Now, local IGNOU students to get study material by post

Vikas Sharma

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Tribune News Service

Jammu, November 6

More than 40,000 students enrolled at the Jammu Regional Centre of the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) to pursue various diploma/certificate/undergraduate/postgraduate programmes in different streams will now have to wait for the study material a little longer as it will be dispatched through post directly from the university headquarters at Maidan Garhi in New Delhi.

Sources claimed that the process had begun from the ongoing July-2017 session wherein the students were getting the study material through express parcel. They said the decision to centralise the process of study material in all regional centres across the country was taken by the IGNOU head office after reports poured in about the excess stock lying with them in the warehouses, hired by the regional centres concerned.

Sources further said the regional centre in Jammu was among the top five centres of the country in terms of student enrolment for different programmes. The warehouse of the centre was facing the problem of excess stock after distributing the study material to the enrolled students.

When the centre was established in 1998 at Government SPMR Commerce College, the total enrolment of students was around 2,500, which has now increased up to 40,000. At that time too, there was centralised dispatch of study materials directly to the students through post. It was in July 2008 session, that the university had decided to decentralise the process and students received study material directly from the regional centre.

“After nine years, the university has again centralised the process of dispatching the study material. Though the students enrolled with the regional centre are receiving the study material through post, there were some cases wherein the study material dispatched to them was yet to be received. The learners who did not receive their study material have contacted the Jammu regional centre of IGNOU,” sources added.

Sources claimed that study material to around 2,000 learners enrolled for different programmes was also dispatched by the Jammu regional centre recently from its remaining stock. Pertinently, the material production and distribution division of IGNOU dispatches study material to students in two cycles i.e. in January and July in each academic year.

Dr Joginder Kumar Yadav, Regional Director, Jammu centre, told The Tribune: “Yes, the learners are receiving study material directly from the headquarters after the centralization.” “In case, the students are not getting the same, the regional centre will collect it on their behalf and send it further through post or ask them to collect if from the centre,” he added.

The Jammu centre has a network of 66 learning study centres, which includes 16 regular study centres, 22 programme study centres, 24 special study centres and four jail study centres.

‘Centralisation after 9 years’

"After nine years, the university has again centralised the process of dispatching the study material. Though the students enrolled with the regional centre are receiving the study material through post, there were some cases wherein the study material dispatched to them was yet to be received. The learners who did not receive their study material have contacted the Jammu regional centre of IGNOU." Sources

‘Process is on’

"Yes, the learners are receiving study material directly from the headquarters after the centralisation. In case, the students are not getting the same, the regional centre will collect it on their behalf and send it further through post or ask them to collect if from the centre." Dr Joginder Kumar Yadav, Regional director, Jammu centre