By IANS,
New Delhi : The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) will open a college in a remote Nagaland village to impart life skills to people and train villagers in the region as teachers.
“The university has started work for setting up a Centre of Community Education and skills training in the Chuchuiymlang village of Mokokchung district, Nagaland under the Community College Scheme,” a spokesman of the university said Friday.
Required land for the proposed centre, also envisioned as an IGNOU Centre of Excellence, has been allotted to the varsity free of cost by the villagers.
The IGNOU Centre of Excellence will begin with social work programmes, such as Master in Social Work (MSW), to ensure steady grooming of social workers for Indian communities.
Other vocational education and training programmes will be started gradually.
Varsity officials said the decision to set up the proposed college in the village was part of the university’s Silver Jubilee Year development activities aimed at spreading real-life education.
“Such education will empower people and ensure them better livelihood. The Centre will start academic programmes in areas of social work, agricultural extension and development work, vocational training, teachers’ training, preservation of indigenous arts and crafts, tribal studies and other north-eastern affairs,” the spokesman said.
The community college will also have a Cultural Resource Centre for Naga Arts and Crafts. This will house a museum and training centre in arts and crafts.