacity-Building

programmes for Open Universities and

private universities. The training areas

are Developing and Designing Online

Courses, Developing e-content for various

programmes and developing short video

capsules on soft skills or any other theme

related to life skills.

It aims to facilitate convergence and sharing theknowledge through a judicious mix of media andtechnology; undertake R&D related to social andeconomic development through ODL-basedprogrammes; stimulate further thinking ondevelopment of education and employment ofpeople with disabilities, educationally-backwardand weaker sections in general; pool talentavailable in the society such as open universities,conventional universities, and NGOs...

IUC for Technology-enabled Flexible Education and

Development (IUC-TEFED)

Pro-VC Prof. K.R. Srivathsan at a Web 2.0 workshop at IGNOU.

personal assistants. All of them have also

been issued laptops to increase efficiency

and productivity.

With increased salaries, the University

also had to incur a much higher

expenditure toward terminal benefits,

compared with earlier years. Total Quality

Management remains the highest priority

in all areas of operation of the University.

Expenditure on staff welfare rose from

`̀9.31 crore to `̀57.83 crore – an almost six-

fold increase. As a percentage of

expenditure, this was a jump from 4.03

percent to 12.94 percent of expenditure.

Against this backdrop, there has also

been a concerted effort on the part of the

University to curtail expenditure. This is

the reason why the share of non-plan

administrative expenses to total

expenditure has fallen significantly from

28.24 percent in 2006-07 to 17.14

percent in 2009-10.

New strategies are also being evolved to

mobilise resources so that the University

can continue to work on its mandate without

any financial impediment. In addition,

maximising non-monetary inputs and

achieving cost-effectiveness in operations

and economy in spending also remain the

guiding principle of the University.�

U.S. Tolia, Registrar, Administrative Division, with newly-recruited Data Entry Operators at IGNOU.


SPOTLIGHT

Twenty-nine-year-old Siddharth Jailtey

knew that his hopes of earning a

livelihood and leading a dignified life

again could never transform into

reality when he was sent to jail three years

ago on charges of kidnapping and murder.

What he didn’t know was that these

hopes had already started taking shape

the moment he enrolled in IGNOU’s

Master’s Programme in Public

Administration at the University’s Study

Centre in Tihar Central Jail. Thanks to

IGNOU’s ‘free education for prisoners’

initiative, Siddharth holds an appointment

letter from a leading company today.

“When I landed in jail, I was in trauma and

depression and everything was ruined for

me. But now, due to this campus interview

there is a ray of hope that whenever I get out

I can earn my livelihood easily,” says an

ecstatic Siddharth, who will be working as a

Marketing Executive with Agrawal Movers

and Packers once he is released within six

months.

The story is the same for several other

inmates who got a new lease of life through

the first-ever placement drive for prison

inmates in the country, held at Tihar Central

Jail No. 3 on February 25.

Under the dynamic leadership of Tihar Jail

Superintendent Manoj Dwivedi and guidance

from Director, IGNOU RC Delhi-3, Dwarka and

Campus Placement Cell (CPC), seven

companies created history and came to look

for potential managers and executives at

Asia’s largest prison. These included

IGNOU’s freeeducation initiativehas given prisonersa new lease of life through the first-everplacement drive forjail inmates in thecountry held atTihar Central Jailin New Delhi

Tihar Central Jail authorities with the inmates who appeared for the first-ever placement drive for prisoners, held at Tihar Central Jail No. 3..

Bars No Barriers

Vedanta Enterprises, Agarwal Movers and

Packers, JRA Associates and Chartered

Accountants, Good Housekeeping,

Creative Innovation, Predo Security

Services Pvt. Ltd., and ASP Sealing

Products Ltd.

NEW CHAPTER FOR INMATES

The companies conducted

interviews for 46 Learners pursuing

Certificate, Diploma, Under-

graduate and Post-graduate

programmes from IGNOU. Out

of these 46, 40 were given

appointment letters for jobs

ranging from Accountants to

Computer Operators, Store

Managers, Marketing and

Pharmaceutical Sales

Representatives.

