'Community Awareness in Disaster Preparedness in Orissa' is similar to the one sponsored by the Ministry of Agriculture and aims at generating and sustaining awareness in 50 villages of this coastal state.
The School of social science has developed a programme open to NGO functionaries in regular employment, with six months of experience. The programme aims at Capcity Building of developmental workers for effectiveness in carrying out various projects in rural areas. The programm comprises 4 course of 4 credits each and is presently offered only in Hindi.
The project aims at providing competency based vocational training, assessment and certification through the distance mode for skill development of construction workers. In the first instance, the project covers the basic competencies of General Mason, General Bar-bender, Shuttering Carpenter and General Works Supervisor. The project has been implemented with the help of Builders' Association of India (BAI), National Building Construction Corporation (NBCC) and National Academy of Construction (NAC), Hyderabad.
The Distance-Education Programme is a major intervention under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, created, by the MHRD, Government of India, on 1st July 2003, to implement the distance education activities under SSA in the country. Indira Gandhi National Open University is the nodal agency responsible for implementing the distance education component throughout the 28 states and 7 Union Territories of the country. This national level project aims at providing need-based and local specific in-service training for teachers and other elementary education functionaries, by employing distance education methodology.
The DEP-SSA focuses on the quality dimension of teacher training which is crucial for achieving quality education in the country. Effective application of ICT is required to reinforce the knowledge, motivation, commitment and professionalism amongst the teachers, particularly at the elementary education level. Through DEP-SSA, teacher training is imparted without dislocating the functionaries from their place of work and is paced as per their convenience. DEP-SSA activities cater from classes I to VII/VIII all over the country, striving continuously and in a sustained manner to achieve the goals of SSA. It is functioning effectively in the states to achieve the gigantic task of sensitizing the local functionaries such as, Master Trainers, Coordinators of Block Resource Centres and Cluster Resource Centres, faculty of DIETs and SCERT. The DEP-SSA, strengthens the on-going efforts of capacity building at elementary education level, through distance learning inputs i.e. print, audio, video, multimedia and teleconferencing, thereby facilitating work place based training and content generation. It works in close coordination with grassroot level functionaries, like Panchayati Raj Institutions, School Management Committees, Village and Urban Slum level, Education Committees, PTAs and MTAs, for effective management of elementary schools.
Distance Education has tremendous potential to reach out to large numbers in a short span of time and the distance education interventions have impacted the SSA activities significantly in the country. This is evident from the achievements made in the states, in terms of professional development of teachers, classroom transactions, community mobilization, girls’ education etc. The DEP-SSA operates in a mission mode and has thus far trained millions of teachers, teacher educators, para teachers and other functionaries.
A research study was commissioned by the Government of India and UN Systems to undertake case studies of successful education programmes in the country for education of adolescent girls. The purpose of the study was to make policy recommendations for designing meaningful and relevant educational programmes for a section of hitherto unreached adolescent girls. The Centre for Extension Education undertook a case study of Mahila Shikshan Kendras in Bihar. The study has been completed and a report submitted.
This project requires Pre-testing of 26 modules of UNESCO Resource Kit for Sciences and Technology Education, Project 2000+ in rural and urban schools in India. The response and feedback received on the modules will be utilized to bring a final version of the Kit. With this Resource Kit millions of science teachers across the world will be able to make science and technology more attractive, accessible and relevant for their pupil.
An MoU has been signed between IGNOU-FDDI (Footwear Design and Development Institute), NOIDA on 26th August, 2003 to promote academic and practical interaction as well as introduction of new concepts in the footwear industry through the vocational training by distance mode and education. In the above project, three certificate programmes and one diploma programme will be launched in the area of footwear technology. FDDI is an autonomous institute under Ministry of Commerce, Government of India.
This programme proposes to develop in the learner, the knowledge and skills needed for healthy human relationships, effective communication and responsible decision-making behaviour that will protect themselves and others from HIV/STD infection and optimize health. The goals of the programme include promoting behaviours that prevent the transmission of HIV/STD, fostering attitude and behaviour that will prevent discrimination against those infected with HIV/STD, and promoting solidarity among them.
The programme had been specifically developed in Hindi for underprivileged adolescent youth dropping out of classes between 8 and 10. First initiated in 1998, the third round of the programme was offered in 27 computer centres spread over Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan and was completed in November, 2001. Based on feedback received, the programme had been revised to include a course on DTP and Computer Assembly. More than 2000 students were enrolled in this programme.
