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IGNOU OPEN LETTER | OCTOBER 15, 20102

Universities can play a decisive role in the implementation of various global, national

and regional mission-mode governmental projects -- which may not be directly

connected with education -- leading to the conferment of a degree or any other

qualification. Participation in such projects will give academics and students an

opportunity for contextual and ground-level understanding of various short-term and long-

term developmental needs of the society. Whether it be the UN’s Millenium Development

Goals, the Education For All and Training For All initiatives of the Government of India, the

specific Plan targets of various State Governments, or the region-specific, neighbourhood

community-oriented needs of grassroot-level local self-governments, the academia can

complement and lend momentum to governmental activities.

IGNOU, in the Eleventh Five-Year Plan Period (2007-2012), has embarked upon a large

number of such partnerships with and through Central and State Governments, and other

governmental agencies. Almost all the Schools of Studies, Institutes and a few Regional

Centres of the University have effectively availed of these collaborations. Government

departments have leveraged the nation-wide academic and

infrastructural capabilities of IGNOU to conduct on-the-job training

programmes and upgrade the qualifications of employees. In these

partnerships, the projects are of the Ministries in the Central

Government or State Governments; the implementation agencies are the

different academic units or the Regional Centres of IGNOU. Grassroot-

level interactions and dissemination of the public-funded projects are

facilitated by the ICT and satellite-enabled network of IGNOU, ably

managed by its 61 Regional Centres and over 3,000 Study Centres.

In addition to IGNOU’s participation in the nodal HRD Ministry’s

various developmental projects — the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), National Literacy

Mission, National Programme for Technology-Enabled Learning (NPTEL), and the National

Mission of Education through ICT (NMEICT) -- IGNOU has undertaken major academic,

capacity-building and skill-development interventions for other Ministries like Information

Technology, Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Health, Home Affairs, Social Justice and

Empowerment, Labour, Defence, External Affairs, Commerce, Women and Child

Development.

The IGNOU-Indian Army Community Colleges under the Gyan Deep project; the

Telecentre Academy, Village Knowledge Centres and the IT Mass Literacy Programme of

the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology; the Anti-human trafficking

and the continuous training and quality-upgradation programmes sponsored by the

Ministry of Home Affairs; the Distance and e-Learning programmes for Government

Employees (DELPGE) for the DoPT under the Ministry of Personnel & Training; IGNOU

Certification of Indigenous Art Practices (CIAP) at the Zonal Cultural Centres sponsored

by the Ministry of Culture; the Modular Skill Development Scheme of the Ministry of

Labour; the Pan-African Tele-education programme supported by the Ministry of External

Affairs; Disability programmes sponsored by the Ministry of Social Justice and

Empowerment; Training and Capacity Development programmes in Watershed

Management sponsored by the Ministry of Rural Development; Health Ministry-sponsored

programmes in Maternal and Child Health, AIDS Control and HIV Medicine; the Power

Ministry-sponsored capacity-building activities in the area of Power Distribution

Management; Organic farming training, Open and Distance Education Training in

Agriculture, and the various State Government-sponsored programmes for in-service

school teachers training are some of the recent flag-ship activities through Central and

State Government collaborations.

The participation of the IGNOU academics, researchers and external consultants in these

developmental schemes of the Central and State Governments has also resulted in a vast

variety of learning and training resources in the form of Self-Instructional Material, video and

audio learning resources and other state-of-the-art multimedia material, almost doubling the

educational and training modules repository of IGNOU in just three years. All this adds to the

repository of knowledge – a vivid example of the creation of educational assets.

This Special Issue of OpenLetter features this added dimension of the activities of

IGNOU to complement the developmental schemes of the Government for achieving

inclusive growth.

4

CONTENTS

Fruitful Handshake

Honour For Former VCs

INFOCUS: IGNOU’s

various collaborations

with Government-run

institutions are

helping enhance

skills and knowledge

of learners, creating

vast opportunities for

India’s youth

EYEING EUROPE .......03

FELICITATION..............12

NEWS UPDATES..........14

REGIONAL UPDATES ...15

UPCOMING EVENTS....16

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

12 SPOTLIGHT: As part of its Silver Jubilee

celebrations, IGNOU felicitates former

Vice Chancellors and former Union

Minister K.C. Pant, who piloted the

IGNOU Bill in Parliament

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

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The Indira Gandhi National Open

University (IGNOU) will open Study

Centres in six European countries,

including Germany and France, to

offer personalised courses, Vice Chancellor

Prof V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai has announced.

“We will open our centre in Paris next

month. Negotiation is going on with

Germany. I hope we will start in Germany

by the end of this year. Our target is to

open five-six centres in Europe by July

2011,” Prof Pillai said.

The Netherlands and Austria are other

European countries where IGNOU is

considering to open Study Centres. It

already has a centre in London.

Prof Pillai, who also heads the Union

government’s Distance Education Council,

said IGNOU would also offer personalised

programmes in Gandhian Studies and some

Indian languages such as Sanskrit through

its new Study Centres in Europe, besides

regular programmes.

“We are in discussions with several

institutes in the US, Australia and Europe

to develop personalised programmes. It will

be done keeping in mind the needs of

partner institutes,” he said, adding that

IGNOU’s low course fee was a hindrance in

forging accords overseas.

“Our fee is quite low when you compare

it with what is charged by universities in

the developed countries. We are planning to

restructure the fee for programmes offered

outside India,” Prof Pillai said.

Student enrollments at the University

have almost trebled in the last four years.

“We now have 3.2 million active

enrollments. It was 1.1 million in 2006.

This indicates increasing popularity of

distance education,” Prof Pillai remarked.

The University targets to sustain over 25

percent annual growth in enrollments in the

coming years. IGNOU programmes are also

becoming increasingly popular in Africa and

the Gulf region that have large numbers of

India expatriates.

“Many African universities have

approached IGNOU for collaborations. We

will help in designing courses and study

materials for them,” Prof Pillai said, adding

that the University will also introduce e-

books within six months to increase the

popularity of its programmes among high-

tech students.

“We will start with management and IT

and gradually introduce it for all the

programmes,” he said.

The University also plans to introduce

video-conferencing facilities for its overseas

Study Centres within a few months.�

� 35 countries covered

� 56 overseas study centres

� 42,000 students enrolled

� 90 percent learners of Indian origin

IGNOU OPEN LETTER | OCTOBER 15, 2010 3

GLOBALEXPANSION

After UK, IGNOU eyes other European nationsGLOBAL PRESENCE

IGNOU’s move: Play chess, study it too

IGNOU and NIIT have joined hands to

launch a ‘Certificate Programme on

Chess as Mind Booster’ to enable the

development of young minds through

chess. The programme, launched under the

Distance Education Programme — Sarva

Shiksha Abhiyan (DEP-SSA), was unveiled

by World Chess Champion Viswanathan

Anand at IGNOU Headquarters on

September 23.

“NIIT has conducted research in

schools, which shows that children who

play chess have better life skills, are

calmer, focused and better at academics.

