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 was 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 that an open university be established through an act of Parliament as soon as possible. They stressed the importance of the university having jurisdiction over the entire country, ensuring that once it is fully operational, students in even the most remote areas can access its educational resources and degrees (Working Group Report, 1974). To support effective instructional and management processes for the open university, the working group proposed several key measures, including: a streamlined admission process, age relaxation policies, the development of comprehensive reading materials, the creation of core groups of scholars in various disciplines, the establishment of study centers, the implementation of curricular programs, and opportunities for live interaction with instructors. Following these recommendations, the Union Government prepared a draft bill for the establishment of a National Open University; however, progress on this initiative was delayed for various reasons. 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. In 1999, IGNOU launched the first
virtual campus in India, beginning with the delivery of Computer and Information Sciences courses via the Internet. IGNOU has served over three million students in India and 40 other countries abroad. These are the
UAE, the
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. IGNOU is actively engaged in various initiatives through the SANKALP project in collaboration with the
Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE). The university has signed a
MoU with the
Dr. Ambedkar Foundation, under the
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, to provide training for civil service aspirants from
SC/ST backgrounds. Additionally, IGNOU has established a knowledge partnership with the Capacity Building Commission (CBC) of the
Government of India and has set up a Centre for Modern Indian Languages to promote
Indian languages. The university's refresher courses have received recognition from the
University Grants Commission (UGC). The university has introduced audiobooks for its Self-Learning Materials (SLMs) in management courses and has recorded promotional materials for its programmes in regional languages, including 23 recognized regional languages for the
MBA programme. IGNOU has also signed an MoU with the
National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to provide opportunities through skill-based courses, launching three such courses. Another MoU with the
Dattopant Thengadi National Board for Workers Education & Development (DTNBWED) aims to provide training for workers in both organized and unorganized sectors. Under the
Unnat Bharat Abhiyan, the university has adopted over 90 villages, and as part of the celebration of
Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, 74 lectures have been completed. Notably, IGNOU's Regional Centre in
Aizawl has been awarded the Government Online Excellence Award by the Department of Information and Communication Technology,
Government of Mizoram. IGNOU was founded to serve the Indian population by means of
distance and open education, providing quality higher education opportunities to all segments of society. It also aims to encourage, coordinate and set standards for distance and open education in India, and to strengthen the human resources of India through education. IGNOU hosts the Secretariats of the
SAARC Consortium on Open and Distance Learning (SACODiL) and the Global Mega Universities Network (GMUNET), initially supported by
UNESCO. == Languages ==