Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) awarded 2,79,197 degrees, diplomas and certificates to qualified students in its 36th Convocation. The event saw the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, presenting gold medals to meritorious students across all courses. Women accounted for 55% of the qualified students. The President was seen appreciating women’s contribution across various fields including education. IGNOU was established in the year 1985 by the Indira Gandhi National Open University Act, 1985 (IGNOU Act 1985). Since then, the institute has been key in providing distance education to students across all age groups. Not everyone’s circumstances are such to pursue higher education, but open universities like IGNOU brings hope for these people.
As said by President Murmu during the convocation, “Many students find it difficult to pursue higher education because of their ‘responsibilities’ and ‘circumstances’. Institutes like IGNOU are helping in providing education to such students. Thus, distance education has a wide socio-economic utility.” There has been a surge in the number of students who enrolled and finished their courses successfully with IGNOU. Post-pandemic, distance education has become a norm that is well established and followed. The way people viewed distance education has changed. It is now a well accepted and acknowledged mode of education. Open universities like IGNOU, Netaji Subhas Open University, Dr. BR Ambedkar Open University, etc have taken the onus to make education far more flexible and inclusive.
Photo credits: The Navhind Times
