Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU)

Overview

Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) is India's most prominent open and distance education brand. Today, it has 67 regional centers and 2,000+ learner support centers that provide local coverage to more than 3 million students across the country. IGNOU was one of the first institutions of higher education to leverage cutting edge technology. In 2004, it launched distance education via a dedicated satellite channel (EduSat). Even today, many of its courses utilize two-way interactive learning, in contrast to many other static learning apps. The profile of students is also unique, from part time workers to members of the Armed Forces community, even extending to prison inmates.

The Campus Placement Cell (CPC) of IGNOU has its headquarters in the Delhi and Noida campuses of IGNOU, and primarily uses the online platform to inform students across the country about virtual and city-specific internship opportunities and placement drives. The CPC also maintains an employer registration page where screened corporates can float opportunities that will be directly shown to students of the relevant Departments after they are approved by the authorities.

The headquarters of Indira Gandhi National Open University have high quality video and audio recording studios, and a large part of the content is streamed on four 24-hour Gyan Darshan television channels, in addition to 26 Gyan Vani radio FM channels. The broadcast content aims to address a wide range of listeners, and contains topics of societal information including sustainable living, women's empowerment, career growth, and science & technology.

IGNOU Highlights

IGNOU Fees

The academic fees for students of Indira Gandhi National Open University have three main components: tuition fees, examination charges, and registration fees. The program fees for Indian students are organized into several bands:

• Below INR 2,000: Primarily certificate courses e.g. Rural Development, Dairy Farming, and NGO Management.
• Between INR 2,000 and INR 5,000: Several programs fall into this fee band, including highly sought after certificate courses (e.g. Laboratory Techniques, Visual Arts, and Library & Information Science), short term Post Graduate Diplomas (e.g. Gandhi and Peace Studies), and certain degree programs (e.g. Bachelor of Commerce with Major in Accountancy and Finance).
• Between INR 5,000 and INR 10,000: The majority of Post Graduate Diplomas (e.g. Analytical Chemistry, Urban Planning & Development) and many Post Graduate Certificate courses (e.g. Cyber Law, Industrial Safety) fall into this category.
• Between INR 10,000 and INR 20,000: Many Master's programs fall into this fee band, including Master of Commerce, Master of Library & Information Science, Master of Tourism & Travel Management, and most Master of Arts specializations. Almost all PhD programs offered by IGNOU also fall under this category.
• Above INR 20,000: Highly specialized and professional courses have fees that are far above all others offered by IGNOU. The highest program fees correspond to the Master of Business Administration program (INR 62,000), Master of Computer Applications (INR 50,800), and Master of Science in Biochemistry (INR 72,200).

Program fees for foreign students from non-SAARC countries are many times higher than for Indian students. For example, most degree programs have fees that exceed USD 1,000, and the Bachelor of Computer Applications course has international student fees of USD 1,000 per semester. Unlike most other Central Universities, students of IGNOU need not pay hostel and mess fees since it is largely a distance learning paradigm; living costs are therefore greatly reduced.

IGNOU Admissions

The eligibility criteria for admission to Indira Gandhi National Open University, are as follows:

• UG programs:
  • Applicants must hold a pass certificate from a Standard XII examination conducted by any recognized Board of Higher Secondary Education.
  • Unlike in many other Universities, there is no minimum cut-off specified; a pass certificate is sufficient.
  • Most UG programs have no prerequisite subjects. However, certain courses (e.g. Bachelor of Science - Biochemistry) have required subjects at the 10+2 level (in this example: Biology, Chemistry, and Physics).
• PG programs:
  • Applicants must have a Bachelor's degree in any discipline (most programs have no prerequisite subjects). Some programs (e.g. MA in English) accept other higher degrees (e.g. Certificate and Diploma courses) instead of a Bachelor's degree.
  • A few Master's programs have cut-offs specified. For example, MBA general category applicants require students to have a UG aggregate above 50%, or 45% for reserved category applicants.
  • Entrance test scores are not required.

Students who wish to apply to Indira Gandhi National Open University must follow these steps:

• Navigating to the Online Admission System on the IGNOU website.
• Reading the eligibility structure and fee details of the relevant degree or diploma programs.
• Clicking the New Registration button.
• Providing a valid mobile number and email ID while choosing the username and password.
• Filling up the application form carefully. Any error can lead to cancellation of the application.
• Uploading scanned and self-attested copies of the following five documents:
  • A recent passport sized photograph of the applicant (maximum file size 100 KB).
  • A scanned copy of the student's signature (smaller than 100 KB).
  • Copies of all academic certificates issued by Board Examination authorities or Universities.
  • Scanned copies of experience certificates (if applicable).
  • Scanned copies of caste certificates (if applicable).
• Paying the registration fee online and submitting the application form.
• The IGNOU authorities scrutinize all applications and send the final admission decision via email.
• Students who wish to join the University must pay the first semester's fees as a token of their acceptance.