This led to the launch of MindChampions

Academy (MCA) by NIIT. I am confident

that the new programme will benefit

several learners and will also go a long

way in popularising the game amongst

youngsters in India,” Anand said.

IGNOU VC Prof V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai

said, “The new Joint Certification

Programme will encourage more and more

people to play chess and will help in

kindling the creative capability of children

and teachers alike.”

After the successful completion of the

programme, to be delivered online,

students will be granted Joint Certification

by NIIT and IGNOU. This will enable them

to become members of the NIIT

MindChampions Academy and contribute

to the chess movement in India.

The first-of-its-kind programme will also

give students an opportunity to play with

Anand and participate in the annual

ChessMaster event.

Others present at the event included

NIIT COO P. Rajendran, Pro-VC Prof K.R.

Srivathsan, DEP-SSA Director Dr Anita

Priyadarshini, Registrar Udai Singh Tolia,

other staff and students of the University.�

From left, DEP-SSA Director Dr Anita Priyadarshini, World Chess Champion Viswanathan

Anand, VC Prof V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai, Registrar Udai Singh Tolia, Pro-VC Prof K.R.

Srivathsan and NIIT Ltd. COO P. Rajendran at the event in New Delhi.

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Fruitful Handshake

In the era of corporate alliances in the

burgeoning Indian higher education

sector, IGNOU is charting a distinct

course. Its Programmes, being run in

collaboration with government

institutions, are not only providing a

booster shot to the Gross Enrollment

Ratio (GER), but is also providing the

University the kind of funding that is

difficult to derive from the private sector.

“In this Decade of Innovation,

IGNOU strives to optimally utilise the

educational and training infrastructure

as well as the intellectual capabilities

available in both the formal and informal

sectors, to ensure that we achieve our

national mission of increasing the

GER,” says Vice Chancellor Prof V.N.

Rajasekharan Pillai.

“In the frontier areas of sciences, we

have tie-ups with prominent institutions

such as the Indian Institute of

Astrophysics (IIA) in Bangalore (a

Department of Science and Technology,

Government of India, institution) for a

residential M.Sc. Astrophysics

Programme, and the Institute of Hotel

Management, Catering and Nutrition,

Pusa, New Delhi, (under the Ministry of

Tourism) for a full-time M.Sc. Programme

in Nutrition and Dietetics.”

“With such smart collaborative ventures,

IGNOU helps overcome the problems

caused by a scarcity of seats in the higher

educational sector,” adds Prof Pillai.

Agrees Pro-Vice Chancellor Dr Latha

Pillai. “The whole idea is to ensure skilling

of unskilled labour and create a pool of

professionally-trained people. The ‘In-

Service Programmes’ enhance skills and

acquire certification.”

Let’s take a look at IGNOU-Government

tie-ups that have resulted in what can be

described as fruitful handshakes.�

IGNOU’scollaborations with and throughGovernment-runinstitutionsare helpingenhance skills and knowledge of learners,creating vastopportunities forIndia’s youth

IGNOU-GOVT COLLABORATIONS

Army personnel receiving Associate Degrees, Diplomas and Certificates at the Defence Research and Development

Organisation (DRDO) headquarters in New Delhi. The educational certification is awarded under Gyan Deep, the IGNOU-Army

Community College Scheme.

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In the Healthcare Services Sector, IGNOU

has a fairly large presence. Its Post-

Graduate Diploma in Hospital and Health

Management (PGDHHM), in collaboration

with Armed Force Medical Services,

Ministry of Defence, Government of India,

fulfills specified needs of middle-level

administrators in hospital and health care

departments.

PGDHHM is a multimedia package

which includes General Management,

Management of Human Resources,

Finance, Logistics and Equipment in

Hospitals; it also includes Organisation and

Management of Hospitals and Planning,

Organisation and Management of

all types of services provided in a

hospital; further, it includes

health system management,

including epidemiology and

biostatistics.

Another collaboration with the

Dental Council of India (DCI)

will bring to the fore Post-

Graduate Programmes in

endodontics and oral

implantology. According to

Dr Bimla Kapoor, Director,

School of Health Sciences

(SOHS), IGNOU: “These are

full-fledged programmes that

are meant to recognise the

common goals of Higher

Dental Education and training

needs of dental surgeons to

participate effectively in the

processess of national

development.”

“A lot of Bachelor of

Dental Surgery (BDS)

students are not able

to do Post Graduation

due to limited seats in

government colleges.

This initiative will help

them learn about new

technology in dental care. It is not just for

fresh pass-outs, but for experienced dental

surgeons as well,” says Dr Anil Kohli,

President, DCI.

According to Prof A.K. Agarwal, SOHS,

“IGNOU, Ministry of Environment

and Forests, Government of

India, have signed an MoU for

implementing the national

component of the Global

Environment Fund (GEF)-UNDP

Project, demonstrating and

promoting best techniques

and practices for reducing

health care waste to avoid

environmental releases of

dioxins and mercury under

the GEF/UNDP Project from

2009-2013.”

“IGNOU is running a six-

month Certificate Programme

in Health Care Waste

Management in collaboration

with the World Health

Organisation (WHO) for the

doctors, nurses, paramedics,

health managers and

professional workers in

South-East Asian

countries via a network

of Partner Institutions.

IGNOU will commence

this Programme at

Chhatrapati Shahuji

Maharaj Medical

University (formerly King

George Medical College), Lucknow, from

the January 2011 session,” informs Prof

Agarwal, Programme Co-coordinator.

IGNOU has also signed an MoU with the

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)

for capacity building of health professionals.

According to Prof T.K. Jena, SOHS,

“IGNOU and National AIDS Control

Organisation (NACO) are developing a ‘PG

Diploma in HIV Medicine’ Programme. An

MoU was signed in this regard in February

2010. The government will sponsor half of

the enrolled learners once the Programme

commences.” Under the MoU, an HIV

Medicine Cell has been established in

IGNOU to monitor this activity and act as an

umbrella organisation for training on HIV

medicine throughout the country.

IGNOU also signed an MoU with the

Directorate General of Health Services,

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in

February 2010 to develop and launch a

Post-Doctoral Certificate in Dialysis

Medicine for Medicine and Paediatric

specialists. The programme is expected

to be launched in 2011.�

Another top-end partnership of the University

is with the the Indian Army for a joint

venture called ‘Gyan Deep’, designed for

training and awarding degrees to soldiers

during their service period — a step aimed at

providing the jawans with a second career

option after their retirement.

Under the scheme, IGNOU registers

the Indian Army’s Regimental Training Centres,

Human Resource Development Centres and

Schools of Instructions as ‘Community

Colleges’, where soldiers are trained and

imparted learning in their chosen vocations.

The project was dedicated to the nation

by President Pratibha Devisingh Patil, at the

launch of IGNOU’s Silver Jubilee

Celebrations on November 19, 2009.

The MoU for Gyan Deep was signed

between IGNOU and the Indian Army on

September 4, 2009. The scheme enables

Army jawans to not only earn a degree

but also master livelihood-driven courses

as well.

