Evolving A model for IGNOU's strategic interventions in remote and rural areas of Bihar

The academic programmes of IGNOU have received enthusiastic response in the state of Bihar. This is one of those rare states where IGNOU has opened four Regional Centers focused to meet the peculiar requirements of the people. The Government of Bihar has also developed a policy inclination in favor of the Open and Distance Learning Systems with ambitious collaborative ventures launched with the IGNOU. The author of this paper has been working as Regional Director of IGNOU Regional Centre Bhagalpur since its establishment. This small Regional Centre comprising of three most backward districts of Bihar has been in operation since May 2011.The paper deals with the peculiar requirements of the Region and advocates for paradigm shifts in the existing service delivery approaches to serve this region more effectively. The discussions are based on the SWOT analysis of ODL systems for this Region mostly inhabitated by rural and tribal communities spread over a sparsely distributed set up and connected by poor transport and communication network. It has been highlighted that the ODL systems are the only viable option to serve these communities but certain paradigm shifts are required to serve the people in a better way.

Two major paradigm shifts proposed in the paper are the Need for Mobile Study Centre Operations and Need for Community Involvement for sensitization operations in rural and tribal areas have been described. The paper also gives preliminary results of a Pilot Project launched by the Regional Centre in Banka District with the objective to explore possibilities of involving Village Panchyats in sensitization Programmes of IGNOU. It highlights the unique and innovative concept of Panchayat Level Facilitators (PLFs) which has immense potential to sensitize the communities in this area.