With an aim to provide education to all segments of the society and to contribute in the mission to have an inclusive education society in the State, the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), Regional Centre Bhubaneswar in support of the State Government is planning to increase the number of study centres in all jails of the State.
Regional Centre Zone Officer Manoj Kumar Dash told reporters that a final notification about opening of the IGNOU study centre would be released within a month. Presently, as many as 244 jail inmates have been enrolled into 24 various study programmes at the IGNOU study centre opened in four jails in State, he added.
Meanwhile, the IGNOU in collaboration with the Higher Education Department is planning to open six-month certificate courses in 251 Aided and 52 Government colleges for graduate and postgraduate students.
Dr Dash said that with the introduction of certificate courses programme offered by the IGNOU, the students can complete two, three, four certificate programmes simultaneously with completion of their studies.
Indian Oil Corporation limited (IOCl) Skill Development General Manager Bibhuti Panigrahi has assured that the IGNOU along with the Skill Development Institute (SDI), Bhubaneswar would open several courses including Certificate in Information Technology (CIT), Certificate of Competency in Power Distribution (CCPD) and Certificate in Communication and IT Skills (CCITSK).
Similarly, a proposal has also been submitted to the East Coast Railway General Manager for joint collaboration with the IGNOU for implementation of certificate programmes for officials of Indian Railway working at different levels.
Dr Dash launched nine new IGNOU programmes -- Certificate in First Aid, Event Management, Tribal Studies, Ambedkar Studies, PG Diploma in Financial Management, Marketing Management, Operational Management, Human Resource Management and Diploma in Retail Management.