IGNOU to launch courses in Indian culture, yoga and vedic studies

THE NEW COURSES WILL BE PROVIDED IN COLLABORATION WITH OTHER INSTITUTIONS

NEW DELHI: The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) will soon launch a number of new courses.

The list includes two solar education courses, two certificate courses in Vedic Studies and Indian Spiritualism and Culture and certificate to PHD programmes in Yoga.

The outgoing vice chancellor, Ravindra Kumar, on his last day at the university, said IGNOU had undertaken multiple initiatives during his tenure of almost a year, including two courses to educate people from international solar alliance countries on the renewable source of energy.

“December 8, 2017 shall see the launch of two programmes on solar awareness and solar application in water pump. These programmes shall be in French and Spanish language and are primarily meant for the African countries,” he said.

The open and distance learning institution has also signed an MOU with the Swami Narayan Sanstha, to provide two certificate courses- Vedic studies and Indian Spiritualism and Culture, which is expected to begin in January with the admission schedule to be announced in November.

“The first reaction when we said we are going to offer these two courses, from our friends, was, are you becoming a RSSHindu university? Completing forgetting that Indian spiritualism has as much to take from non- Hindu sects as much to take from the Hindu sects,” he said.

Courses in Yoga, ranging from certificate courses to PHD programmes will be offered in collaboration with S-VYASA university in Bangalore. By roping in IT infrastructure, the institution also hopes to expand its reach in rural areas.

The outgoing V-C, also spoke of how they had revived their defunct TV and radio channels as 24 hour channels. Gyanganga, their TV channel earlier known as Gyandarshan, will be a part of the Doordarshan platform, and will have programmes for women, youth.