“Forty-six inmates were

chosen by prison authorities

for the placement drive as they

fulfilled three criteria. Firstly,

they had impeccable conduct

inside the jail where they

utilised their time to gain education and

vocational skills. Secondly, they all expect to

be released within a year or so, and

finally, they were keen to

rehabilitate themselves and lead a

new life,” said Neeraj Kumar, DG

(Prisons), Tihar Jail.

Most of the inmates who sat

for placement have completed

their education and gained

multiple graduation degrees

in jail, thanks to IGNOU.

“After I was sent to jail, it

was a painful and stressful

time for me as I had no clue

what to do next. However, I

was motivated inside the jail

by officials, NGOs and

IGNOU. I studied day and

night. Now, I am about to

complete my Bachelor’s in

Tourism Studies from IGNOU

and also planning to pursue

LLB,” says 26-year-old Dilip

Kumar, who was booked

under Narcotics Act in 2005.


Representatives from one of the companies interviewing a jail inmate.

“This placement drive

has spread a vital

message of giving

dignity and respect to

all prisoners. It will

prevent these inmates

from returning to the

life of crime and

abuse. The academic

empowerment

attained while in jail

will give them a new

lease of life.”— Dr. Neeta Kapai, Dy Director,

Campus Placement Cell

POPULAR PROGRAMMES

Bachelor Preparatory Programme (BPP)

Bachelor’s in Social Work (BSW)

Bachelor’s in Tourism Studies (BTS)

Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com)

Certificate in Tourism Studies (CTS)

Certificate in Information Technology (CIT)

Certificate in HIV and Family Education (CAFE)

Certificate in Food and Nutrition (CFN)

Certificate in Nutrition and Childcare (CNCC)

Certificate in Human Rights (CHR)

Diploma in HIV and Family Education (DAFE)

Master of Commerce (M.Com)

Master’s in Public Administration (MPA)

Master’s in English (MEG)

Master’s in Sociology (MSO)

Master’s in Business Administration (MBA)

Apart from these programmes, there

is also a huge demand for Law and

Foreign Languages programmes like

Russian and Chinese.

He was one of the 46 inmates who were

up for placement.

The idea for such a placement session,

Kumar said, stemmed from the need to

help inmates in their rehabilitation

following their release. “For the first time

we are vouching to the corporate houses

for the integrity and good conduct of these

people. Many of the inmates received

multiple offers. We have left the decision

on selecting an offer on the candidates,”

Kumar said.

FREE EDUCATION INITIATIVE

IGNOU announced its ‘Free Education for

Prisoners’ initiative in the 2010 academic

session and waived off fees for all jail

inmates across the country who wish to

pursue the University’s programmes.

According to Dr Neeta Kapai, Deputy

Director, CPC, this move has been a

significant milestone in encouraging and

rehabilitating prisoners in order to

improve their quality of life post release.

Regular academic counselling sessions

are provided either by the RC staff in

some jails or nearby Study Centre

counsellors are deputed to volunteer

counselling sessions in some courses.

Study material and library facilities are

provided through IGNOU to all jails under

the supervision of an IGNOU Coordinator

and supporting staff. Assignments and

exams are attempted by all students

within the jail premises. IGNOU is also

making efforts to provide study material

in vernacular languages for some

inmates.

“This placement drive has spread a

vital message of giving dignity and

respect to all prisoners. It will prevent

these inmates from returning to the life

of crime and abuse, since the academic

empowerment attained while in jail will

give them a new lease of life. The

activity has not only given a tremendous

boost to their morale, but encouraged

other inmates to follow suit,” says

Dr Kapai.

Listen to Sandeep Bhatnagar, another

undertrial in Tihar, who was also picked up

by one of the companies. “This is not just

an appointment letter. It is an assurance

of a rehabilitated life in a society, which

would have otherwise shunned me. I can

now hope for a speedy acquittal by sending

this letter to the court to convince them

to acquit me soon. I can assure my wife

and children of a decent life in Delhi.”

