The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) was established in 1985 through an act of Parliament. It is named after former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and is based in New Delhi. IGNOU is the largest university in the world with over 4 million students. It was established to promote distance education in India based on recommendations from a working group formed in 1974 to explore establishing an open university.

2. TOPIC – HISTORY OF IGNOU (INDIRA
GANDHI NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY
MARGARETT MATHEW
NATURAL SCIENCE
ROLL NO - 9

4. INTRODUCTION
 The Indira Gandhi National University known as IGNOU is a distance
learning national university located in IGNOU road, Maidan Garhi, New
Delhi, India.
 Named after former prime minister of India Indira Gandhi.
 The university was established in 1985 with a budget of 20 billion, when
the parliament of India passed the IGNOU Act 1985.
 IGNOU is run by the central government of India . IGNOU the largest
university in the world with over 4 million students.
 It also known as a national resource centre, and serves to promote and
maintain standards of distance education in India.

5. HISTORY
 In 1970, the Ministry of education and social welfare in collaboration with
the ministry of information and broadcasting, the UGC and the Indian
National Commission for co-operation with UNESCO organized a seminar
on “Open University”.
 The seminar recommended the establishment of an open university in India
on an experimental basis.
 The Government of India appointed an eight member working group on
open university in 1974.

6.  The leading role was given to G. Parthasarathi, the vice chancellor of the
Jawaharlal Nehru university.
 The working group re-commended establishing an open university by an
act of parliament as early as possible.
 The working group suggested several measures to be followed in
instructional and management process of the open university.
 It includes admission procedure, age relaxation, preparation of reading
materials, vehicle of curricular programs, live contacts with teachers and so
on.

7.  On the basis of the recommended of the working group, the union
government prepared a draft bill for the establishment of a National Open
University.
 In 1985, the union government made a policy statement for establishment
of a national open university.
 A committee was constituted by the Ministry of Education to chalk out the
plan of action of the national open university.
 In August 1985, both the houses of the parliament passed the bill.

8.  The National Open University came into existence on 20 September 1985.
 The IGNOU is responsible for introducing and promoting distance
education at the university level.
 In 1989, the 1st convocation was held and more than 1,000 students
graduated and were awarded their diplomas.
 IGNOU audio – video courses were 1st broad caste by radio and television
in 1990.

9.  IGNOU awarded degrees received full recognition by the UGC in 1992 as
being equivalent to those of other universities in the country.
 In 1999, IGNOU launched 1st virtual campus in India, beginning with the
delivery of computer and information science course via the internet.