An agro-based vocational programme "Mushroom Cultivation" was launched in November, 2000 as a four month programme. It is a multi-media learning package consisting of: a) self-study illustrated print materials both in English and Hindi (b) a set of ten video programmes and (c) a 60-minute audio component consisting of three programmes on 'mushroom cultivation'. The course has a practical component forwhich selected Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) and private growers are involved to assist the course takers at suitable locations. During the pilot phase which was completed in March, 2001 three phone-in radio programmes were also organized. The second round is now on offer from November, 2001 after it was revised on the evaluation of the programme and feedback received from the trainees.
The project covers 100 villages each in five of India's most disaster-prone states viz. Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Orissa and Uttar Pradesh. The objective of this project is creating and sustaining awareness about disasters with the help of local institutions, and helping the local communities in developing Community Action Plans.
This project was a part of the technical assistance provided to the Government of Madhya Pradesh by the Asian Development bank through the Price Waterhouse. The training component of this project was assigned to IGNOU, the key consultants. The training package proposed included print material and audio-video components for equipping the functionaries with necessary skills. One of the video programmes produced under the project has recently bagged the SONY/ICD - 1999 award in Japan.
A National level Centre for Education of the Aged - EDAGE has been set up at Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi by the MHRD Task Force. This is a national initiative envisaging development and dissemination of a wide range of information support and learning/educational material converging on the Aged. This Centre is to be the focal point for dissemination of information relating to various aspects of education for the elderly and also to act as a documentation center.
The Centre is also mandated to receive and collect information on the activities of all institutions working on the subjects concerning the Aged and thus create a resource base for a much wider use by all concerned.
Self Help Groups (SHGs) of women in India have been recognized as an effective strategy for the empowerment of women in rural as well as urban areas: bringing women together from all spheres of life to fight for their rights or a cause. Since the overall empowerment of women is crucially dependent on economic empowerment, women through these SHGs work on a range of issues such as health, nutrition, agriculture, forestry, etc. besides income generation activities and seeking micro credit. Therefore, the main purpose of the Women Empowerment Project (WEP) is to organize women into effective Self Help Groups and through the medium of IGNOU's training Certificate Programme "Empowering Women through Self Help Groups" prepare a cadre/network of master trainers for the sustainability of these SHGs. For the purpose, the WEP has also established 150 programme centers all over the country with the satellite Direct Receiving System (DRS) to enable the women learners, at these programme centers, to interact directly through teleconferencing sessions with the experts at IGNOU headquarters. These teleconferencing sessions are available to the learners on the Doordarshan Educational Channel "Gyan Darshan" on the first and fourth Friday of every month from 3.00 -5.00 p.m. (i.e. for two hours each time). On all the other Fridays, we show programmes relevant to the course from 3.00 - 4.00 p.m. (i.e. one hour each time). Regular face-to-face counseling is also provided at the programme centers and interactive radio counseling over Akashvani's 'Gyan Vani'. The learner can also benefit from the other educational programmes telecast regularly over 'Gyan Darshan' which is a 24 hours channel. Details of all these programmes are sent to all IGNOU learners every month in the form of a booklet called "Gyan Darshan".
Objectives Of Certificate Programme
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Strengthen ongoing efforts to train facilitators/master trainers of SHGs
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Evolve an effective and sustainable in country training network and resource pool of such trainers
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Empower the change agents to function more effectively as trainers and community organizers in helping set up SHGs and to address gender issues.
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Provide guidelines for the establishment of micro-enterprises.
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Provide basic legal literacy
The project aims at establishing technology-based community learning centres that will use technology for generating literacy materials. This project commissioned by the Commonwealth of Learning involves India, Bangladesh and Zambia.
This Programme is being offered in collaboration with Department of Women and Child Development (DWCD), Ministry of HRD for the empowerment of women at the grassroot/low literacy level through the strategy of Self Help Groups. Certain exemptions have been made for this programme such as anyone, who is above the age of 18 and can read and write the language opted for as medium of instruction (Hindi, English, Gujarati, Tamil, Marathi and Braille), can undertake the course of study. At the same time, incentives have been offered by DWCD and NABARD in the form of freeships and reimbursement of fees respectively. A unique feature of this project is the establishment of the Direct Satellite Receiving System at 150 centres all over the country for regular teleconferencing with this disadvantaged section of society.
The Project in collaboration with COL aims to develop cost effective method of education and appropriate communication technology for education and training of rural youth in selected areas. The project on a pilot phase will be initiated in two selected districts of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Areas of intervention are : (1) Commercial Vegetable Production (2) Fruit Nursery Production. Five video films have been completed and seven are under preparation. The self instructional print materials and audio cassettes are under development.
