The bulk of the Indira Gandhi National Open University's (IGNOUs) expansion has come about from internal accruals, notably the modest tuition fee that the University charges its students. This has been possible because its student enrolment has doubled in the past four years from about 1.5 million to over three million, prompting the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to declare it the largest, most diverse and inclusive institution of higher learning in the world in 2010. This is in contrast to the general trend for higher educational institutions in India, which continue to depend heavily on grant income even for operational expenditure, not to mention new growth initiatives. The four-year period of the 11th Plan, beginning 2006-07 has witnessed impressive growth, consolidation and progress in the Education and Social Sector activities of the university. It has been one of impressive growth and progress years for IGNOU
