Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) is about to establish teo more regional centres in the Saharsa and Deaoghar. With the approval of IGNOU Vice-Chancellor Prof. V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai, the University has decided to establish these two centres in Bihar and Jharkhand. According to the notification issued by U.S. Tolia, Registrar of the University, the Board of Management (BoM) at its 107th meeting held in April 2011 approved the proposal for the establishment of the Regional Centre at Saharsa, which shall cover the districts of Khagariya, Saharsa, Supaul, Madhepura, Katihar, Arariya, Kishanganj and Purnia. The districts to be covered under the Regional Centre of Jharkhand in Deoghar are Godda, Deoghar, Sahibganj, Pakur, Dumka, Jamtara, Dhanbad, Bakaro and Giridih. The Regional Centres are responsible for the promotion of the Open University system; development, maintenance and monitoring of Study Centres and Student Support Services; and organisation of staff development programmes in the region. They are established normally with cooperation and support of the respective state governments. The perspective of the University is to provide one Regional Centre for every state in the country. A Regional Centre has been defined under Section 2(J) of the IGNOU Act as under: Regional Centre means a Centre established or maintained by the University for the purpose of coordinating and supervising the work of the Study Centres in any region and for performing such other functions as may be conferred on such Centre by the BoM.
