Gangtok,17 October :A workshop on making regional text course by IGNOU regional centers, ‘Learning material development of Indira Gandhi National University’ was held at IGNOU regional centre here in collaboration with Staff Training and Research Institute of Distance Education (STRIDE) and the North East Project, IGNOU, New Delhi. The programme was chaired by Mr. Santosh Panda, Director of STRIDE. Mr. G.M.Gurung, minister for Human Resource Development, was chief guest and Mr. K.P.Adhikari, secretary, HRD, was guest of honor.Participants in the programme were a number of scholars and senior faculties of IGNOU’s regional directors of North East states, senior faculties from the Distance educational institutes, Directors from the North East Universities, including senior faculties from North eastern regional institution of science and technology.Mr. Gurung in his address said IGNOU is doing exemplary work by imparting education to those drop out students who despite their enthusiasm for learning were deprived from regular education. “Education is for life and not for livelihood and IGNOU is trying to make the students self-reliant by cutting across the traditional education”, Mr.Gurung said. He welcomed IGNOU in the state and said, the government is currently conducting skill development workshop across the state and IGNOU can extend its cooperation for the programme. Dr. Jayshree Kurup, Director, IGNOU, New Delhi, spoke of the objective of IGNOU. The regional center should endeavour to create new regional courses based on the regional issues, she observed.
