Tribals take to IGNOU courses

GUMLA: Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has become a huge hit with over 557 students, mostly women, enrolling into various courses at Gumla Study Centre here for the new session.
On Sunday, hundreds of students hailing from bordering Jashpur in Chhattisgarh and Simdega district and Gumla also attended the annual IGNOU maiden meet at KO College before the session begins.
As a counsellor Prof Sudama Singh, head of department of political science in KO College threw light on the importance of IGNOU degrees and asked them to prepare assignments instead of buying the same from the market.
Shiva Kumar GN, assistant regional director with IGNOU Ranchi said the courses are prepared in a way that one can learn them wherever he or she is -at home or anywhere, their duration and all other aspects. "IGNOU has become popular among all especially among those who are unable to go to the big cities for higher academic pursuits," said Gumla study centre coordinator Prof N K Keshri."We can't move to Ranchi for our postgraduate courses due to our poor financial state. So we have taken admission here," said Shila Kumari and Sumati Oraon of a village from Sisai block.
The centre's assistant Alok Kumar and other staff arranged distribution of I-Card and other papers among many students in the meet.