Latest news with #Ignou
Time of India
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
On death row, he battled from jail with RTI blitz before acquittal in 11/7 Mumbai train blasts case
New Delhi: Death row convict Ehtesham Qutubuddin Siddiqui in the 2006 Mumbai serial train blasts case battled from jail using a stream of RTI pleas and legal challenges before Delhi high court . Bombay high court overturned his conviction Monday, citing lack of evidence. But he had tried to build his defence long before the verdict came. Siddiqui routinely petitioned Delhi courts, contesting denials under RTI Act. His RTI applications and legal fights targeted confidential govt documents and intelligence dossiers, in a campaign he claimed was critical to proving procedural lapses in his prosecution. In 2020, Siddiqui moved Delhi HC through advocate Arpit Bhargava, questioning the timing of Maharashtra govt's sanction for his prosecution. The sanction was granted in Jan 2007, while the official notification came only in June. He sought through RTI all proposal documents and file noting from Union home ministry to show the approval was "wrongly granted". You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai The following year, he pursued access to a 2009 IB report allegedly recommending a relook at the evidence in the blasts case. While IB told central information commission no such report existed, Siddiqui challenged CIC's order in HC, accusing it of "blindly" trusting the agency's claim. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Could Be the Best Time to Trade Gold in 5 Years IC Markets Learn More Undo HC asked IB to clarify whether any such report was ever prepared and shared with the home ministry. Ultimately, the court upheld CIC's decision, stressing that intelligence documents related to terrorism were exempt under RTI Act. It cited national security and sovereignty as overriding concerns. Siddiqui didn't stop. He filed RTIs for "background notes" and reports from Centre and states, including Gujarat, Delhi, and Andhra Pradesh, concerning the 2008 ban on Indian Mujahideen — the group allegedly behind the bombings. When denied, he again challenged CIC's ruling. Delhi HC sided with CIC and said disclosing such sensitive records would endanger public safety and national interests. "The information sought… would have a bearing on the sovereignty and security of the country," the bench ruled. In 2019, Siddiqui turned to HC once more, saying he retained the right to access free education as a prisoner. He cited several Ignou courses completed from Nagpur central jail, and sought more books and study material under RTI. HC agreed, directing the jail superintendent to provide the requested books either physically or in soft copy.
Time of India
17-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Ignou extends last date for July 2025 session admission
Thiruvananthapuram: Indira Gandhi National Open University (Ignou) extended the last date for submitting applications for July 2025 session for fresh admission and re-registration (open and distance learning and online) for all programmes to July 31. The application for admission/re-registration is to be submitted online through or Ignou offers master's and bachelor's degree programmes in various subjects, including MSc Physics, chemistry, MBA, rural development, computer applications, tourism studies, English, Hindi, philosophy, Gandhi and peace studies, education and public administration, among others. The university is also offering post graduate diploma, diploma and certificate programmes on a wide range of subjects. Those who registered online for July 2025 admission through Ignou online admission system are advised to log in with their username and password, verify the status of their application and remove discrepancies (if any) at the earliest to confirm the admission. For further details, contact ignou Regional Centre Campus, Muttathara, Vallakadavu PO, Thiruvananthapuram 695008, or contact 0471-2344113/9447044132, rctrivandrum@
Time of India
10-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Ignou opens admission for July 2025 session, enhances student support
1 2 3 Pune: Indira Gandhi National Open University (Ignou) has started the admission for the 2025 session. The institute's Pune centre is now operational from its own building, which has been constructed in Balewadi recently. The three-story building is designed to provide support services to students. Admissions are open for certificate, diploma, undergraduate, postgraduate, postgraduate certificate, and diploma programmes. You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune Learners interested in seeking admission to Ignou programmes may visit the website: for more information. Students can download a copy of the common prospectus free of cost. The last date to seek admission for the July 2025 session is July 15. The institute offers admission to various programmes at a lower fee and does not have any age limit for students. Ignou has also established a Swayamprabha studio where teaching-learning sessions for undergraduate programmes will be held in Marathi. A local learner support centre has been established on the premises of the regional centre to provide better support to students living in the district. "Ignou integrates technology with education through various initiatives, ensuring quality education is both accessible and affordable. With 325 programmes, including four-year undergraduate programmes (FYUP) and skill-based courses, the university continues to align with the National Education Policy, 2020, to meet emerging educational and professional needs," said N R Rajendra Prasad, regional director of Ignou, Pune. Candidates who wish to seek admission to Ignou programmes should write to rcpune@ or call 020-29911579 to clear their doubts.
