Ignou inks pact to promote indigenous knowledge

Updated on: Wednesday, July 13, 2011

The Indira Gandhi National Open University (Ignou) on Tuesday inked a pact with NGO Shuri Foundation to promote the country's indigenous knowledge and traditions.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two aims to develop certificate, diploma, degree and skill training progammes in the subjects of traditional knowledge systems, leadership and management, self-management, psychology and consciousness studies, faculty training and women's empowerment.

"It is through the distance learning mode that knowledge about our cultural resources like philosophy, sufism, yoga, ayurveda, architecture, grammar, natyashastra etc can be invigorated," said Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) president Karan Singh, who was present on the occasion.

"In this changing world where old structures are collapsing and new are being born, awareness about our own indigenous systems like patanjali, unani, etc. needs to be invoked. We alone are able to combine the east with the west," he added.

According to Ignou vice-chancellor VN Rajasekharan Pillai, such programmes are common all over the world but it is a new concept in India.

"Certification is the requirement of all developing countries and we aim to reach the unreached," he said.

"Ignou and Shruti foundation will jointly organize workshops and courses to safeguard and promote "guru-shishya parampara (teacher-student tradition)" in various fields," said a varsity official.

Times of India

Ignou inks pact to promote indigenous knowledge

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