Even as Indira Gandhi National Open University (Ignou) has grabbed the number one position in the debut open universities rankings of the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2024 released in August, students' demand for not receiving study material on time, delayed work assignments, and poor communications from the varsity side remain an unresolved issue. Ignou is a distance learning varsity that offers multiple certificate and degree courses at all levels. Aditya Bhargav from Delhi started pursuing an MA in History from Ignou in June 2020 and received books in April 2021. "Apart from delayed study material delivery, confusion regarding exam schedules, and difficulty in getting timely support are some other issues I faced. Even after registration, I didn’t receive any update from my regional centre regarding assignments, exams etc. I also did not get any confirmation about my admission. There was no communication when trying to reach out to them; either they don't pick up the call or just passed the buck on to another officer," he said. The demand for print study material is a pan-India issue. Many students living in challenging locations struggle to reach the regional centres, and poor internet connectivity adds up to the mess. A student from Ladakh, Nissa Mehrun is pursuing two courses from Ignou — a PG Diploma in Food and Nutrition and an MA in English. "I am based in Ladakh and my regional centre is in Kashmir, which is at least 400 km away. I could not think of travelling as an option for submitting assignments so I prefer posting it from my place. But to appear in the examination, I travel to Kashmir and live at my relative's house. Due to this distance issue, I do not get study materials on time. When you do English, a student has to read novels, the university first delayed the delivery of the course materials and then when they sent it, a novel was delivered to me four times," she said. When asked if she had returned the books, Mehrun denied and said, "Ignou has a slow process. If I had communicated with them, they would have taken a few more months just to come and take the books and then more months to deliver the rest of course materials, so I downloaded them online and took help from YouTube." Moreover, she is also vexed with the late communication by the university. "I completed my assignments before the deadline and through post sent them to the Kashmir centre in March. However, I got the confirmation of my assignments in September. For a few of my friends, it is still showing processing. With Ignou, things are slow," said Mehrun who is also doing a BEd from Kashmir University. She complained about the slow internet connectivity that is adding to her misery. Ignou’s Acting Vice-Chancellor Professor Uma Kanjilal admitted to a delay in the printing material. "We have 35 lakh students registered for all programmes across India and other foreign centres. So, it is a task to cater to such a large student base. Post-pandemic, we are facing a delay in the printing supply of study material. We have received complaints and are trying our best to deliver books and notes on time. We are encouraging students to switch to online mode and download the study material from Ignou’s website. We are giving a 15 per cent discount on the same and 30 per cent of learners are now opting for digital material," said Kanjilal. But isn't delay in delivery of study material a problem that many were facing before the pandemic? "If three blocks of study material are ready, we dispatch it to the student. As soon as the fourth or the last one is printed, we deliver it. The idea is that students' studies should not get hampered," she explained. Another student from Delhi, Iksha Tiwari, is pursuing a Master’s course in Journalism while simultaneously working in a company in the NCR. She is displeased with the poor coordination among the university officials. "In the first year, we had online classes and it went smoothly but in the second year, my centre was shifted from JIMS, Sector 3, Rohini to Tecnia Institute of Advanced Studies, Sector 14. Since then, no one from the new regional office answers the call and we have to visit the centre every time to gather even a small amount of information. The person concerned at the Ignou regional office is clueless. I am not aware whether they have created any official group but there are various student-led Ignou social media groups where information is circulated and they all complain about the callousness of the regional heads," she said. Students also rue late communication from Ignou’s end. Another student and Civil Services aspirant Nitesh Kumar is pursuing an MCom from the university and has taken the first-year examinations. However, due to the delay in registration and administrative issues, he skipped appearing for the second year. "I didn't receive any information on the various assignments that I have to work on, therefore, I have to skip my re-registration. Now, I will complete my second year after taking a year or term gap," he said, adding that he went to the regional centre for the submission of assignments and got no information. Meanwhile, the VC has promised that they are "further improving student support services through new technological interventions." Further, students have raised concerns about whether these courses make them job-ready. "The study materials they provide are enough to pass the exam but according to the job market trends, resource materials are not updated and I don’t think I will get jobs based on my Ignou degree from History," said Bhargav. Ignou conducts placement drives, however, that are either irregular or are held once a year at their Delhi campus. "Not everybody who joins Ignou seeks employment. Our students mostly want to upskill themselves. However, this is one area we need to focus on. We have to first create a map of what is in demand and accordingly spread it out to our regional centres to be able to reach more students. We might come up with a placement season as per the regional demand, a new website in this regard is in the pipeline," defends VC Kanjilal. Neeti Sharma, CEO of Team Lease, a recruitment and human resources services company said the selection of Ignou students in technology and engineering is moderate. “Although Ignou has partnered with many tech majors and about 70-80% of participating students find employment, with an average package ranging between Rs 3-4 lakh per annum (LPA), and Rs 15 LPA,” said Sharma. This is in contrast to traditional universities (like Delhi University) where the pay scale generally starts with average salaries ranging between Rs 4 LPA and Rs 7 LPA, depending on the specialisation and industry," she said, further adding that any open and distance learning degree programme needs to be complimented with hands-on learning to be able to provide a holistic learning experience to every student, thereby making them more employable.
