IGNOU to increase its higher education contribution to 40%

New Delhi, Mar 13 (UNI) The Indira Gandhi Open University (IGNOU) will give impetus to higher education in Indian by increasing its present contribution of 25 per cent to 40 per cent under the eleventh plan.

IGNOU Vice Chancellor V N Rajasekharan Pillai said efforts to increase the University's contribution were afoot.

He said measures are also required to make most of IGNOU academic programmes available in Hindi medium to cater to the needs of large Hindi speaking populace.

''When it comes to job-oriented programmes specifically intended for the rural regional development, it is necessary to offer them in regional languages,'' he added.

Clarifying that distant education and corresponding courses were two separate programmes, Mr Pillai said this widely-believed notion must be dispelled.

''The idea that Distance Education is highly technology-intensive and learner centric system has to be propagated,'' he said.

''IGNOU has to set the target of making open distance learning technology as handy tool to every teacher and learner in the irrespective of whichever system or sector they are,'' he added.

UNI