NOU focuses on skills, rural development: VC

Patna: Nalanda Open University (NOU) is taking steps to revamp its academic structure to focus on employability and rural development, said NOU’s vice-chancellor Ravindra Kumar on Tuesday.

Inaugurating a three-day workshop on graduate employability at the university headquarters at Nalanda, the VC said the curriculum of undergraduate and postgraduate courses of the university have been so designed as to equip the youths with skills needed for the modern job market.


He further pointed out that under the central govt’s Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA), NOU has adopted five neighbouring villages to ensure their all-round socio-economic and cultural development, boosting a connection between the university and rural communities. The goal is to leverage the university’s expertise to address local challenges and promote sustainable growth in these adopted areas, he said.

The director of Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (Cemca), B Shadrach, said the courses must be so designed as to make the students employable. Mere degrees would not help our students, they must be imparted proper skill through rigorous training, he suggested.

Others who addressed the participants of the workshop included NOU registrar Abhay Kumar Singh, advisor Vidya M Aiyyar, Kiran Pandey, A N Pandey, Sajida Anjum and Pallavi.