Foreword
Abstract
From the Vice Chancellor’s Desk...
As India moves resolutely towards the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, the transformative power of education assumes renewed significance. A well-educated, skilled, and empowered populace remains the cornerstone of national progress—fueling innovation, fostering equity, and shaping a society prepared for the challenges and possibilities of the future.
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 articulates this vision through a comprehensive framework that ensures inclusive and equitable access to quality education for all. It seeks to nurture creativity, critical thinking, and lifelong learning—values that lie at the very heart of Indira Gandhi National Open University’s mission.
IGNOU has completed forty remarkable years of service to the nation, and we stand at a defining moment in our journey. Over the decades, the University has evolved into a global symbol of accessible, flexible, and learner-centric education—touching
millions of lives and transforming countless futures.
It gives me immense pride to present this IGNOU 40th Foundation day Special Issue of the Indian Journal of Open Learning (IJOL), capturing some of the University’s most recent initiatives and achievements that continue to shape India’s higher
education landscape.
The University has made significant progress in developing National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF)-compliant qualifications to enhance employability and industry alignment. The National Council for Vocational Education and
Training (NCVET) has approved IGNOU’s courses such as Nurse Manager (Level 5.5) and Executive–Emergency Healthcare (Level 4.5) in the healthcare sector, and Fundamentals of Plastic Waste Management and Fundamentals of Environmental Ethics in the environmental sciences. Additional qualifications—including Community Development and Qualification Officer (Level 6) and Geriatric Health and Care (Level 4)—are in the process of approval.
A major milestone was the signing of the MoU with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on 13 August 2025. This partnership aims to align academic learning with industry needs through the CII–IGNOU Career Edge Academy, designed to
offer skill-based and vocational programmes, internships, and faculty-industry exposure across the country.
IGNOU’s collaboration with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) will extend foreign language training—including German, Japanese, and English Communication Skills—across thirty Skill India International Centres. These courses will be developed and certified by IGNOU and implemented through MSDE’s network of skill centres, enabling global
employability pathways for Indian youth.
Our international partnerships continue to strengthen IGNOU’s global standing. Collaborations with UNESCO-ICHEI (China) are enhancing ICT competencies among faculty, with special emphasis on women’s professional development. The University’s MoU with UNESCO and the South Asian Centre for Teacher Development (SACTD)focuses on advancing Media and Information Literacy across South Asia, contributing to the creation of informed, ethical, and digitally resilient societies.
The University also joined hands with The Open University, UK under the British Council’s Going Global Partnerships: Online Distance and Digital Learning Grant, to build capacity for digital education and co-create a Postgraduate Certificate in Digital Education and Climate Change. Further, our association with NAAC, QAA (UK), The Open University and University of London, in another British Council project continues to strengthen quality assurance systems for Open, Distance, and Digital Learning (ODDL) contexts.
We have initiated several new academic programmes, through our Schools of Studies, including the MBA in Hindi and Odia medium, and established partnerships with IIT Bombay under Project Udaan for AI-driven translation of course materials—
making multilingual learning a reality. Collaborations with Maharashtra Knowledge Corporation Limited (MKCL) and GIZ (Germany) further integrate digital skills and service management into IGNOU’s offerings, while the Government of Odisha supports translation of all IGNOU programmes into Odia.
Our Divisions, Centres and Regional Centres, Institute, Cells and Units have all contributed to the growth of the University. In the academic year 2024-25, IGNOU recorded an enrolment of nearly 15 lakh learners, an 8.8% increase over the previous year. More than half of these learners are women, 60% hail from rural and tribal areas, and over 56% belong to socially disadvantaged communities. These figures reaffirm university’s commitment to inclusivity and social justice in higher education. The registration of Agniveers from the Indian Army and continued support for SC/ST learners through fee exemptions further underline our commitment to national service and empowerment.
IGNOU’s digital ecosystem continues to expand through the Centre for Online Education. With 50 online programmes, 314 SWAYAM courses, and seven SWAYAM Prabha channels broadcasting in fifteen regional languages, its outreach now spans over nine million users. The upgraded e-Gyankosh and IGNOU e-content mobile App have made quality education accessible to learners nationwide and beyond.
Our international footprint is growing steadily. Under the Overseas Facilitator Scheme, new collaborations have been established in Nepal and Kenya, with renewed partnerships in Oman, Kuwait, UAE, Kyrgyzstan, and Afghanistan—further advancing IGNOU’s mission of Transnational Education.
IGNOU’s National Centre for Innovation in Distance Education (NCIDE) is instrumental in nurturing entrepreneurship and innovation. The University received the Entrepreneurship Catalyst Award 2025 from Think Startup, IIT Delhi, and MEPSE. Additionally, the Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell (MIC) has conferred a four-star rating on our Innovation Council. Over
160 new student ideas have been incubated under the IGNOU Udyami Scheme, demonstrating a growing culture of creative enterprise.
The Staff Training and Research Institute of Distance Education (STRIDE) continues to build academic capacity under the Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Programme, certifying nearly over 4,700 faculty members nationwide since its initiation in March 2024. STRIDE also leads IGNOU’s capacity buliding & content development for the iGOT Karmayogi platform reinforcing our role in implementing NEP 2020.
These accomplishments are a testament to the collective dedication of our faculty, staff, and learners—past and present—whose vision and effort have shaped IGNOU into a university of the people, for the people, and by the people.
As we commemorate forty years of service to the nation, let us reaffirm our shared resolve to harness education as the truest instrument of national progress. Together, let us strengthen our resolve to build an equitable, innovative, and self-reliant
India—an India that learns, leads, and inspires the world.
Jai Hind! Jai Bharat!
Best Regards
Prof. Uma Kanjilal
Vice Chancellor, IGNOU
