IGNOU Courses: ‘Earning while learning’ education model makes students self-reliant

Srinagar, Sep 20: Amid the decline in admissions in Universities and colleges across Kashmir, the ‘earning while learning’ model of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) is attracting more students to pursue their higher studies.

Earlier this newspaper reported about the grim scenario of the higher education sector with enrollments across colleges and universities in Kashmir declining significantly.

However, IGNOU regional centre Srinagar is witnessing overwhelming response from the students for admission in undergraduate (UG) and post graduate (PG) courses.

According to official figures, around 50,000 students take admission in one year to pursue different courses. IGNOU holds admission sessions twice in a year- January and June month of every year. Regional Director at IGNOU Srinagar Centre, Dr. A H Rizvi said that IGNOU was receiving an overwhelming response from the students in around 250 programmes offered by the university in open and distance learning mode.

“We are getting an overwhelming response from the students for admission. In 21st century we have adopted an earning while learning model which attracts more students towards IGNOU. Under this model they earn while they learn as well,” he said.

Director IGNOU regional centre Srinagar said they offer admissions in some newly introduced courses which are yet to be introduced in colleges. He said that out of all study centres, 30 study centres are available in degree colleges across Kashmir.

“We also offer admission in professional courses like B.Sc Nursing which is not available anywhere. We have agreements with SKIMS Soura and offer admission in Diploma in hospital administration. We have a tie-up with Kashmir University under which we offer Master’s in Library Science and Bachelor’s in Library and Information Science,” he said. Dr. A H Rizvi said they also offer a PG diploma course in Rehabilitation Psychology at CRC Bemina, in which 20 students from states across India have enrolled.

“In Rehabilitation Psychology we have students from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi. All these students from India come here. Rehabilitation Psychology was introduced here for the first. He said they are also getting huge demand from the students in science programs like M.Sc. in Zoology, Botany, Chemistry, Applied Chemistry owing to the demand from the students.

“There is a lot of demand for students so we have made an agreement with Central University of Kashmir (CUK) and from December 2025 all the programs of M.Sc. will start at CUK,” he said. He said that recently they had a meeting with Vice Chancellor of SKUAST-Kashmir for introduction of few courses in the university. “I had also visited Ladakh and Kargil where we collaborated with VC Central University of Ladakh for the opening of a study centre at the university for the students of Kargil and Ladakh. Dr A H Rizvi said they are receiving an overwhelming response from students and their next examination will commence from December 1, 2025 to January 8, 2026. “We have also established a placement cell and a committee has been established to collaborate with different institutes for placement of our students.