Goal Medical Education Second Career

“The whole idea

is to ensure

skilling of

unskilled labour

and to create

a pool of

professionally-

trained people.”—Dr Latha Pillai,

Pro-VC, IGNOU

HEALTHCARE SERVICES

IGNOU’s collaborative ventures in the Healthcare Services Sector aim to recognise the

common goals of higher medical education.

Dr Anil Kohli, President, DCI (left)

and Prof T.K. Jena, SOHS.





Recognising the importance of

human resource development as

the foundation for social and

economic growth, IGNOU is

proving to be the trendsetter in

modernising the education sector and

promoting skills development. The

University has entered into collaborations

with various government agencies to

ensure that it contributes to meeting the

targets of the National Skills Mission.

According to Dr Arun Banik, Director,

National Centre for Disability Studies

(NCDS), “IGNOU and the Rehabilitation

Council of India (RCI) run several

academic programmes through the ODL

system. The RCI helps in finalising

infrastructure and suggests Study

Centres. IGNOU funds these Study

Centres, hires training co-coordinators

and conducts orientation classes. The

Certification is done by IGNOU.”

“NCDS and the RCI will soon begin

diploma exams in Face-to-Face Mode.

Sixteen additional diploma exams

recognised by the RCI are being

conducted by IGNOU in the 2010

Academic Session. The idea is the welfare

and betterment of people with disabilities

and connect them to the mainstream,”

adds Dr Banik.

IGNOU, through its School of

Vocational Education and Training

(SOVET), has joined hands with the

Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) to

offer Certificate Programmes in Spoken

English and Personality Development,

Security Management, Air Ticketing,

Airline In-Flight Services, Travel Agency

Operations and Tour Guiding Skills. The

School also offers Post-Graduate Diploma

in Security Operations and Post-Graduate

Certificate in Security Operations in

collaboration with the Security Skills

Council of India (SSCI).

“Collaborating with the government

helps us understand the actual

requirements of the industry and thus

aids us in modifying the curriculum and

training accordingly. A major advantage of

such tie-ups is that these government-run

institutions take responsibility of placing

the learners,” says Dr R.S.P. Singh,

Reader, SOVET.

Another feather in IGNOU’s cap is the

MoU with the Ministry of Rural

Development, which has identified the

University as one of the nodal agencies

for monitoring five pan-India projects for

placement linked skill development

programme under the Swarnjayanti Gram

Swarojgar Yojna (SGSY).

IGNOU has also partnered with the

Telecommunications Consultants India

Ltd., a Government of India enterprise, for

imparting quality education to 10,000

African students through its tele-

education programme. It has been able to

reach students in Ethiopia, Malawi,

Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Somalia, Rwanda,

Senegal, Egypt, Mauritius, Benin and

Botswana. The project is funded by the

Indian government with a budgeted cost

of `5.43 billion.�

Enabling the Disabled

EDUCATION AND SKILL DEVELOPMENT

The collaboration between IGNOU and the Rehabilitation Council of India ensures that proper

education and training is imparted to disabled learners. Seen in the photo, IGNOU learners

with disabilities, along with their coordinators, attending a workshop.

� Central Leather Research Institute

� Indian Air Force

� Army Project Renewal of IGNOU-ArmyEducational Project (IAEP)

� UNESCO Chair

� Construction Industry Development Council (CIDC)

� Dept. of Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development

� Rehabilitation Council of India

� Prasar Bharati

� Armed Force Medical Services (DGAFMS)Ministry of Defence

� National Council for Hotel Management & Catering Technology (NCHMCT)

� Department for Scientific & Industrial Research (DSIR) and National InformationSystem for Science and Technology (NISSAT)

� Assam Riffles

� Harish-Chandra Research Institute DAE, Allahabad

� KVIC Khadi and Village Industries Commission

� Indian Navy

� UNESCO for projects entitled Reachingthe Unreached through the use of ICTs for Empowering the Rural and Marginalised People of the DevelopingWorld

� Navy Educational Project

� Gandhi Smriti & Darshan Samiti (GS&DS)

� Footwear Design and Development Institute (FDDI)

� National Trust for the Welfare of Personswith Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental

Retardation and Multiple Disabilities

� Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,Govt of India

� World Health Organisation

� Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO)

� Department of Information Technology,Government of National Capital Territoryof Delhi

� Indian Institute of Banking & Finance(IIBF)

� National Institute of Rural Development(NIRD)

COLLABORATIONS WITH AND THROUGH GOVT AGENCIES




Understanding the need to train police personnel in

legal issues related with human rights, IGNOU’s

School of Law (SOL) and the National Human

Rights Commission (NHRC) are jointly developing three

programmes — Basic Course for Constables/Sub-

Inspectors, Advance Course for middle-level police

officers and Trainer’s Training Course.

“The idea is to train police personnel who, owing to

their hectic schedules, don’t have time to re-skill

themselves. These programmes, supported by audio-video

presentations, will help them acquire legal knowledge while

working,” says Prof K. Elumalai, Director, SOL.

“These programmes are fully funded by the NHRC, right from

the counselling charges to preparing printed, audio or video

copies of the course material as per the requirements projected

by the NHRC,” he adds. Another forthcoming attraction is a

Certificate Programme in Anti-Human Trafficking, in

collaboration with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

“With the assistance from Prof P.M. Nair (IPS), Additional

Director-General, CRPF Headquarters, New Delhi, IGNOU and

MHA have come forward to make this course compulsory for all

the trainers at the training institutions supported by MHA; all

NGOs going to be part of Anti-Human Trafficking Unit set up by

MHA; and officials working with the Ministry of Women and

Child Development. MHA has agreed to provide financial

assistance for developing this Certificate Programme into a

Diploma Programme,” informs Prof Elumalai.

IGNOU is also running a Diploma Programme in Environmental

Law with help from the World Wide Fund (WWF-India) and a

Programme in International Monetary Law in collaboration with

the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).�


IGNOU has been making significant

efforts for making science and

technology a meaningful career for

the new generation.

To begin with, IGNOU created an ISRO

Chair on the campus by signing an MoU

with the Indian Space Research

Organisation (ISRO) to promote excellence

in Research, Applications and Satellite

Communications for Education. Dr K.

Kasturirangan, eminent space scientist

and member, Planning Commission, is the

ISRO Chair for Satellite Communication

Education in IGNOU.

IGNOU’s another noteworthy tie-up is

with the Indian Institute of Astrophysics

(IIA), Bangalore, funded by the Department

of Science and Technology, Government of

India. The signing of an MoC on April 25,

2008 resulted in the commencement of a

unique Integrated M.Sc-Ph.D Programme

(IPhD) in Physics and Astrophysics.

“By way of collaboration with IIA, the

students are getting an excellent

opportunity of doing M.Sc. in a research

environment, which is acting as a highly

motivating factor for them,” says Dr C.K.

Ghosh, Director, National Centre for

Innovations in Distance Education

(NCIDE).

The Advanced Certificate Programme in

Power Distribution Management, under the

School of Engineering and Technology

(SOET), has been developed by IGNOU in

collaboration with the Ministry of Power,

USAID-India and the Power Finance

Corporation.�

VC Prof Rajasekharan Pillai exchanging an MoU with Ravi Singh, CEO,

WWF-India, on the PG Diploma Programme in Environmental Law.

