Open University to come up with IGNOU’s cooperation

The Pioneer, Sept 15, 2010
PNS | Bhubaneswar

The State Government has decided to establish an Open University with financial and technical assistance of the Indira Gandhi Open University (IGNOU) and Distance Education Council.

This was decided in a meeting at the State Secretariat on Monday between Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and vice-chancellor of IGNOU and chairman of Distance Education Council Professor Rajsekhar Pillai.

The State Government will provide all facilities for the Open University. The land for the Open University will be provided in the campus of the Utkal University.

In the first phase this university will be functional at all sub-division level. In every sub-division one college will act as nodal college or study centre.

The Odisha Open University Bill will be placed in the next session of Assembly. The Chief Minister expected that this Open University will stress on the higher education of the tribal people. When set up, Odisha Open University will be the 14th Open University in India.

Among others, Higher Education Minister Debi Prasad Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Aditya Prasad Padhi and Secretary of Higher Education Madhusudan Padhi were present.