IGNOU to offer certificate courses to health workers of 10 Odisha districts

Bhubaneswar: With an aim to improve skills of accredited social health activist (ASHA) workers, the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) will provide certificate courses to them in 10 districts of Odisha. The university has signed an agreement with the National Health Mission (NHM), Odisha to provide the courses on food, nutrition and guidance to the health workers.

Regional officer of IGNOU, Manoj Kumar Dash said the university will train 6,032 ASHA workers in the State with two certificate courses. "They will be offered the Certificate in Food Nutrition and Certificate in Guidance courses. The ASHA workers will have to opt for one course," said Dash.

Also, the IGNOU will provide different courses to inmates of 14 jails of the State this year. "The varsity will impart different courses to inmates of 10 new jails. A coordination committee has been formed in this regard. Last year we provided education to inmates of four jails," added Dash.

In another decision, the varsity said transgenders will have to pay course fee from this year to get admission at IGNOU. Earlier, they were exempted from any fee to get education at the university.