Infusing Scientific Temper

LAW AND HUMAN RIGHTS

Re-skilling Police Force

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

� Centre for Disaster Management, AndhraPradesh Academy of Rural Development(APARD), Hyderabad.

� International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

� Yashita Sekkei Inc., Japan

� Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie, Uttarakhand

� Project Cooperation Agreement

� National Board of Examination, New Delhi

� Department of Information Technology

for Renewal of Computer Literacy Programme (CLP) for NER States

� Telecommunications Consultants IndiaLtd. (TCIL)

� Dental Council of India

� Bihar Education Project Council, Govt. of Bihar

� Department of Personnel and Training(DoPT)

� ACTS Ministries, Bangalore

� V.V. Giri National Labour Institute, Noida

� Guru Jambheshwar University, Hisar

� Ministry of Power, Government of India

� Indian Society for Technical Education(ISTE)

� Yamashita Sekkei Inc., Japan

� Government of Uttarakhand

� Power Finance Corporation Ltd. (PFC)

� Insurance Institute of India (III)

� Agricultural and Processed Food ProductsExport Development Authority (APEDA)

� Department of Space, GOI, for JhabuaDevelopment Communications Project.

� Open University, Tanzania

� Ministry of I&B, Govt. of India

� Kerala CBSE School Management Association.

� Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI)

� Indian Council of Medical Research

(ICMR)

� Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D)

� Development Commissioner (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) DC (MSME)




8 IGNOU OPEN LETTER | OCTOBER 15, 2010

AGRICULTURE AND FOOD PROCESSING

The importance of agriculture and

food processing industry in India

can be gauged by the fact that 65-

70 per cent of the population in

India is dependent on agriculture for their

livelihood.

In this context, IGNOU is striving to

play an important role in turning the rural

unemployed youth to agricultural

entrepreneurs and agri-business

managers.

The University’s School of Agriculture

(SOA) has developed the Diploma in

Watershed Management programme with

the financial support of Department of

Land Resources, Ministry of Rural

Development, Govt of India. The main

objective of the programme is capacity

building and human resource development

in order to realise the desired objectives

of watershed development projects by

their effective and efficient planning and

implementation.

“There are about 1,500 learners

enrolled in the programme. We receive a

100 percent funding from the

government, which also provides a lot of

incentives to the learners to encourage

them for the programme,” says Prof B.S.

Hansra, Professor, SOA.

IGNOU, in collaboration with the

Agricultural & Processed Food Products

Export Development Authority (APEDA),

Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Govt

of India, is running a Post-Graduate

Diploma programme in Food Safety and

Quality Management.

The partnership has also resulted in a

first-of-its-kind six-month Certificate

programme in Organic Farming. Both the

programmes have been developed with a

100 percent funding from APEDA.

A Certificate programme in Sericulture

has been developed, with 50 percent

funding from the Central Silk Board

(CSB), Ministry of Textiles, Govt of India.

With a 100 percent funding from the

Ministry of Food Processing Industries,

Govt of India, SOA has launched

programmes like Diploma in Dairy

Technology, Diploma in Meat Technology,

Diploma in Value-added Products from

Cereals, Pulses and Oilseeds and Diploma

in Fish Product Technology.

Apart from this, the University also runs

awareness programmes on a) Value Added

Products from Fruits and Vegetables in

collaboration with the Ministry of

Agriculture, GOI and b) Dairy Farming for

Rural Farmers in collaboration with the

Ministry of Rural Development, GOI.�

Food For Thought

� Ministry of Panchayati Raj – UNDP Capacity Building Project

� Institute of Public Auditors of India (IPAI)

� Institute of Hotel Management Cateringand Nutrition (affiliated to National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology (NCHMCT)

� National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP)

� Central Council for Research in Ayurveda and Siddha (CCRAS)

� Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers (IETE)

� Anna University, Chennai

� M/S National Projects Construction Corporation Ltd.

� Goldstone Technologies Ltd. IPTV

� Public Health Resource Network, an initiative of State Health Resource Centre

� Institute of Acupuncture & Natural Medicines (IANM)

� Indian Institute of Astrophysics, (IIA), Bangalore

� Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI)

� Department of Women and Child

Development, Govt. of Madhya Pradesh

� Institute of Cost & Works Accountants of India (ICWAI)

� Deutche Welle Bonn, Germany (DW)

� Government of National Capital Territory, Delhi

� Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)

� Apollo Hospitals Educational & ResearchFoundation (AHERF)

� Kerala State IT Mission

� CIDC & Engineer in Chiefs branch Integrated HQ of MOD (Indian Army)

� IILM Institute for Higher Education, Gurgaon

� M.P. State Institute of Hospitality Training (MPIHT)

� Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO) and Rajiv Gandhi Project forEdusat Supported Elementary Education.

� Goethe – Institut & Department of German Studies, University of Vienna, Austria

� Broadcast Engineering Consultants IndiaLtd. (BECIL)

� Commonwealth Media Centre for Asia

� Ministry of Rural Development, GOI

IGNOU, through its School of Agriculture, has entered into significant collaborations to

prepare agricultural entrepreneurs and managers.





Indian tourism and hospitality sector

has reached new heights today.

Combining unparalleled growth

prospects and unlimited business

potential, the industry is certainly on

the foyer towards being a key player in

the nation’s changing face.

With this in mind, IGNOU has forged

some unique collaborations. The

University’s School of Tourism and

Hospitality Services Management

(SOTHSM) has tied up with the National

Council for Hotel Management and

Catering Technology (NCHMCT),

Ministry of Tourism, Government of

India, to provide two special

programmes - Bachelor of Science

(Hospitality and Hotel Administration)

(BHM) and Master of Science

(Hospitality Administration) (MHA).

Certificate programmes in House

Keeping Operation, Front Office

Operation, Food & Beverage Service

Operation, etc. are offered in

collaboration with the Madhya Pradesh

State Tourism Development Corporation

(MPSTDC). Presently being run by

IGNOU’s Bhopal Regional Centre, similar

programmes have been accepted by

Tourism Boards of Sikkim, Assam,

Meghalaya and Jammu & Kashmir.

IGNOU’s School of Continuing

Education (SOCE) runs an M.Sc

programme in Dietetics and Food

Service Management (DFSM), in

collaboration with the prestigious

Institute of Hotel Management, Catering

and Nutrition, Pusa, New Delhi, under

the Ministry of Tourism, Government of

India.

According to Dr Deeksha Kapur,

Programme Coordinator, M.Sc (DFSM),

“the Programme addresses the needs of

training workforce/developing

manpower (dietitians, nutrition

counsellors, food service managers,

etc.) for emerging employment-rich

sectors like hospitals/community

dietetics, food service management.”�

IGNOU’s various collaborations are helping

build a strong professional force for the

tourism and hospitality industry.

IGNOU is playing a major role in imparting

quality education in areas such as

banking, finance, insurance, taxation, etc.