For people like Sandeep, who were

wondering how they would support their

families once they were released, IGNOU

has given them a hope of taking a fresh

shot at life.�


Providing access to quality lifeIGNOU has set up a great example of social importance by promoting and achieving inclusive education

through the establishment of Learner Support Centers (LSC) in 47 Jails under the overall supervision and

support of 27 Regional Centres, as seen in the table below.

Sl. No. Regional Centre City Location No. of Jail SC Total Students

1. Ahmedabad 1

2. Aizwal 1

3. Aligarh Agra 1 187

4. Bhopal Bhopal, Gwalior, Indore,

Narsingh, Rewa, Sagar,

Satna, Ujjain 9 902

5. Bhubaneswar 3 126

6. Chandigarh 2 7

7. Chennai Vellore 2 24

8. Dehradun 2

9. Delhi-1 1

10. Delhi-3 1 176

11. Guwahati 1

12. Jabalpur 1

13. Jaipur Jaipur, Ajmer 2 236

14. Jammu 3

15. Karnal 2

16. Khanna Amritsar 1 15

17. Lucknow Lucknow, Bareilly, 3 756

Allahabad

18. Madurai Trichy 1 13

19. Nagpur Nagpur 1 35

20. Noida Meerut 1 144

21. Patna 1

22. Portblair 1

23. Raipur 1

24. Ranchi 1

25. Srinagar 1

26. Shimla (not a SC) Shimla 1 25

27. Varanasi Varanasi, Gorakhpur 2 314

Total Enrollment (Current) 2,929

Cumulative Enrollment (1994-2011) 6,579

LIST OF STUDY CENTRES IN JAILS

Jail inmates at the inauguration of the IGNOU Special Study Centre at Nagpur Central Jail.

An Expert committee of the Govt. of

India has recommended an

allocation of `1 crore to IGNOU for

setting up Regional Placement

Cells in Jammu & Kashmir. This was

announced at the EDGE 2011 Conference,

held in New Delhi from March 9-11.

The EDGE 2011 Conference, organised by

EDGE Forum, with IGNOU as a Knowledge

Partner, was inaugurated by Kapil Sibal,

Hon’ble Union Minister for HRD and

Communications and Information Technology.

IGNOU agreed to launch an initiative

platform for registering students in J&K for

job placements. The Regional Placement

Cells aim to provide a platform for

prospective employers to communicate with

job seekers of Jammu, Srinagar and Leh

through virtual job portal, job fairs,

placement drives and walk-in interviews;

provide career specific counselling and

guidance; carry out competency mapping of

all job aspirants; map their aspiration levels

with aptitude level; identify skill gaps for

repair measures and interventions; prepare

and train job aspirants to plug skill gaps;

assess and certify existing skills of the youth

for verbal career mobility and lateral

professional movements.

The RPC would have a Placement Officer,

qualified counsellors, soft skill trainers and

support staff. The placement cell may be

initially located in the Regional Centre and

later shifted to a convenient location. The

Cell would have a placement committee with

members from local educational institutions,

IGNOU centres, industry representatives,

and students.

The RPC can also forge partnerships with

J&K Entrepreneurship Development Institute

and various Chambers of Commerce and

Industries.

According to estimates, the online cost

of setting up the RPC will be `3 lakh, while

recurring cost of running the centre will be

about `17 lakh per annum. The Expert

Committee feels that two RPCs, one each in

Jammu and Srinagar, may be set up on pilot

basis and extended financial support for

three years. The Expert Group recommends

an allocation of `1 crore for it.

The annual EDGE conference brings

together Vice-Chancellors, Presidents,

Directors, Professors, Education Councils,

Entrepreneurs and policy makers to interact,

collaborate and understand the prevailing

trends in the higher education sector. The

theme of this year’s conference was

‘Shaping the Future of Indian Higher

Education’.

Vice Chancellor Prof V.N. Rajasekharan

Pillai, who was also the Academic

Programme Committee Chairman of EDGE

2011, said, “EDGE is the foremost platform

for the stakeholders in Higher Education

sector in India and the world to converge.

