Over 25K inmates benefit from IGNOU study centres
22 May 2014 4:44 AM IST
Educational centres across jails in the national capital, set up by the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), have proven to be a boon for prison inmates.
Over 25,000 prisoners have so far benefited from 94 special study centres set up by IGNOU in various jails across India. These study centres help fulfill the inmates educational requirements.
‘IGNOU is perhaps the only university in the world, which has such an extensive education and training programme for jail inmates’, said an official from the university.
The university also provides education to inmates free of cost under its ‘Free Education for Prisoners’ programme which was initiated by it in the 2010 academic session. Under this programme, fees are waived for all jail inmates in India who wish to pursue any course from IGNOU.
The move has encouraged thousands of prisoners to take up studies during their sentence in order to improve their quality of life post release. Making it convenient for the inmates, it even held the examination within jail premises.
For holding December-2013 term end examinations of the university, 64 exam centres were established in jails for inmates.
The University also facilitated a placement programme for several outgoing inmates. The first ever placement drive for prison inmates in the country was held at Tihar Jail in Delhi in which one Raju, a graduate in Social Work from IGNOU bagged the highest package with Taj Group as an assistant business development manager.
IGNOU started its centres in jails way back in 1994 with one centre at Tihar Jail that initially saw nominal enrolment. Today IGNOU has 94 study centres across the country, of which 34 were added during 2012-2013.
Over 25,000 prisoners have so far benefited from 94 special study centres set up by IGNOU in various jails across India. These study centres help fulfill the inmates educational requirements.
‘IGNOU is perhaps the only university in the world, which has such an extensive education and training programme for jail inmates’, said an official from the university.
The university also provides education to inmates free of cost under its ‘Free Education for Prisoners’ programme which was initiated by it in the 2010 academic session. Under this programme, fees are waived for all jail inmates in India who wish to pursue any course from IGNOU.
The move has encouraged thousands of prisoners to take up studies during their sentence in order to improve their quality of life post release. Making it convenient for the inmates, it even held the examination within jail premises.
For holding December-2013 term end examinations of the university, 64 exam centres were established in jails for inmates.
The University also facilitated a placement programme for several outgoing inmates. The first ever placement drive for prison inmates in the country was held at Tihar Jail in Delhi in which one Raju, a graduate in Social Work from IGNOU bagged the highest package with Taj Group as an assistant business development manager.
IGNOU started its centres in jails way back in 1994 with one centre at Tihar Jail that initially saw nominal enrolment. Today IGNOU has 94 study centres across the country, of which 34 were added during 2012-2013.
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