The University has tied up with the

Institute of Chartered Accountants of India

(ICAI) to conduct specialised programmes

for Chartered Accountancy Final Stage

students. The programmes, offered by the

School of Management Studies (SOMS) are

B.Com with Major in Accountancy and

Finance and M.Com in Finance and Taxation.

Other major tie-ups are with the Institute

of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) for

B.Com with Major in Corporate Affairs and

Administration and M.Com in Business

Policy and Corporate Governance,

exclusively for the Company Secretaryship

professional programme students; with the

Institute of Cost and Works Accountants of

India (ICWAI) for B.Com with Major in

Financial and Cost Accounting and Master

of Commerce in Management Accounting &

Financial Strategies; and with the Indian

Institute of Banking & Finance (IIBF),

Mumbai for the MBA (Banking & Finance)

Programme, specifically designed for

Bankers.

The University has also signed an MoU

with the Institute of Public Auditors of India

(IPAI) for a Diploma programme in Finance,

Budget and Accounting (DFBA), exclusively

for the staff working in Panchayat Raj

Institutions (PRIs).�

TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY

Adding Fuel To Growth Engine

Serving The Future

BANKING AND FINANCE

� Security Skills Council (India) Pvt. Ltd.(SSCI)

� National Academy of Customs Excise and Narcotics, Faridabad

� Cochin International Aviation Academy(CIAL)

� Kerala University, Thiruvananthapuram

� Kerala Management Association (KMA)Cochin

� Madhya Pradesh Council of Science &Technology (MPCST)

� Future Learning & Development Ltd.(FLDL)

� Madras School of Economics (MSE)

� Institute of Rail Transport (IRT)

� Institute of Fire Safety & Disaster Management Studies

� The Indian Army

� Institute of Management & Development(IMD)

� Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC)through Institute of Apparel Management(IAM) & Apparel Training & Design Centres(ATDC), Gurgaon

� Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India

� Centre for Environmental Law, WWF-India

� National Human Rights Commission(NHRC)

� Pan African e-Network Project

� National AIDS Control Organisation(NACO)

� National Institute of Technical TeachersTraining & Research

� United Nations Organisation for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO)

� Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt of India

� North East Zonal Cultural Centre, Dimapur (NEZCC)

� Council of Architecture

� Maharashtra Animal & Fisheries SciencesUniversity

� Telecentre.org Foundation, Philippines

� Central Silk Board (CSB), Ministry of Textiles,Govt of India

� Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation (MPSTDC)

� Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)

� Department of Agriculture, Govt of WB

� ICT Academy of Tamil Nadu (A consortiumof Govt of India, Govt Tamil Nadu and CII)




10 IGNOU OPEN LETTER | OCTOBER 15, 2010

Following in the footsteps of the

IGNOU Headquarters, the Regional

Centres too are doing their bit to

enhance the scope for a collective

development in higher education through

various tie-ups with the government and

public sector. IGNOU Institute of Vocational

Education and Training (IIVET), Shillong has

been playing a key role in this regard,

especially in the North East region. Under

its mandate for Indigenous Knowledge and

Technology (IKT), IIVET has initiated many

long-term and short-term programmes,

which have already made a good progress

and created an overwhelming interest.

The institute entered into a dialogue

with the North East Zonal Cultural Centre

(NEZCC), Dimapur, under the Ministry of

Culture, Government of India, in May 2009,

to develop an academic curriculum for the

Guru-Shishya Parampara Scheme launched

by the Ministry in 2004 -2005. The

Memorandum of Collaboration (MoC) to

formally launch the Academic Certification

was signed between IGNOU and NEZCC on

March 19, 2010 in New Delhi.

“Till date, 84 Gurus identified by the

NEZCC have been imparting knowledge

and training to 300 Shishyas in Indigenous

Art Practices in the North

East region. However, so far

there had been no monitoring,

evaluation and certification

for this knowledge. The

signing of the MoC and the

subsequent academic

certification would not only

help preserve and promote

the rich cultural heritage of

the country, but will also help

in finding livelihood options

for the certified Shishyas,”

says Prof Debjani Roy, OSD,

IIVET, Shillong.

IIVET has also partnered

with the Department of

AYUSH, Ministry of Health

and Family Welfare,

Government of India, and

initiated a mega pilot project

for the ‘Certification of the

Prior Learning and Knowledge

of the Gram Vaidyas (Traditional Village

Health Practitioners)’ in eight states

across the country. The bond for the

execution of the project was

signed between IGNOU and

Department of AYUSH, Ministry

of Family Welfare and Health, on

October 4, 2010.

“Such collaborations with the

government and public sector

widen the reach of the

programmes immensely, thus

creating a nationwide linkage

with students,” Dr Roy adds.

In tune with the trend,

IGNOU’s Madurai Regional

Centre has launched an

ambitious project in partnership

with the ICT Academy of Tamil

Nadu (ICTACT - A consortium of

Government of India,

Government of Tamil Nadu and

CII).

The training programme on

‘IT Skills for School Teachers,’

with Madurai RC as the nodal

A Giant Leap for RCs

From left, Shri Narendra Nath Dey, Minister for Agriculture and Consumer Affairs, Govt of West Bengal; VC Prof V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai;

Dr S.K. Yadav of School of Agriculture and Prof M.K. Salooja, Director, SOA, at the launch of the Certificate Programme in Integrated Pest

Management Technology in Potato Cultivation and Short-term Training programme for farmers of Betelvine at the EMPC Studio in the

University Headquarters. This collaboration between IGNOU and the Govt of West Bengal was initiated by the University’s Kolkata Regional Centre.

“Tie-ups with

government-run

institutions

widen the reach

of programmes

and creates a

nationwide

linkage with

students.” — Debjani Roy,

OSD, IIVET, Shillong

REGIONAL INITIATIVES

P10-11:Layout 1 10/27/2010 5:26 PM Page 1




centre of IGNOU to co-ordinate the activity

in the entire state of Tamil Nadu, has been

launched keeping in view the need for

technology integration in teaching-learning

activities.

The MoC to this effect was signed on

July 14, 2010 in the presence of VC Prof

V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai and Dr Poongothai

Aladi, Minister of State for Information

Technology. The programme was

inaugurated at the Madurai RC on

September 5, 2010 by Prof. G. Pankajam,

former Vice Chancellor of Gandhigram

Rural Institute.

In his welcome address, Dr. M.

Shanmugham, Regional Director, Madurai,

informed that the first batch of training,

consisting of 30 teachers, has already

started. The programme, which will be

extended to all the major cities in Tamil

Nadu once the training centres are

identified, will be conducted with the help

of resource persons from ICTACT. The

teachers will have to undergo 42 hours of

hands-on training in IT skills during

weekends. They will receive certificates

jointly issued by IGNOU and ICTACT after

the successful completion of the training.

“One of the major advantages of

collaborating with the government sector is

the extensive marketing of the programme.

The partner institution takes care of the

marketing and advertisement aspect of the

project. That is precisely the reason why

we receive such positive response from the

learners,” Dr Shanmugham remarks.

Another major collaboration of RC

Madurai is with the Madurai Corporation to

provide Computer Literacy Programme

(CLP) for the benefit of thousands of

students studying in the Corporation

Schools (Government Schools) to create

self interest by developing skills and

capabilities to make use of e-resources in

their day-to-day learning.