Interactions at the platform will help us act

together towards identified goals with a

beneficial intent for the education

sector.”�


NEWSUPDATES

Vice Chancellor Prof. V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai addressing the gathering at the EDGE 2011 Conference,held in New Delhi from March 9-11. Shri Kapil Sibal, Hon’ble Minister for HRD, and Prof C.N.R. Rao, eminent scientist, were among the dignitaries who attended the conference.

Regional Placement Cells in J&K

The Indira Gandhi National Open

University (IGNOU) and the

Distance Education Programme-

Sarva Shiskha Abhiyan (DEP-SSA)

organised a three-day seminar to improve

quality of education through Open and

Distance Learning (ODL) mode.

The seminar on ‘Teacher Education

through Open and Distance Learning in

the Context of Right to Education’ was

held at the IGNOU Convention Centre

from March 22-24.

The main objectives of the seminar

were to develop a strategic plan of action

for improving quality of education through

the ODL mode. As part of capacity-

building activities under SSA, the seminar

documented and shared innovative

practices in Teacher Education

Programmes for in-service teachers.

“Teacher education system is a

power plant and if it works efficiently

and proactively, the health of the

system will be in accordance to what

the society demands. The teachers and

educators themselves have to ask: Am I

a professional in real sense of the term?

Is the education set-up turning out the

right professionals into the system? Do

the qualifications insisted by the NCTE

bring about a change? If yes, then do

we have a system to give the entire

professionals a chance to enhance their

personality?” said Prof Suman

Karandikar, Director, Centre for

Educational Studies (CES), IIE, Pune.�

Seminar on improving education via ODL


NEWSUPDATES

IGNOU has joined hands with the Kendriya

Vidyalaya Sangthan (KVS) for a national

level training programme for KVS teachers.

The programme has been launched under

IGNOU’s Distance Education Programme —

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (DEP-SSA).

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)

to this effect was signed between IGNOU

Registrar (Admin) U.S. Tolia and KVS Jt.

Commissioner (Admin) O.M. Prabhakaran on

March 14 in the presence of Vice Chancellor

Prof. V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai and Minister

of State for Human Resource and

Development (HRD) Dr D. Purandeswari.

“There is a need for continued

professional development of teachers to

meet the demand of quality in education.

This step is of immense significance in view

of the importance of teacher training in the

light of the Right to Education Act,”

Dr Purandeswari said.

The target group for the training includes

primary teachers, graduate teachers and

post-graduate teachers. Under the present

collaborative programme, the teachers of

KVS would be required to undergo six

months training, including at least a 15-day

face-to-face programme with pre-training

assessment and post-training follow up,

feedback and assessment.

The training would focus on content

upgradation of teachers with respect to

their own special subject areas. They would

also be given in-depth training on new

knowledge and its relevance to their work.

Teachers would re-learn new and innovative

classroom management techniques and

strategies for improving quality of teaching. A

team of experts would draw up a detailed

training design, which would be periodically

reviewed. Feedback on the training would be

taken for continuously upgrading the quality of

the programme. The training would be

conducted in English and Hindi medium.

The teachers would have to undergo an

evaluation. Certificates would be provided by

IGNOU upon completion of the programme.

Others present at the event included

Dr Anita Priyadarshini, Director, DEP-SSA;

Anshu Vaish, Secretary, School Education

and Literacy; and Avinash Dikshit,

Commissioner, KVS.�

VC Prof. Pillai, MoS for HRD Dr. D. Purandeswari, DEP-SSA Director Dr. Anita Priyadarshini and

others at the MoU signing ceremony in New Delhi on March 14.

IGNOU to train KV teachers

NEWSSCAN

Corporate Governance

IGNOU’s Centre for Corporate Education,Training & Consultancy (CCETC) has

announced admission to its two-year, full-time

MBA programme in Corporate Governance for

the July 2011 academic session.

Graduates in any discipline with a

minimum 50 percent aggregate marks (45

percent for reserved category) from a

recognised university are eligible to apply.

Shortlisted candidates will be required to

appear for an entrance exam, group

discussion and personal interview.

Application forms will be available from

March 31. The last date for receipt of

application forms is April 30.

