BHUBANESWAR: The Higher Education Department has approached Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) to use its study material for the courses to be offered in the State Open University (SOU) from the current academic session.
After the Odisha State Open University Act was made operational on June 10, the Department plans to offer BA and MA programmes in various subjects in the current academic session. As the curriculum and course material for the subjects are yet to be prepared, the Department has sought help from IGNOU.
In a letter to the Vice-Chancellor of IGNOU, Nageswar Rao, Secretary in the Higher Education Department Gagan Dhal has sought permission from the former for using IGNOU’s study material for the BA and MA courses for a temporary period. Dhal said designing the curriculum of other programmes of the SOU will take some time.
The Department has proposed to establish Schools in Social Science and Humanities, Science and Technology, Education (Continuing and Extension), Teacher Education, Business and Management Studies, Healthcare Studies, Computer and Information Sciences, Agriculture and any other subject approved by the State Government in the open university, considered first of its kind in the State. The State Government has already made provision of `35 crore for establishment and infrastructure of the university in Sambalpur.
On the other hand, the Department has asked Sambalpur Collector Balwant Singh to locate land for the university close to airstrip at Ainthapali to facilitate communication for students visiting the university from different parts of the country.
Earlier, the Tehsildar of Sambalpur Sadar had selected 25 acres near the over-bridge on Sambalpur-Bargarh stretch of NH, which is 25 km away from Sambalpur town.