IGNOU – The Indira Gandhi National Open University named after the ex-Prime Minister of India- Late. Smt. Indira Gandhi is the world’s largest university. It was established in the year 1985 under an act of Parliament with the aim of delivering quality higher education, in various disciplines, through distance learning to three categories of students:

• Those who reside in remote areas and do not have access to the higher education.
• Those who cannot join regular courses due to financial and other constraints.
• Professionals aspiring for additional qualification.

It has contributed significantly to the development of higher education in the country through the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) mode.

IGNOU is also known as the ‘People’s University’ and follows a learner-centric approach and has successfully adopted a policy of openness and flexibility in entry qualifications, time taken for completion of a program, and place of study.

The University has been successful in making courses available to long distance learners which are earlier limited to classroom studies only like engineering and technology, B.Ed, health, nursing and library and information science.

The educational programs imparted by the IGNOU are considered at par with the education provided by any other recognized institute of the country. Approximately 1.5 million students in India are presently being enrolled in the various programs of IGNOU.

The number surges if one adds the foreign students who are enrolled in its program through International Cell. At present, 35 countries are the takers of its undergraduate, post graduate and certificate programs.

IGNOU- the apex body of education to promote and maintain standards of distance education in and around the country is recognized as a ‘Centre of Excellence’ by the Commonwealth of Learning (COL), which offers Executive Management program in India and utilizes IGNOU as a platform for the conduct of CEMAT Entrance Examination and management training.

Currently, IGNOU offers 338 programs of study through over 3,500 courses to cumulative student strength of over 30 lakh students. For latest updates on IGNOU courses, click here.