Classes will commence from the first

week of July. For more details, please visit

www.ignou.ac.in�

BCA syllabus revised

IGNOU’s School of Computer and

Information Sciences (SOCIS) has revised

the syllabus for the Bachelor’s Programme in

Computer Application (BCA). The existing

BCA (pre-revised syllabus) would be

discontinued and accordingly, no fresh

admission would be made in BCA (pre-revised

syllabus) from July 2011 cycle onwards.

A communication has been sent to all

prospective students who have applied for

the programme through the Admission Form

attached in the Common Prospectus of Jan.

2011. All such candidates are also required

to remit the difference fee of `200.

Students already registered in BCA (pre-

revised syllabus) up to January 2011

admission session would continue their

studies in the same syllabus.�

Web portal for students, PIs

From distance learning, we have come to

distributed learning,” said Pro-VC Prof

K.R. Srivathsan, while launching the

International Division’s (ID) state-of-the-art

web portal at the University’s Electronic and

Media Production Centre (EMPC) studio.

Jointly designed and developed by the

Advanced Centre for Informatics &

Innovative Learning (ACIIL) and the

International Division, the web portal offers

various facilities at different levels to both

students and Partner Institutions (PI).

It provides support for better

programme coordination as well as

guidelines for those interested in working

with IGNOU and is supported by a Wiki

area that allows PIs to publish information

and interact with their students.�


NEWSUPDATES

Modern societies, including

India, are in a flux and need the

intervention of disciplines like

psychology to understand the

complex problems and issues faced by

people,” said Pro-VC Prof P.R. Ramanujam

while inaugurating the two-day national

conference on ‘Psychological

Measurement: Strategies for the New

Millennium’, organised by IGNOU’s School

of Social Sciences (SOSS).

The conference, held at the Convention

Centre on March 4-5, focussed on two

major concerns with regard to

psychometry. Firstly, what is the extent to

which the contents and methods have

changed with the changing world and how

do we justify the use of old testing

procedures, if we do; and secondly the

concerns about the use of American and

European testing tools on Indian

population – do we have other choices that

we can adopt? Can we standardise these

tests in Indian context? Can we search for

innovative methods?

While releasing a souvenir of abstracts,

Prof Ramanujam said, “This conference is

aimed at evolving strategies to understand

the psychological measurement in the

context of highly individualised, social and

cultural settings, wherein the old

techniques may be found wanting.”

In his message published in the released

souvenir, Vice Chancellor Prof V.N.

Rajasekharan Pillai remarked, “There has

been a dearth of psychological equipment

and test material that are entirely

standardised in Indian conditions and

exclusively for the Indian population. Experts

in the field have made many attempts to

devise psychological tests, but very little

publicity has been given to their efforts.”

“Psychological measurement is one of

the most significant areas under the field

of psychology. Measuring entities is a

challenge mainly because these entities

are intangible. Within the span of the

century, psychological testing has come a

long way,” said Prof Gopinath Pradhan,

Director, SOSS.

Emeritus professionals like Prof A.K.

Sen, Professor (Rtd.), Delhi University,

Prof Ajit Mohanty, JNU, and Prof Amulya

Khurana, IIT-Delhi, shared their work and

communicated their contribution to this

field.�

Prof. Vimala Veeraraghavan, Emeritus Professor, SOSS and Pro-VC Prof. P.R. Ramanujam at the two-day national conference on Psychological Measurement, held at the IGNOU Headquarters on March 4-5.

factoids IGNOU’s School of Foreign Languages has

introduced two new courses in Urdu and

Arabic languages, from the July 2011

academic session.

Psychological measurement

STUDENTS’CORNER

IGNOU has yet another reason to holdits head high with pride, as one of the

students of the University has led the

first-ever Indian skiing expedition to the

South Pole.

Colonel Anand Swaroop, a student

of IGNOU’s MBA in Human Resource

Management, led an expedition of the

Indian Army to successfully traverse

the long distance of the Antarctic

region and finally hoist the Indian

tricolour at the geographic South Pole

to commemorate the Army Day on

January 15.

The expedition, consisting of eight

members, was formally flagged off by

Army Chief Gen V.K. Singh on November

1 last year from the national capital.