IGNOU Placements

As one of the top Universities in India, the placement highlights of Indira Gandhi National Open University are as follows: 

• The Campus Placement Cell (CPC) is the apex body that manages corporate relations, functional training, soft skills training, and interview logistics.
• It was established in 2005 to provide world class career matching services to both current students and alumni of IGNOU.
• The Cell provides logistics support by making the infrastructure of the University available to all hiring companies, with a blueprint to conduct successful virtual hiring drives.
• It also works closely with the Alumni Association to bring companies to register with the Placement Cell via ex-students of IGNOU in senior positions; the alumni database also allows the Cell to identify recent graduates who require their support for placements and internships.
• The Cell conducts multiple categories of events at four venues: the University headquarters, Regional Centers, Study Centers, and company offices:
  • Campus placement drives.
  • Internship and job fairs.
  • Soft skills training workshops and functional training to improve employability.
  • Career counseling sessions.
  • Seminars and workshops by distinguished alumni.
• The Placement Cell constantly innovates to provide better facilities to its students and alumni. For example, it is currently working on a comprehensive Training & Placement Portal that will automate the process of companies posting job descriptions, CV collection, shortlisting, aptitude tests, and interview scheduling. This will eliminate manual posting of placement notifications, and increase the number of companies that can conduct placement drives.

IGNOU Cut-Offs

There are no entrance tests cut-offs related to admission to most programs offered by Indira Gandhi National Open University, because the majority of courses do not ask students to submit test scores. Unlike many other Universities, most programs do not enforce cut-offs related to performance in the qualifying examination (either 10+2 or UG aggregate), given that IGNOU is an Open University and seeks to expand the reach of its educational services as far as possible. However, a few PG professional programs do have cut-offs. For example, MBA aspirants must have an aggregate of 50% or higher across all semesters of UG study. This is relaxed to 45% for reserved category candidates.

IGNOU Faculty & Alumni

Indira Gandhi National Open University is home to more than 200 full time Faculty members. Each School has a dedicated Faculty page on which prospective students can view the specialized academic and research interests of the Professors in each Department within the School. The Faculty members are also involved in recording lectures online and in the IGNOU studios for dissemination via the internet, TV, and radio channels.

The Alumni Association of Indira Gandhi National Open University allows ex-students of IGNOU to register via the Samarth portal. The Association also has a website with multiple aims:

• To stay in touch with millions of IGNOU alumni online.
• To provide professional career options to IGNOU students through internships and full time jobs floated by alumni working in different companies.
• To organize donation drives to assist financially needy students with program fees.
• To organize lectures and online seminars to educate IGNOU students about emerging trends in their chosen sectors.
• To organize virtual events to help IGNOU alumni feel more connected to the University.
• To establish regional and city IGNOU Alumni Chapters in India and abroad.

IGNOU Scholarships

As in other top Universities in India, there are multiple financial aid options available to students of Indira Gandhi National Open University. The most popular scholarship schemes are:

1. Government of India Scholarships: All eligible students are encouraged to register on the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) soon after their admission to IGNOU is confirmed. This portal allows students to update their profiles with their caste certificates, family income statements, academic record, and extracurricular achievements. This profile can then be used to apply for multiple scholarships, which can be filtered according to the type of degree program and the eligibility criteria. The largest number of scholarships are available to students from socially disadvantaged backgrounds subject to a family income cap that ranges from INR 2 LPA to INR 4.5 LPA depending on the category.

2. State Scholarship Schemes: Students from different reserved categories who do not qualify for any of the financial aid options on the NSP website can apply to the Social Welfare Officer of their home state. After providing proof of their admission to Indira Gandhi National Open University and submitting caste certificates and academic transcripts, they may be eligible for a partial or total scholarship or tuition fee reimbursement.

3. NCPEDP Scholarships: The National Center for Promotion of Employment of Disabled People provides postgraduate scholarships to eligible students of IGNOU. Applicants should check the NCPEDP website for application instructions, and submit proof of partial or complete disability, in addition to documents relating to their admission to the University.

4. UGC and MHRD Scholarships: These are research and PG scholarships intended to assist students from the following categories: SC, ST, Minority, PwD, and OBC. Notifications of different schemes offered by these central agencies are published in the relevant sections of each website at regular intervals, along with application instructions (online or offline).

5. e-VBAB Scholarships: These are initiatives by the Government of India to provide full tuition fee waivers to students from partner African countries through the e-Vidya Bharati and Arogya Bharati (e-VBAB) network project, for online courses of all types. Afghan students are also eligible via the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR). The application can be filled online on the Indian Government's iLearn website, with IGNOU chosen as the preferred University.

IGNOU Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q. Which is the top University in India?

Indira Gandhi National Open University is one of the best Universities in India. It is ranked #36 among the best Central Universities in India, according to the IIRF 2024 ranking list.

Q. What are the application fees to Indira Gandhi National Open University?

The application fees to Indira Gandhi National Open University vary according to the level of the program to which the student is applying (undergraduate, postgraduate, or diploma). The registration fee ranges from INR 200 to INR 300, and is not refundable.

Q. In which countries does Indira Gandhi National Open University have Overseas Study Centers?

Indira Gandhi National Open University has Overseas Study Centers in 4 Gulf countries (United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Oman), 3 SAARC countries (Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal), and 6 other countries including Singapore and Kenya. These offer a total of 59 academic programs.

Q. Does Indira Gandhi National Open University offer flexibility in terms of UG and PG course study?

IGNOU offers great flexibility to students seeking to study its degree programs part time. For example, UG students can choose to complete their courses in 3 years, as in other Universities, or take a lower credit load and complete their studies in 6 years.

Q. How can students check the IGNOU results online?

Students can check the IGNOU results on the University website. Every semester examination has students' performance published according to their roll numbers.

Q. What is the exam pattern and expected date of OPENMAT 2025?

The OPENMAT entrance examination was earlier held by Indira Gandhi National Open University for admission to its MBA and PhD programs. However, as of 2023, it was no longer held, and admissions are made directly based on applications. Therefore, OPENMAT 2025 will not be held.