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ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY |
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Education is a backbone of a society. In common parlance
education is any act or experience that has a formative effect on the mind,
character or physical ability of an individual. In continuing with the aim of
building a knowledge based society Krishna Kanta Handique State Open
University was established to provide quality higher education through open
and distance learning to reach the unreached of the society.
KKHSOU, established under the provision of the KKHSOU, Act’
2005 enacted by the Govt. of Assam & published in the Assam Gazette
(extraordinary) dt 29/9/05 has been recognized by the Distance Education
Council, New Delhi vide letter no. DEC/Misc/07/5957 dated 03/10/07. The
University Grants Commission vide its letter No. F.9-13/2008(CPP-I) dated
18th March, 2009 also has empowered the University to award degrees under
Section 22 of UGC Act, 1956. It is the fourteenth of its kind along with
IGNOU and the only state Open University in the whole of NE India. The
university is recognized by the University Grants Commission and Distance
Education Council, Govt. of India. The headquarters of the University is
located at Housefed Complex, Last Gate, Dispur, Guwahati. The university
started functioning with the joining of Prof. Srinath Baruah, former Professor,
Deptt. of Economics, Gauhati University, as the Vice-Chancellor.
The main aim of the university to develop and provide easily
accessible modes of quality higher education and training with the use of
latest educational inputs and technology. Because of the inherent flexibility
in terms of pace and place of learning, methods of evaluation etc., The
university holds the promise of providing equality of opportunities for
higher education and bringing into its fold the deprived and denied sections
along with the fresh learners.
The very purpose of the University is to promote education to
reach the unreached through the Open and Distance Learning System and the
motto of the University is ‘Education Beyond Barriers’ of age, academic
background and geographical boundaries.
The course structures of the university have been designed at
par with the national curriculum. Along with the traditional programmes the
University offers various professional Certificate and Diploma programmes to
enable the already enrolled students in various colleges and educational
institutions of the state to pursue add-on studies simultaneously with their
regular courses. The programmes of the University are so designed that it can
spread education to all the learners of the region.
The University has been offering several academic programmes.
At present the university is offering around forty academic programmes in
humanities, Science, Social sciences and professional areas, such as – Ph.
D., Masters, bachelors’ degree, diploma and certificate programme.
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph. D.) is offered in humanities, social
sciences and professional
courses.
Master of Philosophy (M. Phil.) is planned to be launched in selected subjects from the next academic session. This programme will be disciplines in professional along with some selected Social Sciences and Humanities subjects under Semester System.
The university offering Master’s Degree Programmes in Mass
Communication , Business Administration and Computer Application from this
academic session. Master's programme in Humanities, Social Sciences and
professional disciplines is expected to be launched from this academic year.
From the year 2008, the Bachelor’s Degree Programmes are
being offered by the university. The graduate level programme are B.A.,
Bachelor of Business Administration Bachelor of Mass Communication and
Bachelor of Computer Application.
Apart from these degree programmes the university is offering
some Post Graduate Diplomas in the area of Computer Application,
Business Management, Tourism and Hospitality Management ,
Broadcast Journalism, Mass Communication and in Human Resource Management .
The university’s and under graduate Diploma prpgramme
are Journalism & Mass Communication , Assamese Journalism , Tourism
Management, Hotel Management, Creative writing in English and Computer
Hardware Networking.
To create entrepreneurs in the vocational areas the university
has taken a step to make the learners trained in the specialized areas by
introducing Certificate courses in Computer Application , Mobile Phone
Repairing, Maintenance and Repairing of Audio Video Equipments, Maintenance and
Repairing of Electronic Domestic Appliance, Scientific Piggery Farming ,
Scientific Goat Rearing, Scientific Broiler Farming, Scientific Duck
Farming, Scientific Layer Farming etc.
The Bachelor Preparatory Programme (BPP) is the first academic
programme introduced by the university in 2008. This programme was introduced
for those learners who could not pursue higher education for various reasons.
The BPP course was initially of six month duration but now it has been made a
one year programme, with a view to give more weitage to the programme along
with better training scope to the learners to prepare themselves for degree
level courses.