The University’s Cochin Regional Centre

has joined hands with the Kerala State IT

Mission to offer IGNOU programmes

through the Akshaya e-Kendras located in

around 3,000 Centres in the state.

While IGNOU will provide the necessary

academic inputs, the Akshaya kendras

would provide the infrastructural facilities

and arrange for adequate numbers of

teachers as per IGNOU’s norms.

“This joint venture is part of the

University’s thrust in providing

contextualised education for people,

particularly those in remote areas of the

country. We will offer our pre-designed

programmes. These will later be re-

designed and contextualised based on the

feedback we receive from the participants

in the programme,” VC Prof Pillai says.

With an aim to benefit the farmers in

West Bengal, IGNOU’s

Kolkata RC and School of

Agriculture (SOA) have

collaborated with the

Department of Agriculture,

Govt of West Bengal, to

launch two new

programmes, Integrated

Pest Management

Technology in Potato

Cultivation and Short-term

Training programmes for

farmers of Betelvine.

The programmes were

launched by Narendra

Nath Dey, Minister for

Agriculture and Consumer

Affairs, Government of

West Bengal, at the

EMPC Studio in the

University Headquarters

on September 28.

The state government will sponsor

about 8,000 farmers for the programmes.

IGNOU has also joined hands with the

Bihar Government to set up 400 training

centres in the state and train

government officials. The IGNOU

training centres will be equipped

with computer labs to provide

distance education through

Information Technology to the

remotest parts of the state. The

state government has also signed

an agreement for implementation

of the state sponsored project

‘Samarth’ in collaboration with

IGNOU. The Varsity has been

selected as the ‘knowledge

partner’ for the state.

This confluence of the world’s

largest University and the

world’s largest democratic

federal government set up will

surely go a long way in

contributing professionals to the

country’s talent pool and

increasing the Gross Enrollment Ratio in

this Decade of Innovation.�

(Photo top) Dr Poongothai Aladi, MoS for IT, VC Prof Pillai and Dr M. Shanmugham, Regional

Director, Madurai, after the signing of an MoC with ICTACT; (Photo below), the MOC signing

ceremony between IGNOU and NEZCC, Dimapur, for the Academic Certification of the Guru

Shishya Parampara Scheme of the Ministry of Culture, Govt of India.

“A major

advantage of

joining hands

with the govt

sector is the

extensive

marketing of the

programme.” — Dr M. Shanmugham,

RD, Madurai

P10-11:Layout 1 10/27/2010 5:26 PM Page 2



12

FELICITATIONCEREMONY


The new academic initia-

tives launched at

IGNOU on October 1

will probably be etched

in the University’s memory for-

ever — not because these pro-

grammes are more relevant

than others, but because the

people who inaugurated the

initiatives are the most rele-

vant in the history of IGNOU.

As part of the Silver Jubilee

celebrations, the University or-

ganised a special felicitation

ceremony to honour its former

Vice Chancellors — late Prof

G. Ram Reddy, Prof V.C. Ku-

landaiswamy, Prof Ram G. Tak-

wale, Prof A.W. Khan and Prof

H.P. Dikshit. IGNOU also felici-

tated former Union Minister

and the Chief Guest at the

function Shri K.C. Pant, who

piloted the IGNOU Bill in Par-

liament in 1985.

Four new academic initia-

tives were launched at the

ceremony, held at the Con-

vention Centre in IGNOU

Headquarters.

Prof Kulandaiswamy

launched a programme in An-

thropology, while Prof Tak-

wale inaugurated B.A. and

M.A. programmes in Psychol-

ogy. The Academic Counsel-

lors’ Training-Online

(ACT-Online) programme was

launched by Prof Khan and

the academic activities in

Geology were launched by

Prof Dikshit.

While delivering the Silver

Jubilee lecture, Shri Pant

From left, Prof H.P. Dikshit, Prof R.G. Takwale, Prof V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai, Shri K.C. Pant, Prof V.C. Kulandaiswamy, Prof A.W. Khan and Registrar U.S.

Tolia at the special felicitation ceremony of the former Vice Chancellors at the University’s Convention Centre in New Delhi on October 1.

“IGNOU now

needs to

consolidate its

diverse

operations and

look ahead to

provide

employable

skills to youth

in India.” — Shri K.C. Pant,

Former Union Minister

Honour For Former VCsAs part of its Silver Jubileecelebrations,IGNOU felicitatedformer ViceChancellors andformer UnionMinister, Shri K.C. Pant, whopiloted the IGNOUbill in Parliament

P-12-13-News:Layout 1 10/27/2010 5:30 PM Page 1




HOW THEY CONTRIBUTED TO IGNOU’S JOURNEY

said, “Having served the country meritori-

ously in the process of democratisation of

education and training for the last 25

years, IGNOU now needs to consolidate

its diverse operations and look ahead in

the area of providing employable skills to

youth in India. By 2020, this country

needs to provide education and globally

acceptable skills to 500 million young

people.”

Drawing attention to the ongoing

‘Decade of Innovation’, Shri Pant empha-

sised the various challenges that IGNOU

should take up in this period. These in-

clude strengthening its Study Centres,

providing quality services to learners, en-

hancing the Student Support Services,

harnessing contextualised modern tech-

nologies for education delivery, use of

technology for enhancing the quality of

the teaching-learning process, training

quality teachers in large numbers, etc.

Throwing light on the genesis of the

University, he said, “The arrival of the digi-

tal age created the possibility of giving

shape to this concept and we drew upon

the experience of existing Open Universi-

ties. I would like to place on record the

contributions of the UK Open University,

the Japanese Educational Broadcasting

setup and the first VC, late Prof G. Ram

Reddy, in the establishment of IGNOU.”

“Today, the country is committed to

universalisation of education, or ‘Educa-

tion for All’. As it is, the formal education

system is not accessible to everyone.

IGNOU was meant to provide education to

all who had the necessary desire and ini-

tiative, whether they had been forced to

drop out for economic or other reasons, or

those who were in jobs, but wished to im-

prove their professional skills, or those

who could not be regular full-time stu-

dents. It is only appropriate that IGNOU is

named after Smt Indira Gandhi, who left

an indelible mark on the history of India

and rigorously worked towards egalitarian-

ism and democratisation of education,”

Shri Pant added.

IGNOU’s present VC, Prof V.N. Ra-

jasekharan Pillai, said that the University

has remained true to its founders’ vision

and played a significant role in democratis-

ing higher education and providing access

to millions of students who cannot enroll in

formal higher education institutions.

“India’s conventional colleges and uni-

versities don’t have the capacity to cope

with the scale of the higher education chal-

lenge confronting the country. Thus, dis-

tance education, powered by new

Information Communication Technologies

(ICTs), has to be used to supplement con-

ventional education. During the past 25

years, IGNOU has demonstrated that quality

higher education can be delivered through

flexible Open & Distance Learning (ODL)

model, which we have greatly improved by

harnessing the full power of ICTs. The Union

government has identified IGNOU as an im-

portant partner for reaching the national

goal of 15 percent enrollment in higher edu-

cation by 2015,” Prof Pillai said.�

VC Prof Pillai felicitating former Union Minister Shri K.C. Pant, who piloted the IGNOU Bill in

Parliament in 1985.

