1. Documents
RSD has documented the Standard Operating Procedures followed at the RCs and LSCs. In this context, the following two documents have been published:
i. Manual for Regional Centres: Operations and Orientation, 2018
ii. Manual for Learner Support Centres, 2018
iii. Student Support Services: A Kaleidoscopic View

2. Opening LSC in Prisons
IGNOU’s drive for promoting inclusive education is strengthened by providing educational opportunities to jail inmates in the district and central jails located across the country. The University opened Learner Support Centres in jails beginning with the Central Jails i.e., Tihar Jail, New Delhi in 1994 and Sabarmati Jail Ahmedabad in 1995. As a specific intervention, the University announced its ‘Free Education for Prisoners’ initiative in the 2010 academic session and waived off fees for all jail inmates across the country who aspired to pursue the University’s programmes.
As on date there are, 177 IGNOU Special Centres in Jails across India.The Regional Centres undertake the responsibility of facilitating learning in Jail Centres.

3. Educational Development In Collaboration With Central/State Governments
IGNOU has made sustained efforts for reaching out to the marginalized segments through its target area approach by taking special initiatives in the underdeveloped, difficult, and remote and minority dominated states such as, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, etc.
The following initiatives were undertaken in collaboration with respective state Governments:
• Training of Untrained Teachers in Jammu & Kashmir through IGNOU-SSA Initiative
IGNOU and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Govt. of J&K entered into a MoC for training of around 20,000 untrained teachers of J&K State offering them B.Ed. programme under the Regional Centre Jammu. IGNOU-SSA B.Ed. The Govt. Of Jammu and Kashmir has entrusted the job of training all the untrained teachers of the entire State by enrolling them in the B.Ed. programme as per the laid down procedures and eligibility criteria.
As on 31st July 2019 the status under the Project is:
? Number of Learners enrolled by the RCs Jammu and Srinagar is: 19909
? Number of LSCs opened by the RCs Jammu and Srinagar is: 119

• BPCCHN Programme (Certificate In Community Health For Nurses)
IGNOU has developed the Certificate in Community Health for Nurses programme in collaboration with Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. The programme aims at improving the knowledge, skills and competencies of in service registered nurses (RNRM) to enable them to serve as competent human resource essential for strengthening the primary health care services at peripheral level. The development of this programme has been undertaken with the involvement of nursing experts, medical experts, social scientists and educationists from various related disciplines.

4. Educational Development of the North East Region
IGNOU facilitates expansion of educational development in North East Region (NER) by providing opportunities of higher education, training, skill development and other initiatives through Educational Development of the North East Region Unit (EDNERU). The unit was initially established under the North-East Project (NEP) in the year 2000, by MHRD with a grant of Rs 8 crores, under the Prime Minister’s non-lapsable funds. NEP was envisioned to enhance access and equalize educational opportunities in the NER since then EDNERU has made significant contribution for educational development through its network of 9 Regional Centres(RC) and 170 functional LSCs across 8 states in the NER. EDNERU caters to the needs of nearly 69965 students (Jan and July 2018) in all the 9 RCs.

To give focused attention to the development of the North-East Region, a ‘North-East Council for IGNOU Regional Centres(NECIRC) has been created. NECIRC has been mandated to evolve strategies for overall educational development of the North-East Region. A Nodal Office for NECIRC has been created at RC Shillong and the Regional Director of RC Shillong would coordinate operations of the NECIRC for the first two years as Convener. The first meeting was held on 5th February 2017 at RC Guwahati and the second meeting of the NECIRC was held on 5thAugust 2017 at RC Shillong and some strategies were suggested for the overall development of the North East Region.

5.Swachha Bharat Abhiyan

The Government of India launched the Swachha Bharat Abhiyan as a national movement on October 2nd, 2014. Through its network of 56 Regional Centres and nearly 2000 Learner Support Centres spread across all states of country, IGNOU has undertaken various activities under the Swachha Bharat Abhiyan since its inception. A number of activities were also organized at IGNOU main campus located in New Delhi. The RCs performed various activities as a part of mission ranging from sensitization of the RC staff and villagers through awareness meetings at RCs and LSCs, Swachhta Rallies, Swachhta Pledge, Cleaning of the office and surroundings, Plantation activity, cleanliness drives, Poster making and Slogan writing competitions on Swachhta and other such activities.
Swachh Bharat Summer lntemships-2018
In pursuance of the objectives of the Swachh Bharat Mission the Government simultaneously launched the Swachh Bharat Summer lntemships-2018 aiming at enrolling the students for promoting ‘swachhta’ or cleanliness in the villages. This internship was jointly launched by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) in association with the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation and is named 'Swachh Bharat Summer Internship - 100 Hours of Swachhata'. Under this scheme the students were invited to select a village of their choice, and devote at least 100 hours of work with the village community for building a lasting system for improving the overall sanitation and hygiene in the village.
The Regional Centres very proactively, conducted awareness meeting with students to sensitize them about the internship programme. 278 IGNOU students registered under Swachh Bharat Summer Internship Programme. Subsequently under the guidance of the academics of Regional Centres they performed voluntary work covering various aspects of the internship as follows:
1. Information-Education-Communication activities like increasing the awareness of people about sanitation related issues that triggers a change in sanitation related behavior, behavior around open defecation, hygiene practices; solid/ liquid waste management etc.
2. Organized sensitization campaigns on better sanitation practices like using a toilet, hand washing, health and hygiene awareness, Nukkad Nataks, song and dance performances on Swachhta, Door to door meetings towards behaviour change with respect to sanitation, Village / School-level Rallies to generate awareness about sanitation.
3. Waste collection drives in households like segregation of solid waste into non-biodegradable and biodegradable waste
4. Mobilized community and panchayat to build compost pits, interacted with Panchayats draw up plans for installation of biogas plants
5. Cleaning of streets, drains and back alleys through awareness drives etc.
Out of 278 volunteers enrolled, 22 interns had successfully completed the Swachh Bharat Summer Internship. The activities carried out by the students can be accessed on the Swachh Bharat Summer Internship website: sbsi.mygov.in
Swachh Campus Ranking Award- 2018
Indira Gandhi National Open University has been awarded Fifth rank in Swachh Campus Ranking 2018 of Higher Educational Institutions under University (Non-Residential) category by Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Government of India
Besides this, university was also awarded with Swachh Campus Ranking 2018 for maintaining, promoting and encouraging culture of Swachhta in Higher Educational Institutions in the Country.

6. Unnat Bharat Abhiyan

The MHRD, Government of India (GOI) has launched the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan(UBA) for upliftment of the rural population through its Village Adoption Scheme. The programme aims to connect the professional organizations and higher education institutions with the villages through their programmesfor creation of ‘sustainable village clusters’ as envisioned in the idea of Mahatma Gandhi’s Gram Swaraj. In tune with the mission of selecting suitable rural clusters for holistic development through technology and resource inputs, IGNOU has effectively taken up the taskand opportunity for rural upliftment by adopting villages across the country through its network of Regional Centres. The Regional Centres undertake activities on the following themes: Organic farming, Waste management, Renewable energy, Artisans, industries and livelihood and basic amenties, which create awareness and provide access to avenues of higher learning and skill enhancement through IGNOU. The Regional Services Division of the University coordinates with the National Coordinating Institute, IIT Delhi, and oversees the activities done at the Regional Centres under the programme.