The team, which established its base

camp at the Indian Glacier on the

Antarctica coast on November 24,

commenced their journey on skis on

November 26 from Hercules Inlet. In the

initial week, the team skied for four to

six hours every day averaging 25 km

per day.

In the process of covering a distance

of 1,170 km, the team faced extreme

cold temperatures in the range of minus

15 to minus 40 degrees Celsius.

“It was very difficult to predict the

weather there, as it used change every

few hours. We used to start in bright

sun and hardly half-an-hour later a storm

would come up. But we never stopped

and kept going,” said Colonel Swaroop,

who successfully completed his MBA in

the December 2010 Term-End

Examination.

IGNOU learner

leads a grand first

Defence Minister A.K. Antony felicitatingColonel Anand Swaroop in New Delhi.


NEWSUPDATES

The School of Foreign Languages

(SOFL), IGNOU, will soon launch a

Russian Language and Culture

programme in collaboration with

the Russian Centre of Science and

Culture (RCSC), New Delhi.

The announcement was made in

response to the United Nations

declaration of February first week as the

‘Know Your Neighbours’ week.

The proposal to launch the Russian

Language and Culture programme shall be

placed at the forthcoming Academic

Council meeting of IGNOU, Vice

Chancellor Prof V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai

said, adding that the Regional Centres of

the University may collaborate with the

counterparts of the Russian Centre for

the programme.

Yelena Shtapkina, Deputy Director,

Culture & Information, RCSC, stated that

the Russian Language taught in many

universities of the world does not match

the Russian standards and as a result,

candidates have to pass an additional

test to qualify for a job.

“RCSC is ready to facilitate an

appropriate teaching of the Russian

language by providing native teachers to

IGNOU, as per mutually agreed upon

terms and conditions,” she added.

Prof Manu Mittal, Chairperson, Centre

for Russian Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru

University (JNU), New Delhi, said that it is

essential to have exposure to the

languages of neighbouring countries. She

also assured of all possible help to be

given by JNU to SOFL, IGNOU.

SOFL Director Prof G. Chaudhuri

announced that the classes for the two-

month Russian Language and Culture

programme will be held twice a week –

Fridays and Tuesdays – at the IGNOU

campus.

It has also been made compulsory for

all faculty members of SOFL to learn the

language. At the same time, this

programme is also offered to all faculty

members and officers of IGNOU.�

‘Learn Russian language soon’

VC Prof V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai and Yelena Shtapkina, Dy. Director, Culture & Information, RCSC, atthe inauguration of the programme at the IGNOU Headquarters in New Delhi.

Small is big. The adage is converted into a

reality by six-and-a-half-year-old Master

Divya Prakash Pandey. A student of the

Certificate in Craft and Design Programme

(CCDP) under School of Engineering and

Technology, Master Pandey has not only been

tagged as the youngest learner at IGNOU, but

also the youngest student ever enrolled in a

university across the world.

Master Pandey has set the University’s mantra

of ‘Age no bar, Pace no bar, Place no bar’ right by

passing the CCDP in July 2010 session with 76

per cent marks.

A Class II student at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Vigyan

Vihar, New Delhi, Master Pandey was interested in

pottery since childhood. During the course of his

studies, he created fusion in craft and design as

well as magic. He designed a famous magic trick,

‘Water of India,’ besides designing different

patterns and creating innovative ideas.

The CCDP is developed under the IGNOU-

Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)

project and aims at upgrading the knowledge and

skills of artisans engaged in pottery.

This programme envisages no pre-requisite

educational qualification for the target group of

rural artisans and interested youths. It introduces

artisans to conceptual designing as well as cost

analysis and marketing of products.

Meet six-year-old potter Divya, courtesy IGNOU

Master Divya Prakash Pandey giving shape toone of his ideas.

The Centre for Traditional Knowledge

Systems (CTKS), IGNOU, in

collaboration with the Foundation for

the Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions

(FRLHT) and the North Eastern Council

(NEC), Shillong, conducted a six-month

residential Ayurvedic Therapy Training, in

Bangalore recently.

As many as 40 youths from the north-

eastern region were trained in Ayurvedic

Therapy in two batches.