Late Prof. G. Ram Reddy

(1985-1989): Prof Reddy

laid the groundwork for

the establishment of

IGNOU in 1985 and played

a key role in the execution

of several of the Univer-

sity’s initial developments

such as the launch of its first two programmes,

design and structure of the Maidan Garhi campus

and preparing the statutes of the University.

Prof V.C. Kulandaiswamy

(1990-1994): Prof

Kulandaiswamy took IGNOU

to the international platform

with the first joint

Commonwealth of Learning

(COL)-IGNOU Training

programme for distance

educators, IGNOU’s designation as COL’s Centre for

Excellence in distance education and MoU for

IGNOU’s learners from Commonwealth countries.

Prof R.G. Takwale

(1995-1998): Prof Takwale

took IGNOU into the digital

world, bridging the digital

divide between urban and

rural India. This was mani-

fested in the establishment

of the Sanchar Kendra, the

Electronic Media Production Centre and the proj-

ect for Mass education in computer - Open learn-

ing approach.

Prof A.W. Khan (1998-2000): Prof Khan’s leadership saw

IGNOU receiving several important awards like the ‘Award for

Excellence for Distance Education Material’ and the ‘National

HRD Award for Outstanding Contribution in the Field of Human

Resource Development.’ He oversaw the strategic planning,

resource mobilisation and management of a knowledge

network that comprised a consortium of 72 universities.

Prof. H.P. Dikshit (2001-2006): Prof. Dikshit

took keen interest in expanding the initiatives

in the North-East, the introduction and

expansion of Gyan Vani FM radio stations,

launch of Gyan Darshan–III, the country’s first

technology channel, and EDUSAT, the

dedicated satellite for education.

Prof V.C. Kulandaiswamy, second VC, addressing

the gathering at the felicitation ceremony.

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NEWSUPDATES

The attacks on the Indian students in

Australia were not due to racism

but the ‘challenges of cultural

spheres’, according to Australian

High Commissioner Peter Varghese. He

was delivering a lecture on ‘Australia-India

Relations and Australian Multiculturalism,’

organised by the School of Humanities

(SOH), at the IGNOU Headquarters on

September 23.

“The student conflict in Australia

happened not because of racism or

globalisation, but due to challenges in the

cultural spheres. We have been making

changes in the migration programme from

time to time. There was too much focus on

student numbers earlier, fuelled by a

tremendous growth in private vocational

institutes. It has shifted from being supply

driven to demand driven,” he said.

Varghese also announced that a bilateral

education council will be set up to bring

together the Governments of India and

Australia, the Vice Chancellors and the

Business sector, including Chambers of

Commerce. “This is part of our endeavour

to re-build programmes in educational

institutes at the Government level and to

improve the design of vocational

programmes for students,” he said.

The lecture was chaired by IGNOU

Vice Chancellor Professor V.N.

Rajasekharan Pillai and organised by

Dr Malati Mathur, Professor, SOH.

Focussing on multiculturalism in

Australian society, the lecture highlighted

the Indo-Australian relationship, its history

and where it is headed. Varghese also

elucidated on how the commonalities of

history between the two countries are of

special relevance in a post-colonial world.

“People to people contact is a very

important component between India and

Australia. India is the second largest

source of students and professionals for

Australia. There is a 250-300,000 diaspora

in Australia,” he added.

Speaking on the association between

IGNOU and Australia, Prof Pillai said: “We

have a longstanding association with

Australia. Our students have been going

there on scholarships. The University is

running a programme on Australian Studies

in the School of Social Sciences (SOSS).

We also have a joint Ph.D programme with

the University of Queensland and a

collaboration to make teachers more

technology enabled.”

“India was a living example of

multiculturalism before anyone even

thought of the term. It is a fertile area

for conflict as well as development of

cultures,” said Dr Mathur.�

‘India-Oz bilateral education council soon’

Australian High Commissioner Peter Varghese delivering the lecture at IGNOU campus.

NEWSSCAN

The Staff Training and ResearchInstitute of Distance Education

(STRIDE) at IGNOU has launched an

Online Training Programme for Academic

Counsellors (ACT-Online).

The programme involves study of content

and interaction at Discussion Forum in the

following areas: ODL concepts, models and

latest developments; organisation of

student support services; tutoring and

academic counselling in Face-to-Face mode;

development of study skills in distance

learners; support to the educationally

disadvantaged students; and use of new

technologies for student support.

The duration of the programme, which

commenced from October 15, is 45 days to

90 days (min to max).�

GLAD@IGNOU inaugurated

IGNOU VC Prof V.N. Rajasekharan Pillaiinaugurated the inaugural Talk of the

‘Group on Labour and Development’

(GLAD@IGNOU), an initiative of the

University’s School of Inter-Disciplinary

and Trans-Disciplinary Studies (SOITS).

GLAD is a collective of faculty members

and students of the University, who work

on or are interested in discourses,

research, education and training-related to

the theme ‘labour and development’.

“Inclusion is talked about by several

groups. Nearly 93 percent of our workers

are in the unorganised sector. They have

to be brought at par with the so-called

knowledge workers. Therefore, the topic

of the lecture is very important,” Prof

Pillai said.�

Exhibit stalls at PCF6ACT-Online launched

An international exhibition and 50 other

exhibition stalls will be part of the

Sixth Pan-Commonwealth Forum (PCF6)

on Open Learning, being held for the first

time in India. The Commonwealth of

Learning, Vancouver-Canada (COL) and

IGNOU are jointly organising the PCF6 at

Kochi, Kerala, from November 24 to 28.

The allotment of stalls to the sponsors-

cum-exhibitors will be done on

first-come-first basis. However, those

sponsoring two or more stalls will have

their freedom to customise their stalls’

space as per their convenience.

There are also big sponsorship

opportunities such as Diamond Sponsor,

Platinum Sponsor, Gold Sponsor and Silver

Sponsor available for PCF6.�

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IGNOU Institute for Vocational Education andTraining (IIVET), Shillong, and School of

Translation Studies and Training (SOTST),

jointly organised a Translation Workshop in

Shillong from September 27- 29.

The theme of the workshop was translation

from English to Khasi with emphasis on

knowledge texts such as IGNOU course

material. Forty-one participants attended the

three-day workshop.�


NEWSUPDATES

factoidsIGNOU has joined hands with Nokia to provide a Certificate Programme

in Functional English (CFE) on Nokia devices supporting the Ovi Life

Tools. The six-month programme will begin from January 2011 session.

‘Build an integrated state’

India must build an integrated

state with ethnic identities

and the marginalised must be

included in the process of

nation building, said eminent

anthropologist Fr. Abraham

Lotha. He was delivering the

Indira Gandhi National Open

University (IGNOU) Silver Jubilee

lecture, titled ‘Nations within

Nations: Living Dialogues on

Governance and Culture,’ at the

University’s Convention Centre

on September 27.

