IGNOU inks Memorandum of Collaboration with Handlooms, Textile and Handicrafts Department of Odisha

IGNOU has signed a Memorandum of Collaboration with HT&H Department, Govt of Odisha to cooperate and support in delivery of higher education to the artisans and their family members from the centers under HT&H Department in the state so as to generate skilled human resources for overall state growth. Handicraft and Cottage Industries, Shri Basant Kumar Dash, Director and the Registrar (Admin), Shri V.B. Negi from IGNOU signed the MoC.

Giving details and contours of the agreement, Dr. Pankaj Khare, Director, Planning and Development Division said, “IGNOU and HT&H Department will jointly develop and devise programmes and projects of mutual interest, implementation strategies and time-bound action plans for effective impact to meet the desired objectives and goals. The MoC facilitates priorities of HT&H Department with capacities available at IGNOU to offer degree, certificate and diploma programmes at the Graduate and Post Graduate levels, particularly in areas of Vocational, Tourism, Arts & Culture and Agriculture in the institutes under control of HT&H Department in Odisha. IGNOU with its pan India presence and large target groups of learners will also help HT&H Department reach prospective learners in identified cluster areas.”

Shri Basant Kumar Dash, Director, Handicraft and Cottage Industries, on signing of the MoC said that this would pave the way for more such collaborations between Government of Odisha and IGNOU. He further said that the MoC leverages each others’ strengths and that HT&H Department and IGNOU would jointly organize training and orientation workshops for weavers, artisans and their family members in devising promotion of handloom and handicraft exports, marketing, and related strategies for rural artisans in various districts of Odisha with a focus on self-employment opportunities.

Prof. Nageshwar Rao, VC while complimenting both the parties said that this would help build capacity for skill and training centers in hand-loom, sericulture and handicrafts sectors for provision of higher education avenues to the artisans, their family members, tribal/BPL families and others. He added that it is heartening to know that this would help in opportunities of self-employment and skilling the youth of the country. He said that when this was brought forward to him he readily agreed to join hands with Odisha Government for dissemination of Higher Education in unreached areas.

The MoC was signed in witness of PVCs of IGNOU and Directors of other schools viz., School of Vocational Education and Training (SOVET), School of performing and visual Arts (SOPVA), School of Tourism and Hospitality Service Management (SOTHSM), School of Continuing Education (SOCE) who were also present to discuss the possible synergies with HT&H Department for development of more skill based programmes.
Rajesh Sharma