The first training programme on "Potato Cultivation" was organized from December 19 to 23rd 2001 at the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) at Hastinapur. Self-instructional material, audio and video programmes were developed for the training programme.
This project attempts to develop more cost-effective methods for educating and training rural youth. With the help of Open and Agricultural Universities it envisages the establishment of an educational network for this purpose.
A three-month Awareness programme was undertaken on a pilot basis in six districts in Kerala in collaboration with the District Primary Education Project (DPEP) Kerala and completed in October 2001. A group of 24-30 parents went through the programme at each of the fifteen centres, making a total of 419 parents guided by trained facilitators.
In 1999 the School of Computer and Information Sciences launched its Virtual Campus Initiative (VCI) and introduced the following two dynamic programmes under VCI:
1. Bachelor of Information Technology (BIT): a three-year undergraduate degree programme incorporating curriculum and award of Higher National Diploma (HND) from Edexcel Foundation, UK. and Advanced Diploma in Information Technology (ADIT) a one-year high-end P.G. diploma programme under the sponsorship of Ministry of Information Technology, Govt. of India.
Highlights of the programme are
- On-line teaching/learning through the Tele Learning Centres showing state of art computing and communication facilities
- Emphasis on hands on learning
- Outcome based learning
- Integration of Common Skills (termed as key skills in UK) in BIT
- Transfer of credits through HND for progression into undergraduate degree programmes worldwide.
- Exposure to huge amount of educational resources available through worldwide web.
Both the programmes have received due appreciation from educationists and students alike. Admission to the programmes is through entrance test.
Sponsored by Ministry of Human Resource Development
The Human Right Project is an attempt to sensitize and educate professionals who on a daily basis interact with a large number of people. The project intends to involve the police, para-military forces, teachers, doctors, NGO functionaries besides students through practice-based learning about basic human rights.
The School of Health Sciences is developing a programme for practising Auxiliary Nurses and Midwives (ANM) and Female Health Workers (FHW) with the aim of upgrading their knowledge and skills and encouraging community participation in providing health care. The programme comprises inputs on community health, community health nursing, reproductive child health nursing and management of community health.
PG certificate programme on Participatory Management of displacement, Resettlement and Rehabilitation is the first online course of School of Social Sciences. This PG certificate programme is the outcome of a project and a proactive initiative of the World Bank and Indira Gandhi National Open University. Economics Faculty and Sociology Faculty are offering this online programme from July 2001. From January 2002, this programme is available both in offline and online mode. The objective of the programme is to provide participatory management skills in development-caused displacement, resettlement and rehabilitation. The programme will be of use to those who are: engaged in resetlement and rehabilitation divisions of development projects of the government, private sector as project officers, technical experts, field staff or desk staff and those working with the NGOs, industrial establishments and other agencies involved in resettlement and rehabilitation of those displaced by development projects. The detailed information on the programme can be accessed through http://rronline.org This programme is a multi-media learning package, which consists of a total of 16 credits with five courses. The following table provides the code of each of the five courses with its title, type, credits and number of blocks.
This programme involves training of youth for developmental work and is open to Higher Secondary level students and all learners with relevant field experience. It addresses specific questions related to formal and social education of youth, the socio- economic and political context in which they live and work, the role of youth in encouraging and preventing changes in the society and the effect it has on work setting and other structures
This Programme is being offered in collaboration with Department of Women and Child Development (DWCD), Ministry of HRD for the empowerment of women at the grassroot/low literacy level through the strategy of Self Help Groups. Certain exemptions have been made for this programme such as anyone, who is above the age of 18 and can read and write the language opted for as medium of instruction (Hindi, English, Gujarati, Tamil, Marathi and Braille), can undertake the course of study. At the same time, incentives have been offered by DWCD and NABARD in the form of freeships and reimbursement of fees respectively. A unique feature of this project is the establishment of the Direct Satellite Receiving System at 150 centres all over the country for regular teleconferencing with this disadvantaged section of society.
The CYP 'Youth in Development Work' a breakthrough for international education, is the first Commonwealth wide education to enable, ensure and empower youth to face the challenges in an ever changing world. The Pan Commonwealth Office has been running this programme for the past 21 years all over the Commonwealth and is now offering it in India, in distance mode, in collaboration with IGNOU. It is a unique competency based programme endeavoring to develop the potential of youth in development work. The objectives are to:
- Enable young people to act on their own behalf
- Ensure that the youth function in accordance with value systems which give a sense of purpose and meaning to how young people use their skills and knowledge.
- Empower youth with democratic principles so that young people can play an assertive and constructive role in decision making process of the country.