To popularize these new programmes the university has been
giving importance in advertisements and publicity. Along with the newspaper
advertisements the university released a good number of Radio and Television
advertisements.
The introduction of vocational training by an open university
is in itself a contribution to the needs of the people. The main intention
behind the introduction of the training programme is to meet the various
needs of the people of the region and make them independent. The main aim of
the university is to educate its learners as well as help them in becoming
self dependent.
Therefore, the University, has introduced some vocational
training programmes with the help of the Polytechnics and Industrial
Training Institute (I.T.I s.) of the state and some other specialized
institutions.
The different areas of programmes of training will be House
wiring, repair of domestic electrical appliances, A/C motor rewinding, 4
wheeler servicing, 2/3 wheeler repairing and maintenance, electrical house
wiring practice, welding practice, plumbing and pump installation, RCC masory
practice and training for the security personnel.
The university since its inception has tried to bring about an
all round development of the academicians, learners and non- academic staffs
of the university by organizing various workshops and seminars. The
university till date has organized around 40 workshops and seminars in
different colleges, study centres and in the headquarter. It has also
organized national level events like Indian Science Communication Congress
2009 (ISCC 2009).
The 9th ISCC was organized for the first time in the entire north
eastern region of India. Krishna Kanta Handique State Open University hosted
this mega event in collaboration with the Ministry of Science and Technology,
Govt. of India. Around 200 delegates and participants attended the congress
from all over the country.
Around 40 workshops and seminars is organized by the
university from the time of its inception. The main areas of the workshop
were development of road map, curriculum development, SLM preparation,
counseling, supporting staff administration, management of study centre and
so on.
The university, has registered a quantum increase
in enrollment in the different academic programmes under various degree
courses that are being offered by the university. As per the first
enrollment of the university in 2008 a total number of 4200 learners were
enrolled and it has been increased to over 24000 by the end of 2009 i.e. a
period of two years only.
The number of study centres under this university has
witnessed a giant leap having the numbers increased to 220 from the time of
its inception when the number of study centers was 79.
Considering its social responsibility, three study centres-
Central Jail of Guwahati, Jorhat and Abhayapuri Jail are run by the
University. Education is provided free of cost to the jail inmates by the
university. The high walls of the jail should not be the barrier to
education. This is a step taken by the university to fulfill its motto i.e.,
‘Education beyond barriers’.
More than 300 self learning materials were prepared during this
tenure. Self learning materials are specially designed by teams of subject
experts from within and outside the state. These materials are prepared both
in English and Assamese looking at the need of the learners.
A multi media studio set up with the aim of producing audio as
well as audio-visual programmes has become fully functional to meet any
demand. The university got the SACFA clearance and frequency allotment of
90.4 MHz recently from the Govt. of India to operate a community radio
station which is the first in entire North East. This frequency was used in
experimental broadcast in January 2009.
The University has successfully completed two years of its
radio phone-in programme recently. It first took on air through All India
Radio, Guwahati on February 03,2008 for the month of January. It
provides a common platform for the general people to understand the
activities of the University and also to have a direct contact with the top
brass of the University, as the queries of the phone callers are answered by
the key officials of the University. The main objective of the phone-in
programme has been to answer the queries of the distant learners as well as
the general public with regard to the University’s activities and programmes.
It is an innovative learner support service provided by the Krishna Kanta
Handique State Open University for the better understanding of the issues
related to the functioning of the University through its Study
Centres. The phone-in programme is on air on every fourth Sunday of each
month between 11.30 a.m. and 12.00 noon. It is broadcast by the All India
Radio, Guwahati and relayed by the All India Radio, Dibrugarh.
The Govt. of Assam has allotted land for the permanent campus
at Patgaon under Rani mauza, located near the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi
International Airport, Guwahati.
The University has made a provision for its learners to get
the news and announcement from KKHSOU on their mobile phone by subscribing
through SMS. This is done by sending an SMS to a number and for
e-mail and RSS subscription options the learners can visit the official
website. The university will be launching e-portal facility for its learners
very soon.
The university community and the authorities of the
university, such as the board of management, academic council, finance
committee etc. are confident that Krishna Kanta Handique State Open
University will be able to provide quality higher education through open and
distance learning to every nook and corner of the region.
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