Indira Gandhi National Open University

Dipanshu Sharma, the Ministry of Education and Social Welfare organized a seminar on 'Open University' in collaboration with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the UGC, and the Indian National Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO. After the seminar recommendation, an open university in India has established on an experimental basis. Starting in 1974, the government of India appointed an eight-member working group on the open university, the leading role was given to G. Parthasarathi, the then Vice-Chancellor of the Jawaharlal Nehru University.

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

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

The front gate of the university campus in New Delhi

In 1985, the Union Government made a policy statement for the establishment of a national open university. A Committee was constituted by the Ministry of Education to chalk out the plan of action for the National Open University. On the basis of the report of the Committee, the Union Government introduced a bill in Parliament. In August 1985, both the Houses of Parliament passed the bill. Subsequently, the Indira Gandhi National Open University came into existence on 20 September 1985, named after the late prime minister.

In 1989, the first Convocation was held and more than 1,000 students graduated and were awarded their diplomas. IGNOU audio-video courses were the first broadcast by radio and television in 1990 and IGNOU awarded degrees received full recognition by the University Grants Commission in 1992 as being equivalent to those of other universities in the country.[12]

In 1999, IGNOU launched the first virtual campus in India,[13] beginning with the delivery of Computer and Information Sciences courses via the Internet.

As of 2011 IGNOU has served over 3 million students in India and 40 other countries abroad.[14] These are UAE, UK, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Mauritius, Maldives, Ethiopia, Namibia, Kenya, Myanmar, Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, China, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Fiji, France, Ghana, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Madagascar, Liberia, West Indies, Samoa, Lesotho, Malawi, Switzerland, Nigeria, Mongolia, and Zambia.

The IGNOU offers education in undergraduate degree in different "Modern Indian Languages" (MILs): Malayalam, Marathi, Odiya, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Assamese, Bengali, Bhojpuri, Gujarati, Kannada, Kashmiri, Meitei (Manipuri), and Nepali.[15]

IGNOU has 21 schools and a network of 56 [16] regional centres, 1843 study centres, and 21 overseas centres (in 15 countries). Approximately 20% of all students enrolled in higher education in India are enrolled with IGNOU.[17] IGNOU offers 226 academic programs comprising courses at certificate, diploma, and degree levels.

The Research Unit has been established at the Indira Gandhi National Open University vide notification dated 6 October 2008. Prior to that, research-related activities were looked after by the Academic Coordination Division. The Unit has been established with the following objectives:

• To conduct Research Council and Research Council's Standing Committee meetings for developing policies and frameworks for the conduct of research activities.
• To register and monitor all full-time and part-time MPhil and PhD candidates.
• To engage Research Teaching Assistants under IGNOU-DEC RTA Scheme for the conduct of research and teaching.
• To conduct workshops/seminars on research methodology for full-time and part-time research candidates.
• To facilitate systemic/discipline-based research in the University.

(IGNOU) has been granted the authority to confer degrees by Clause 5(1)(iii) of the IGNOU Act 1985. IGNOU is also recognised as a Central University by the University Grants Commission of India (UGC).[18] The Association of Indian Universities (AIU) recognises IGNOU conferred degrees as on par with the degrees conferred by its members[19][20] and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) recognises the Master of Computer Applications and Master of Business Administration program of IGNOU.[21]

In 1993, IGNOU was designated by the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) as its first Centre of Excellence for Distance Education empowered "to actively participate in Commonwealth co-operative endeavors to identify, nurture, and strengthen open learning institutions throughout the Commonwealth, particularly in the Third World ..".[22]

IGNOU also operates as an accreditor for open university and distance education systems in India through the Distance Education Council (DEC). Authority to do so is granted under Clause 16 and Statute 28 of the IGNOU Act 1985.[23]

IGNOU is accredited by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) with the highest grade of A++.[24]

• Nageshwar Rao - current vice chancellor of IGNOU
• Barun Mazumder - journalist
• Kapil Sibal - politician and lawyer
• George Panthanmackel - professor
• Nandini Sahu - poet and creative writer
• Raman Kapur - medical writer and doctor
• Ashok Kumar Hemal - academic and urologist
• Ram G. Takwale - former vice chancellor of IGNOU
• Shyam Singh Shashi - anthropologist and poet
• M. Aslam - former vice chancellor of IGNOU
• Mahipatsinh Chavda - academic
• Saju Chackalackal - professor and catholic priest
• G. Ram Reddy - first vice chancellor of IGNOU
• Madhavan K. Palat - historian
• K. Satchidanandan - poet
• Sarat Kumar Mukhopadhyay - poet and translator
• V. C. Kulandaiswamy - 2nd vice chancellor of IGNOU
• V. N. Rajasekharan Pillai - scientist
• Bibhu Padhi - poet and translator
• Srikrishna Deva Rao - scholar
• Jai Chandiram - media personality
• Jyoti Gogte - entrepreneur and academic
• Amiya Pujari - computer scientist
• Mahendra Bhatnagar - poet

• Osthatheos Issac - Syriac Orthodox bishop
• Celina Jaitly - Indian actress
• Vaani Kapoor - Indian actress
• Deepika Padukone - Indian actress
• Chethana Ketagoda - Sri Lankan actress
• Barun Mazumder - Indian journalist
• Ashok Khemka - Indian bureaucrat
• K. Vijay Kumar - IPS officer
• K. H. Hussain - Indian designer
• Abhay Sopori - Indian musician
• Gyaneswar Patil - Indian politician
• Karthika Naïr - Indian poet
• B. Devendhira Poopathy - Indian poet and writer
• V. S. R. Murthy - Indian military officer
• Biswatosh Sengupta - Indian academic
• Ashraful Hussain - Indian social activist and politician
• Arjun Munda - former Chief Minister of Jharkhand
• Aman Raj - Indian golfer
• Kulwant Singh - former Indian army general
• Vineet Verma - Indian film director
• Deepak Kapoor - 22nd chief of Indian army
• Manoj Pande - Indian railway officer
• A. G. Perarivalan - Indian assassin
• Yakub Memon - chartered accountant and convicted criminal
• Pushpa Preeya - Indian social activist
• Sudipta Chakraborty - Indian actress
• Aditya Bandopadhyay - LGBT rights activist
• Swapna Patker - Indian film producer
• Shiv Kumar Rai - Indian journalist

• List of universities in India
• Universities and colleges in India
• Education in India
• Education in Delhi
• Distance Education Council
• University Grants Commission (India)
• National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS)

• Official website

28.4945°N 77.2045°E / 28.4945; 77.2045