The lecture was chaired by VC

Prof V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai. The

discussant was Dr Shubhangi

Vaidya from the School of Inter-disciplinary and Trans-disciplinary Studies (SOITS).

Fr. Lotha, through his lecture, looked at the challenges that multi-ethnic states face to

retain national integrity. The lecture also stressed on how these challenges can be met by

engaging in living dialogues with different ethnic groups in a partnership framework,

which can lead to successful governance by including the excluded.

“India is a multi-ethnic state, it’s a union of ethnic groups, which leads to tensions

between ethnic groups and the Centre. The Bodos, Nagas and Kashmiris have strong

ethnic identities. Problems between ethnic groups and the Centre offer opportunities for

mutually responsible relationships.”

“The challenge is to realise that there are different ways of being a nation, just like

sovereignty. Ethnic-driven states can co-exist and still not displace the national

sovereign model. India must build an integrated state, which consists of strong ethnic

identities as well as a strong national identity,” he commented.

While praising IGNOU for its forward-looking attitude, Fr. Lotha said, “Living dialogue is

used by institutes like IGNOU. A forward-looking attitude is concretised by IGNOU’s mission,”

he stressed.�

Eminent anthropologist Fr. Abraham Lotha delivering the

Silver Jubilee lecture at the Convention Centre in New Delhi.

Participants at the workshop.

Prof K. Elumalai, Director, School of Law,

IGNOU, has been appointed member of

the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) Expert

Committee on Licensing of Urban Co-operative

Banks. The Committee, under the Chairmanship

of Shri Y.H. Malegam, will study

the advisability of granting new

urban co-operative banking

licences under Section 22 of the

Banking Regulation Act, 1949

[As Applicable to Co-operative

Societies (AACS)]. Some of the

other members of the Committee are Shri U.C.

Sarangi, Chairman, National Bank of Agriculture

and Rural Development; Dr. S.K. Goel, Principal

Secretary-Co-operation, Government of Maha-

rashtra; and Shri H.K. Patil, President, National

Federation of Co-operative Urban Banks.

Prof Elumalai appointed

RBI Committee member

Student Business Centre set

up for logistical assistance

REGIONALROUNDUP

IIVET, SOTST organise translation workshop Bamboo house training

IIVET, in collaboration with KduplangOrganisation, an NGO, held a three-day

training programme in low-cost bamboo

housing for trainers at Nongstoin,

Meghalaya.

As part of the training, the participants

constructed a security room in the

District Collector’s office premises. This

security room will now become a

permanent feature of the DC office.�

VC Prof V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai

inaugurated a Student Business Centre

at the IGNOU Maidan Garhi Campus on

October 18. Located opposite the Student

Services Centre (SSC), the Centre will provide

logistical assistance to learners. It is a one-stop

help point wherein a learner can avail services

like photocopy, printing, binding and other

student-related facilities.

Prof Elumalai.

P-14-15-RC:Layout 1 10/27/2010 5:30 PM Page 2




MILESTONESONCAMPUS

Forms go online

September 2001: Submission of Examination

Forms goes online.

November 2001: IGNOU organises

International Colloquium on ‘Emerging

Scenario in Open and Distance Learning.’

December 2001: A UNESCO Regional Training

Workshop on Use of Electronic Media in

University Science Teaching is held.

January 2002: The ‘Srinivasa Ramanujan Birth

Centenary Award’ is conferred on IGNOU VC Prof

H.P. Dikshit at the Indian Science Congress-2002.

March 2002: IGNOU signs MoU with National

Council of Hotel Management and Catering

Technology (NCHMCT), Ministry of Tourism.

MoU with NCHMCT

Upcoming Events

HIGHLIGHTS OCTOBER 2010

BPO (Business Process

Outsourcing) is one of

the mush-

rooming in-

dustries in

India. A BPO

career re-

volves around

the core activity of

delivering business

process outsourcing

services.

Watch a special

programme on

Sister Nivedita,

an Anglo-Irish

social worker,

author, teacher

and disciple of Swami

Vivekananda. Born Mar-

garet Elizabeth Noble,

Sister Nivedita met

Vivekananda in 1895

in London.

Munshi Premchand is

recognised in India as the

foremost Hindi-

Urdu writer of

the early 20th

century. His

novels describe

the problems

of the rural peasant

classes. Godaan, his last

novel, is considered one of

the finest Hindi novels.

Chilika Lake in Orissa is

the largest coastal la-

goon in India. It is the

largest wintering ground

for migratory birds on the

Indian sub-continent. The

lake is home

to a number

of threatened

species of

plants and

animals.

Mulberry

foliage is the

only food for

the silkworm.

Mulberry leaf

is a major

economic component

in sericulture since the

quality and quantity of

leaf produced per unit

area have a direct bear-

ing on cocoon harvest.

Pioneers of Literacy: Savitiri Bai PhuleSavitiri Bai Phule, wife of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, was the first

female teacher of the first women’s school in India. She is

considered as the pioneer of modern Marathi poetry. In 1852

she opened a school for Untouchable girls.

IGNOU: Jean PiagetJean Piaget was a Swiss developmental psychologist known

for his epistemological studies with children. His theory of

cognitive development and epistemological view are

together called “genetic epistemology.”

IGNOU, in collaboration with Max Mueller

Bhavan, Goethe-Institut, New Delhi and

University of Vienna, has launched a

Diploma programme in Teaching German as

a Foreign Language. The programme, under

the School of Foreign Language (SOFL),

was launched at the University’s

Convention Centre on October 13.

The key speakers at the event included

VC Professor V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai,

Eberhard Weller, Regional Language

Director, Goethe-Institut, Max Mueller

Bhavan, South Asia; Heiko Sievers, Regional

Director, Goethe-Institut, Max Mueller

Bhavan, South Asia; Thomas Matussek,

Ambassador of Germany to India; Dr.

Ferdinand Maultaschl, Ambassador of

Austria to India; and H.E. Philippe Welti,

Ambassador of Switzerland to India.

Prof Hans-Jürgen Krumm, University of

Vienna, delivered a lecture titled

‘Heterogeneity, Multilingualism and

Teacher Education: What Europe Can

Learn From India.’�

German programme launched

Ambassadors of Germany, Switzerland and Austria launching the programme at IGNOU

Headquarters in New Delhi.

Pioneers of Literacy:

Sister Nivedita

IGNOU/Culture:

Premchand Ke Upanyas

IGNOU: Chilika-Our

Natural Heritage

IGNOU: Mulberry

Cultivation Practices

IGNOU: BPO-

Career Options

GYANDARSHAN

Foundation Day — November 19: IGNOU will

celebrate its 25th Foundation Day on

November 19 and mark the culmination of

the year-long Silver Jubilee celebrations.

PCF6 — November 24-28: The Sixth Pan-

Commonwealth Forum (PCF) on Open

Learning, jointly organised by Commonwealth

of Learning (COL) and IGNOU, will be held at

the Le Meridien Hotel in Kochi, Kerala, from

November 24 to 28, 2010.

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

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open letter october 2010

Documents

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