IGNOU BCom, BA in Odia; varsity discusses proposal with Odisha govt

The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) is exploring options to expand its range of courses available in the Odia language. The IGNOU Vice-Chancellor, Professor Uma Kanjilal, on Wednesday approached Odisha Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj with a proposal to introduce various courses in Odia.

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Key matters discussed in the meeting

During today's meeting, Professor Kanjilal revealed plans to make courses such as Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com) accessible in the Odia language, adding to the recently launched Master of Business Administration (MBA) courses in the language.

The meeting was also attended by Director of Higher Education Kali Prasanna Mahapatra and several academicians from IGNOU.

Worth mentioning, IGNOU’s MBA study materials in the Odia language were previously unveiled at a ceremonial event in Bhubaneswar on January 22 this year, bringing it in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Further, the initiative is part of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE’s) e-Kumbh project, which stands for ‘Knowledge Unleashed in Multiple Bharatiya Languages’. Under this initiative, AICTE aims to translate course programs and technical books into multiple Indian languages, including Odia, to make education more accessible.

Partnership between AICTE and IGNOU for promoting education in the regional languages further advances a key aspect of the NEP that aims to advance professional education through linguistic diversification.

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The launch of IGNOU study materials in the Odia language came after the Government earlier announced its plans to implement NEP 2020 from the academic year 2025-26.