New Delhi, Jul 2 (PTI) The principles enshrined in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, including flexibility, multidisciplinary education and lifelong learning, have been integral to the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) since its inception under its founding vice chancellor Prof G Ram Reddy, educationists said at a memorial lecture on Thursday.
The observations were made during the 31st Prof G Ram Reddy Memorial Lecture organised at IGNOU’s Baba Saheb Ambedkar Convention Centre.
Delivering the memorial lecture on the theme “Teacher Education Initiatives of IGNOU and Transformative Changes in the Indian Education Scenario”, Mohandas B Menon, chairperson of Disha Global Trust and former deputy vice chancellor of Wawasan Open University, Malaysia, said several concepts now emphasised under NEP 2020 had formed the cornerstone of IGNOU’s academic philosophy from its earliest years.
Recalling his association with Prof Reddy, Menon said the founding vice chancellor had encouraged innovation by granting autonomy to young academics, enabling the university to democratise higher education through the open and distance learning model.
He said IGNOU’s School of Education had pioneered teacher education programmes that blended theory with activity-based learning and significantly strengthened elementary teacher education across the country through distance education.
Menon also said the reforms envisaged under NEP 2020 present fresh opportunities for innovation in teacher education and added that IGNOU is well-positioned to serve as a “national laboratory” for implementing the policy because of its experience in flexible, multidisciplinary and technology-enabled education.
National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) Chairperson Pankaj Arora, who attended the event as the chief guest, described Reddy as a visionary institution builder whose ideas continue to shape India’s higher education landscape.
Arora said open and distance learning would play a crucial role in helping India achieve the target of a 50 per cent Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education by 2035 by expanding access to learners unable to pursue conventional education.
He stressed the need to redesign teacher education to align with emerging technologies and future pedagogies, advocating continuous mentoring for teachers and the ethical integration of artificial intelligence into education.
“Open education does not lower academic standards; it lowers barriers to education,” he said.
IGNOU Vice Chancellor Uma Kanjilal, who presided over the programme, said the university’s diverse learner base reflected its commitment to equity, inclusion and lifelong learning.
She said the objectives of NEP 2020 reaffirmed the educational philosophy championed by Prof Reddy and highlighted IGNOU’s initiatives to develop AI-enabled virtual learning environments.
Kanjilal also recalled Reddy’s contribution to strengthening open universities beyond India, including his role in the development of open learning institutions in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
The memorial lecture was followed by a panel discussion on “Teacher Education for the 21st Century: Innovation, Inclusion and Building Teacher Competency”, featuring educationists from universities and higher education institutions across the country.
Instituted in memory of IGNOU’s founding vice chancellor, the annual Prof G Ram Reddy Memorial Lecture brings together scholars, policy-makers and educationists to deliberate on key issues in higher education and open learning. PTI AHD AHD KSS KSS
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