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Indira Gandhi National Open University

Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) is a public open & distance learning university located in Delhi, India. Named after the former prime minister of India, Indira Gandhi, the university was established in 1985 with a budget of 20 million, after the Parliament of India passed the ''Indira Gandhi National Open University Act, 1985'' (IGNOU Act 1985). IGNOU, operated by the Government of India is the world's largest university, boasting an active enrollment of 3,093,583 students. It provides 333 academic programs through its 21 Schools of Studies, supported by a network of 67 Regional Centres and 2,257 Learner Support Centres (LSCs).

IGNOU has achieved an all-time high in total registrations, reaching for the 2023–24 period (covering the admission cycle of July 2023 and January 2024). Of these, students enrolled in bachelor's degree programs, with the Bachelor of Arts (BAG) being the most popular, garnering registrations.

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 programs in regional languages, including 23 recognized regional languages for the MBA program. 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. Apart from teaching and research, extension and training form the mainstay of its academic activities. It also acts as a national resource center, and serves to promote and maintain standards of distance education in India. 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.

IGNOU had started a decentralisation process by setting up five zones: north, south, east, west and north-east. The Ministry of Education has entrusted the responsibility of developing a Draft Policy on Open and Distance Learning and Online Courses to IGNOU. IGNOU also partners up with other organizations to launch courses. IGNOU offers a BBA in Retail distance learning course in association with Retailers Association of India (RAI).

Recently, the university has implemented the CBCS method to the various bachelor's degree courses including BA, BAVTM, BCOM, BSC, and others. As per the new CBCS system, the examination will be conducted through the semester system that was earlier conducted on an annual mode.

Former Vice Chancellor, Prof. Nageshwar Rao was recognized as ambassador of peace by Universal Peace Federation.

IGNOU serves as the National Coordinator for 6 DTH (Direct to Home) educational channels where it provides live classes in 14 Regional languages as well as for Diploma and Certificate level courses under the SWAYAM PRABHA initiative. It offers 268 MOOCs via the Swayam Portal and 43 online programs through its Learning Management System (LMS) portal.

In March 2022, IGNOU was ranked 247 in the Web metric ranking of Indian websites, based on the criteria of its presence on the internet in terms of impact, openness, and excellence.

According to new UGC guidelines, a DEB ID is mandatory for learners wishing to enroll in any ODL/Online Programme, including that of IGNOU.

On 5 December 2024, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) inaugurated an Automatic Weather Station (AWS) at IGNOU Headquarters in New Delhi, which will provide valuable meteorological data to researchers and the public.

IGNOU has launched the Diploma in Paralegal Practice (DIPP) in the January 2025 admission session, marking it as the first program of its kind offered by a Central University in India that would be available in both English and Hindi.

IGNOU awarded over 317,000 degrees, diplomas, and certificates during its 38th Convocation held on March 5, 2025. Provided by Wikipedia