Dr. VSP Srivastav

Head

Dr VSP Srivastav, who has worked closely with the Information Technology (IT) in industry during his initial career, joined IGNOU as Joint Director, Computer Division, in 1996.

With over 30 years of experience, Dr VSP Srivastav is working as the Head of the Computer Division, IGNOU since 2000. A Master's in Statistics from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, Dr Srivastav completed M.Phil. in Computer Science, in 1982, from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi. He was awarded Ph.D. in Computer Science in 1988 by the same prestigious university.

As Head of the Computer Division, he keeps the flow of information intact at IGNOU, including Regional Centres, Study/Learners Centres in the country, and the Partner Institutions abroad . He is responsible to get IT infrastructure created for one and all in IGNOU including 56 Regional Centres(approx) and more than 2500 IGNOU Learners Centres across the country. The activities of the division are related to all for procurement and deployment of IT infrastructure, Data Centre & Server Rooms maintenance & managemnet, ERP, Networking, Software development, Training, IGNOU Website hosting, management and maintaining the entire IT resources with a team of about 35 professionals.

Towards integrated ERP solution, the Division has implemented back office automation using ERP modules of Peoplesoft (ORACLE). A Data Centre has been established with about 20 blade servers and SAN storage exclusively for the ERP solution. FSCM and HRMS modules have been fully implemented since 2008. These two main modules comprises of over 25 sub-modules. The ERP project which was started with TCS in 2007 has been completely taken over by IGNOU team.

All deliveries for the learners support consisting of about 20 main services/modules which are delivered through the website www.ignou.ac.in are in housed developed by the Division. Most of these modules have ORACLE running in the background.

Academic interest of Dr Srivastav has been right from starting his career in the field. His areas of research interest include Process Re-Engineering and ERP, Software Engineering and Quality, Analysis/Synthesis of Algorithms, DBMS, and Networking. He has served as academic experts for writing/editing of course materials in various course in IGNOU and the NIOS (National Institute of Open Schooling). He has been PhD supervisor, and evaluator/examiner for UG/PG/M.Tech/PhD progrmmes in IT and MBA.

Dr Srivastav has visited/presented many research/practice papers in countries like France, UK, Switzerland, Germany, Netherland, New Zealand, Singapore, USA and Jamaica, to name a few.

A Life Member of the Indian National Science Association, and Sr Member of Computer Society of India (conferred to him at the age of 35) Dr Srivastav has participated in numerous seminars and events of international repute and has also edited and reviewed several books, Res./Conf. papers, and reports. He has served on many committees in central/state universities and organisations like JNU, JMI, Vikram University Ujjain, CCS University Meerut, UGC, AICTE, NIOS, DEC, KOU (Kota Open University), CBSE, etc. apart from IGNOU.

He got the 1Gbps NKN link commissioned in the year 2011 and was actively involved in the IT Mass Literacy program of Govt. of India (as Chairperson of the Jt Organisation Committee) He is also member of E-Learning Sectional Committee, Bureau of Indian Standard, India, and IGNOU VC nominee in PRSG (Project Review & Steering Group), DEITy (MCIT, Govt. of India) .

He has on his credit of being the Founder Secretary, CSI Mankapur Chapter which received the Best Chapter Award for the year 1991, in Northern Region, during his tenure. NRC-90 was organised by the Mankapur Chapter of Computer Society of India. He worked for 12 years of his initial service period in Computer Division, ITI Limited Mankapur, UP, India. During the period he also played pivotal role in developing hundreds of IT skilled persons, in the industrially backward area (Distt. Gonda, Basti, Faizabad in UP) under the banner of CSI Mankapur Chapter and ITI Limited Mankapur, Distt. Gonda (UP). For his significant contributions he has been given away recognitions – (i) by ITI Mankapur (UP) for organising mass training and skill development programmes in the field of IT; (ii) by IGNOU for commissioning of internet broadband facilities of 48Mbps in the year 2008-09 which was further extended to 90 & 100Mbps apart from NKN link of 1Gbps installed in the year 2011. His significant contribution in implementation ERP in IGNOU was recognised during the year 2010.

Dr Srivastav has been working, since the September 2000, as the Head of the Computer Division – the pivotal service division for the IT in IGNOU broadly including setting up/operations/maintenance & management of entire IT infrastructure with Server Room and Data Centre, LANs/VLANs/VPN, ERP & Software Development for Student Mgt. System, and the IGNOU web site Hosting/Maintenance & Management.