While the MoU for the first batch was

signed between IGNOU and FRLHT on

November 26, 2009, the agreement for the

second batch was inked between IGNOU,

FRLHT and NEC on December 9, 2009.

Participants have secured jobs in Ramaiah

Hospital and Amruth Hospital in Bangalore;

and Ayurvedic Centre and Spinx Spa-cum-

Massage Centre in Shillong.

IGNOU and NEC offered scholarships for

a total of 60 trainees. While 40 participants

have already been given the certification in

the two batches, the remaining 20 will be

trained in the third batch, which will

commence at FRLHT on April 4.�


REGIONALUPDATES

factoidsSOGDS has launched three new programmes — Certificate/Diploma in

Gender and Nutritional Security, Certificate/Diploma in Gender and

Labour and Certificate/Diploma in Gender in Cinema.

Empowering Anganwadi workers

Continuing its endeavour to

undertake capacity-building and

skill development initiatives, IGNOU

has collaborated with the

Department of Women and Child

Development, Govt. of Madhya Pradesh, to

provide a training module for Anganwadi

workers in the state.

The University has already dispatched

10,000 copies of the module to the

Department. The collaboration is an

extension of a partnership between IGNOU,

UNICEF and Department of Women and

Child Development, Govt of Madhya

Pradesh, for the Anganwadi Workers Project,

Vidisha, 2008-2009.

The first phase of the project, which was

implemented in Vidisha district in Madhya

Pradesh, aimed at designing and developing

a training module for Anganwadi workers,

while the second phase targeted at

imparting training in the areas of nutrition,

health, education and women empowerment.

IGNOU started the training with 48

Anganwadi workers in the first batch on

December 11, 2008. A total of 20 batches,

comprising of 1,014 workers, were trained

by the University.

Keeping in view the encouraging results,

especially the perceptible qualitative

improvement in the capacities of the

Anganwadi workers, the state government

adopted the ‘Vidisha Model of Training’ and

collaborated with IGNOU for provision of the

training module to the newly-appointed

10,000 Anganwadi workers.

In a letter to Vice Chancellor Prof V.N.

Rajasekharan Pillai, B. Raja Gopal Naidu,

IAS, Principal Secretary, Department of

Women and Child Development, Govt. of

Madhya Pradesh, has stated, “The

Department of Women and Child

Development has received 10,000 copies of

the training module prepared with the

technical assistance of IGNOU, which shall

henceforth be used for the training of

Anganwadi workers in the state. I commend

IGNOU and its team for partnering in the

process of capacity-building of the

Anganwadi workers in the state.”�

Almost 10,000 copies of the training module

for Anganwadi workers have been dispatched

to the M.P. government.

A participant during the training in Bangalore.

IGNOU Regional Centre, Karnal, organised an

induction programme for the January 2011

session students of B.A. in Psychology (BAPC)

and M.A. in Psychology (MAPC) on March 2.

Dr Ashok Sharma, Regional Director and

Academic Counsellor of MAPC and BAPC

programmes, welcomed the students and

discussed the dynamics of distance education and

the structure of the University.

Giving insights into the MAPC programme,

Dr Sharma said that Psychology is not just a subject

to read, but also a skill to practice. He gave the

students many useful tips on how to complete the

programme in minimum duration.

The students were also shown the video of the

first tele-induction programme, wherein Prof Vimala

Veeraraghavan, Programme Coordinator of

Psychology at School of Social Sciences, IGNOU,

had introduced the programmes in the presence of

the Vice Chancellor and the Pro-Vice Chancellors

at the EMPC Studio in New Delhi.

Induction programme at

Karnal Regional Centre

CTKS organises training in Ayurvedic Therapy

Dr. Ashok Sharma giving the courseware to a learner at the induction programme.


MILESTONESONCAMPUS

Gyan Vani FM Stations

January, 2004: Union HRD Minister Murli

Manohar Joshi inaugurates Gyan Vani

FM Stations at Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai

and Delhi.

� Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee

inaugurates Kisan TV Channel.

