IGNOU’s free education for transgenders extended to coming session

To bring transgenders into the main stream of society, the Indira Gandhi National Open University has announced free education for them in the coming academic session.

The scheme was initially offered in July 2017. But seeing the positive response from the community, it was decided to extend it to the upcoming session. “We got commendable response from the community so we have decided to extend it to the January 2018 session as well,” said Dr Manorama Singh, regional director IGNOU.

Singh said the transgender community enrolling in various academic programmes of IGNOU in January 2018 session would be allotted IGNOU Study Centre at Avadh Girls’ PG College, Lucknow. The IGNOU Study Centre has been recently activated at this college to cater to women students of the city and adjoining area. Short-term professional programmes have been activated at the centre for students studying in the college, so that they may simultaneously enroll into these programmes to enhance their knowledge and employability.

Singh said in this context a request had been made to Zarine Viccajee, president, management of Avadh Girls’ PG College, Lucknow and she had given her consent to enrolling transgender IGNOU students at the Study Centre.

Dr Upma Chaturvedi, principal, Avadh Girls’ PG College, assured full support from the faculties to the transgender students during a meeting with Anshuman Upadhyaya and Amit Kumar Srivastava, assistant regional directors of IGNOU.

Anshuman Upadhyaya said that the IGNOU Study Centre established at Avadh Girls’ PG College had masters’ level programme in English, anthropology, philosophy and rural development, which could be pursued by women students. The IGNOU bridge course bachelor’s preparatory programme had also been activated at this centre. Those who had not completed any formal education could enroll into this six-months programme. The last date for admission to various programmes for January 2018 session is December 31, 2017.