The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) established The Mother Teresa Chair recently on the direction of the Prime Minister’s Office to all Central Universities to establish this Chair.
Inaugurated by the chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Human Resource Development Oscar Fernandes, the guest of honour was Dr Jacob Mar Bernabas, bishop of the Malankara Catholic Church, Delhi. Dignitaries who addressed the gathering included IGNOU V-C Prof Gopinath Pradhan and Prof Gracious Thomas, director, school of social work, IGNOU.
The main objectives of this Chair will be:
To promote socially relevant programmes in the area of philanthropy and inter-religious studies.
To undertake extension activities targeting the HIV infected, leprosy patients, street children, refugees, destitute and other vulnerable sections of the population.
To organise training and skill development programmes for socio-economic development of the society.
To organise training, workshops, seminars and conferences on socially relevant topics