IGNOU becomes first Open University to obtain NAAC Accreditation

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Jan 13: Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has been ranked A++ in the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) review.
With this, IGNOU has become the first higher educational institute in the Open Distance Learning (ODL) mode to be accredited by NAAC.
As per the NAAC norms, ODL Universities are assessed on the seven criteria including curricular aspects, teaching-learning and evaluation, research, innovations and extension, infrastructure and learning resources, learner support and progression, governance, leadership and management, institutional values and best practices.
The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), established in 1994, works towards periodic assessment and accreditation of institutions of higher education and also to stimulate the academic environment for promotion of quality of teaching-learning and research in higher education institutions. However, NAAC has recently formulated the criteria for assessment and accreditation of Universities offering distance education programmes as well.
The NAAC team visited the University during January 5 and January 7, 2021. The team had also visited all the School of Studies, Operational divisions, Centres/ Cells/Units at the Maidan Garhi, New Delhi Headquarters. The Regional Centers at Delhi, Lucknow and Cochin and its Learner Support Centres were also visited by the NAAC team.
During the visit, the NAAC team had inspected all the infrastructural facilities of IGNOU and interacted with the teachers, academics and non teaching staff of the University. The members of the team had virtual interactions with the Regional Centres, overseas Study Centres and with the Alumni.
“This is a major achievement for the University and with this remarkable recognition by NAAC, distance and online learning will play a key role in carrying forward the mandate of IGNOU to take the quality higher education to all sections of society”, said Dr Vikram Singh, Regional Director I/C of the Regional Centre Jammu.