New Delhi: Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) will establish a National ODL Centre for Local Governance to conduct research on the local self-government institutions’ problems and issues. It will implement appropriate multi-mode educational and training courses for the members of local self-help institutions.
According to the officials, the multi-media packages for Panchayats’ elected members, which are prepared under UNDP sponsored projects, could be transferred to the National ODL Centre. It will offer a non-credit certificate course to the Sarpanchs of Panchayats in English and Hindi (later in other languages too). Moreover, Centre could also conduct other programmes like Diploma in Panchayat Level Development and Administration and Masters Degree Programme, in the near future.
Furthermore, the National ODL Centre is also going to take benefits from various activities, which would be created from projects like Panchayati Raj Projects and capacity building of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PSIs) through multi-mode training interventions. The Centre will also create similar institutions in India and other countries and work as an information mediator.
The National ODL Centre for Local Governance aims to make elected members of Panchayats, local bodies and other development functionaries in India more powerful through conducting adequate and appropriate educational and training courses. The centre will also help in meeting the challenges of spreading the silent revolution, which was expected to be brought through the 73rd and 74th amendments of the constitution, by developing more clear modes of planning for an appropriate educational and training intervention.