� IGNOU launches PG Diploma in Audio

Programme Production, PG Diploma in

Radio Prasaran, PG Diploma in Library

Automation and Networking and PG

Diploma in Geriatric Medicine.

� UGC Chairman Prof. Arun Nigavekar delivers

the Seventh Annual Anuvrat Endowment

Lecture on ‘Education for Peace’.

February, 2004: Dr. K. Kasturirangan, former

Chairman, ISRO and Member, Rajya Sabha,

delivers the Convocation Address at the 15th

Convocation, held at IGNOU Headquarters in

New Delhi.

15th Convocation

Upcoming Events

HIGHLIGHTS MARCH-APRIL 2011

The Bel fruit has consid-

erable medicinal value

when it just be-

gins to ripen.

The ripe fruit

helps construc-

tion of skin,

coolant and

laxative. Bel contains

Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2,

niacin, Calcium, phos-

phorus and iron.

Agro-Forestry,

the deliberate

cultivation of

trees with

crops, can

complement

efforts in Watershed

Management by provid-

ing a set of tree-based

conservation and pro-

duction practices for

agricultural lands.

Famously known as

Bharatiya Kokila (The

Nightingale of

India) Sarojini

Naidu was a

child prodigy,

freedom

fighter, and

poet. She was the first In-

dian woman to become

the President of the In-

dian National Congress.

Although plastic is cer-

tainly a globally impor-

tant product, there are

many environmental con-

cerns associated with its

use. Most plastics are not

biodegradable.

In addition,

burning plastic

can some-

times result in

toxic fumes.

Freshwater

pearls come

from freshwa-

ter mussels.

They are pro-

duced in

Japan and the US. The

U.S. Federal Trade Com-

mission requires that

freshwater pearls be re-

ferred to as “freshwater

cultured pearls”.

Silkworm RearingSilkworm rearing is an extensive month-long exercise starting

from egg stage and terminating in adults laying eggs and dying

their natural death. They pass through five larval instars inter-

vened by four moults, cocoon and pupal stage.

Mass Communication and Its ImportanceOutside the realm of interpersonal communication exists an-

other form of communication, which involves communication

with mass audiences. The channels through which this kind of

communication takes place are referred to as mass media.

Agro-Forestry in Water-

shed Management

The Nightingale of

India: Sarojini Naidu

Plastics and the

Environment

Fresh Water Pearl

Culture

Medicinal Plants –

Bel Fruit

GYANDARSHAN

1. 22nd Convocation Ceremony -- April 2,

2011, New Delhi: Union HRD Minister Kapil

Sibal will deliver the Convocation Address

at the 22nd Convocation of the Indira

Gandhi National Open University, to be held

at the IGNOU Convention Centre.

For a complete schedule, log on to www.ignou.ac.in

Keeping the legacy alive

The Centre for Tradi-

tional Knowledge

Systems (CTKS), in

association with the Edu-

cational Development of

North Eastern Region

Unit and the School of

Performing and Visual

Arts organised a demon-

stration, felicitation and

orientation programme for

traditional Gurus of the

‘Certificate Programme in

Indigenous Art Practices

(CIAP) from March 9-11.

Various Gurus regis-

tered with the North Cen-

tral Zonal Cultural Centre

(NCZCC), Allahabad, were

felicitated during the func-

tion, organised under the

Guru-Shishya Parampara

Scheme of the Ministry of

Culture, Govt. of India.

They also demon-

strated their respective

traditional art forms at the

event, held at the IGNOU

Convention Centre.�

1. VC Prof. Pillai with the Gurus registered under NCZCC,

Allahabad. 2. Guru Prabha Singh from Uttar Pradesh presenting

an Awadhi folk song. 3. Guru Ram Charan Yadav from U.P.

presenting the Pai Danda folk dance. 4. Guru Bachau Lal

presenting a Birha folk song. 5. Guru Lakhan Lal Bharve from

M.P. presenting the Gudum Baja Folk Dance.

1

2 3

54

open letter march

Documents

university degreeprogrammes

us university system

aspiring diploma holders

technical education

skill development sector

higher education systems

emphasison skill development

diploma courses related