Time of India
15-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Goa college students can now pursue 2nd degree at Ignou
Panaji: Students in Goa will now be able to pursue dual degrees by enrolling in open and distance graduate programmes of Indira Gandhi National Open University (Ignou) while pursuing their full-time degree programmes in one of the state colleges. With Ignou fully implementing the recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP) and the University Grants Commission allowing students to take up dual degrees, students now have 170 Ignou programmes to choose from to upgrade their qualifications simultaneously. 'Students can pursue a degree with us parallel to their full-time graduate programme. They will have the edge of two degrees by the time they are out of college,' said G Shrinivas, the regional director of the Ignou centre in Goa. 'It is also not necessary that they choose a programme with us which is complementary to their course,' Shrinivas said. 'For instance, if they are pursuing hotel management, it is not necessary that they take up the tourism degree. They can opt for an entirely different course of their interest.' Students can also take up short-term certificate and diploma programmes. 'We have also implemented multiple entry and exit points, which means that if a student has joined our MBA programme and wants to exit after five papers, he or she will be issued a diploma,' Shrinivas said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Thị trường có dấu hiệu suy thoái không? IC Markets Đăng ký Undo He added, 'If the student answers five more papers, he or she will be eligible for the postgraduate diploma. Ignou also now allows students to receive 40% of the credits with us and 60% with any other university to earn their degree. This system offers students a lot more flexibility.' If a student has done any programme with another university, he or she will be allowed to transfer those credits through the external credit transfer system under the NEP to complete a degree with Ignou. 'This year, we have introduced new programmes like MSc environment, MSc geography, MA psychology, and MSc physics. Earlier, students from Goa would go outside the state to pursue the psychology programme,' Shrinivas said. He added, 'We received a good response with 64 admissions on the programme launch in Jan. Our second cycle of admissions will begin now. We are also adding two more study centres at Quepem and Harmal. We already have six centres and two specialised centres in Margao, Pilar, Miramar, Khandola, Porvorim, Pernem, Campal, and Farmagudi.'
Time of India
15-06-2025
- Time of India
Agents defraud students in Goa with invalid degrees, high fees
Panaji: Anita Rodrigues (name changed) found herself breaking down, a few years ago, after visiting the Indira Gandhi National Open University (Ignou) regional centre in Porvorim and learning that her multiple postgraduate degrees earned through 'correspondence' and 'external' means by paying thousands of rupees were invalid. The Ignou centre receives multiple queries from police every year to verify certificates, which are invariably found to be fake. The certificates are sometimes issued at a price by scamsters to students who are fully aware it is fake, but, in a majority of the cases, the fraudulent certificates are issued by 'agents' who pose as authorised centres to issue 'correspondence' or 'external' degrees. 'Students should know that the word 'correspondence' and 'external' are long outdated. There is no such concept now. There are some who pose as centres and present students a list of universities from where they can issue a degree. Students should become suspicious if someone, for instance, says they can issue a degree from Sikkim or Jammu university. If Goa University cannot issue a degree to a student sitting in Sikkim or Jammu, how can it work the other way around,' said Ignou centre regional director G Shrinivas. He said that only a university like Goa University established by an Act in the assembly and Ignou established by an Act in the Parliament can issue degrees. 'Unless you are sent to that university to answer an exam in Sikkim or Jammu, for example, they cannot issue you a degree. Many come to us to do their masters degree and when they learn from us that their graduation degree is fake, they are in shock. 'Agents' also tell students they can answer all three years' exams for degree programme at one go. This concept of permitting answering of exams for all years at a time was stopped by University Grants Commission in 1989,' said Shrinivas. Rodrigues had to spend years answering doing her postgraduate programme again through Ignou, affecting her career growth. She learnt how she was scammed only after approaching Ignou to pursue her doctorate. 'Now, it is not correspondence or external, there is only open and distance education in force. Many universities like Shivaji, Annamalai, etc were offering programmes in correspondence and external mode in other states earlier. But in the 2000s, the UGC put a stop to this and said universities do not have jurisdiction outside their states. In the meantime, Rodrigues has been able to complete here postgraduate as well as doctorate programmes through Ignou. However, 'agents' have been found continuing to scam students openly operating offices across Goa, promising 'external' degrees. 'Some of them offer students admissions to Ignou programmes using our website itself. Then they charge the students a fee of Rs 25,000 for a graduate programme on offer at Rs 5,000 fee at Ignou. They charge fee for every assignment, project or dissertation submission, which is actually free of cost. The 'agent' then drops off the assignment for free at Ignou centres. Students often realise after they have lost thousands of rupees and many precious years,' said Shrinivas.
