IGNOU Vice Chancellor Says Online and Distance Learning Essential to Meet India’s Higher Education Targets

New Delhi: The Vice Chancellor of the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has underlined the importance of online and distance education in expanding higher education access in India as the country aims to raise its gross enrolment ratio (GER) to 50 percent by 2035 under the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan framework.

Speaking on the challenges facing the higher education sector, Vice Chancellor Uma Kanjilal said traditional campus-based models alone cannot support the scale of growth the nation seeks. She argued that open and distance learning (ODL), supported by robust digital infrastructure, must form a central component of the expansion effort.

Kanjilal noted that regulatory complexities, with multiple authorities overseeing different segments of higher education, have created operational hurdles for open universities. She called for regulatory consolidation to simplify processes and improve institutional agility.

At the university level, IGNOU is undertaking major changes across evaluation, student services, language access and technology platforms. The institution is moving towards a unified digital system to manage admissions, counselling, learning content, assignments and assessments. A single integrated application is being developed to centralise these services.

Reforming the examination process is a priority, according to the Vice Chancellor. IGNOU has introduced spot evaluation for the current sessions and plans to introduce on-screen evaluations from the June cycle. The university also intends to strengthen regional centres as evaluation hubs to reduce delays in grading and reporting.

A significant effort is underway to widen language support for students. Under a memorandum of understanding with the government of Odisha, IGNOU is translating course materials into Odia for around 400 programmes. Officials said the university plans to extend instruction, evaluation and certification services in at least 12 Indian languages within two years and in all 22 scheduled languages over the next three to four years.

To enhance reach in regions with limited internet access, IGNOU has acquired 50 educational television channels. These channels are expected to deliver centrally monitored counselling and live classes, complementing online instruction.

The Vice Chancellor highlighted efforts to strengthen employability and skills development through closer engagement with the Ministry of Skill Development. With nearly 3.9 million students enrolled and about 1.5 million new admissions annually, IGNOU’s leadership said digital tools, automation and broader language inclusivity will be critical to supporting growth in student participation.