Prof Uma Kanjilal Appointed First Woman VC of IGNOU

SRINAGAR: Professor Uma Kanjilal has been appointed as the new Vice Chancellor of the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), becoming the first woman to hold the post since the university’s establishment.

According to an official announcement, Prof Kanjilal had been serving as Acting Vice Chancellor since 25 July 2024. Her formal appointment marks a significant milestone in the history of IGNOU, which is the world’s largest open university.

Bringing with her over 36 years of experience in the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) system, Prof Kanjilal has held several senior academic and administrative positions at IGNOU. She served as Pro Vice Chancellor and directed multiple academic and digital learning centres at the university. A Professor of Library and Information Science since 2003, she is well-regarded for her expertise in e-learning, digital libraries, and multimedia courseware.

At the national level, she currently leads the Ministry of Education’s digital education platforms SWAYAM and SWAYAM PRABHA as National Coordinator. Her international experience includes a Fulbright Fellowship in the United States and consultancy roles with the Commonwealth of Learning and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

Prof Kanjilal’s appointment is expected to boost IGNOU’s ongoing digital transformation and further the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Her leadership comes at a crucial juncture as IGNOU plays a key role in advancing the government’s Viksit Bharat@2047 vision, aimed at delivering inclusive and technology-enabled education across the country.