Saudis Urged To Restore IGNOU Operations

New Delhi, May 30 (UNI) Indira Gandhi National Open University operations in Saudi Arabia interrupted by legislation requiring such arrangements to be cleared with Saudi authorities are sought to be restored, IGNOU and government officials indicated tonight.

The matter was taken up by India's Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh who urged the Saudi authorities to resolve the issue ''favourably,'' it was officially stated.

Singh, who is currently visiting Saudi Arbia, brought up the matter of closure of IGNOU operations there when he met Saudi Higher Education Minister Khalid Bin Muhammad Al-Anqari.

The visiting Minister ''urged the Saudi Minister to resolve the issue favourably,'' an HRD Ministry statement said.

IGNOU Vice Chancellor H P Dikshit told UNI that the Indian long distance university has 14,80,000 students on its roll, including many in 37 countries around the world.

Prof Dikshit said its operations in Saudi Arabia had been underway for several years in collaboration with Saudi academic partners, but a recent enactment required Saudi institutions thus engaged to clear such arrangements with the authorities.

UNI