What is your review of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU)?

Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) currently presides over 67 regional centers and has an extensive network of over 2,667 learner support centers. Approximately 3 million students within and outside India are enrolled in the programs as per certificate, diploma, degree as well as doctorate level requirement. The university partners with 29 other overseas institutions.

Programs:

There are more than 200 courses offered by 21 different schools. The major programs are B.Ed., BCA, MCA, BBA, M.Ed., MBA, Ph.D., etc.

Admission:

MBA, B.Ed., M.Ed., BBA, and Ph.D. admission require the aspirant to clear the entrance examination of the university. Admission for the other programs depends on the merit of the previous qualifying examination.

Fee Structure:

Since IGNOU is designed for distance education, the fee structure is very economic and conveniently distributed as per the semester.

Faculty:

There are more than 800 faculty members along with more than 33,000 academic counselors.

Infrastructure:

• A Central Library with vast resources is set up at the Headquarters. LIBSYS, an Integrated Library Management software package as well as Web OPAC are used in the library for easier access to the resources.

• Regional Centres and State Level Centres are set up for the students for them to have easier access to the counselors and the faculty.

• Books and other study materials are delivered offline and some materials are even uploaded on the website for the students.

Placement:

• The Campus Placement Cell (CPC) acts as the intermediator between the students and the interested recruiters.

• They conduct various campus placement drives with the last drive being held on 23rd October 2019 from which a number of students were hired by the companies.

• They also create soft skill modules for the overall development of the students.

Scholarship:

The institute offers around 1000 scholarships for differently-abled students if they fulfill the criteria of being an Indian Citizen as well as have a minimal yearly earning.

IGNOU has an extensive arsenal of courses and programs for self-study, distance education as well as a regular mode of education. There are various certificate course and diplomas for a student to enhance and polish their knowledge base. Even for working professionals who are unable to attend regular classes, IGNOU is a balanced choice. In the end, it depends on the needs of the student and their requirements based on which they can make the choice to reach their expectations.