Namchi with the due permission of Principal Sikkim Government College, Namchi. The programme was attended by empanelled and prospective Academic Counsellors of IGNOU Study Centre 2404, SGC, Namchi. The main aim of the programme was to strengthen academic support services, provide clarity on the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) system, and enhance the capacity of counsellors in assignment evaluation, project guidance, and learner support. The entire programme was anchored and conducted by Mr. Dilip Kumar Darjee, Assistant Registrar, IGNOU RC Gangtok, who served as the Master of Ceremony (MC).
Programme Proceedings: The programme began with the registration of participants, followed by an invocation by Mr. D.K. Darjee. Immediately after the invocation, all the participants introduced themselves, which provided a platform for mutual acquaintance and helped in setting a collaborative and interactive tone for the programme. A welcome address was delivered by Asst. Prof. Mr. Karma Namgyal Bhutia of Sikkim Government College, Namchi, who emphasized the importance of Academic Counsellors in the ODL system. This was followed by the Keynote Address by Dr. Yonah Bhutia, Senior Regional Director, IGNOU RC Gangtok, who highlighted the crucial role of Academic Counsellors in maintaining quality in distance education and the need for adopting best practices in learner support services.
Dr. Sanjaya Kumar Subba, Vice Principal of Sikkim Government College served as a Special Guest who addressed the program highlighting the participants to take full benefits of such sessions to fulfil their roles, responsibilities and to provide a human touch by mentoring distance learners in every possible way. He asked all the Academic Counsellors as well all the teaching fraternity of Sikkim Government College, Namchi to take full advantages of Study Centre and all the facilities provided by IGNOU system. He also took a moment to thank all the organising team for scheduling such program within a campus. Subsequently, different sessions were undertaken by the resource persons as follows: –
- Mr. D.K. Darjee, Assistant Registrar, presented a PPT-based overview of the IGNOU System under the topic “Understanding the IGNOU System: An Overview”, focusing on learner-centric approaches and various support mechanisms available under the university system comprising the network of LSCs, RCs, and various divisions and schools of the university.
- Mr. J.P. Mahanta, Assistant Executive (Data Processing), demonstrated the process of online empanelment of Academic Counsellors, providing participants with step-by-step practical exposure to the digital procedure for their empanelment and addition of more courses subsequently.
- Mr. Devendra Chhetri, Assistant Professor (cum Coordinator-IGNOU-2404) of Sikkim Government College, Namchi, spoke on academic counselling and the assignment evaluation process, stressing structured planning and effective coordination with the IGNOU Regional Centre Gangtok. Also, he explained in detail about assignment handling at LSCs, evaluation by Academic Counsellors, and guidance in projects, dissertations, practicals, and internships, thereby sharing valuable insights from his institutional work experience as Coordinator of the LSC 2404.
- Dr. Yonah Bhutia Sr. Regional Director, IGNOU RC Gangtok, provided guidelines on assignment evaluation, emphasizing transparency, fairness, and timely feedback to learners as per the guidelines of the university. He further engaged the participants in an interactive session reviewing the roles and responsibilities of Academic Counsellors. Issues and concerns raised by participants were addressed, and consolidated guidelines were shared to strengthen academic activities and learner support services.
The programme was concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Mr. Rikesh Pradhan, Assistant Professor, who acknowledged the contributions of the resource persons, participants, and the officials/staff of RC Gangtok. The event was followed by providing lunch, allowing for informal academic interactions.
Conclusion: The Orientation Programme successfully met its objectives of building the capacity of Academic Counsellors and enhancing their preparedness to provide quality learner support services under ODL system of university. The sessions were engaging, practical, and interactive, making the programme both informative and enriching. The key outcomes of the program comprised of but not limited to the followings: –
- Academic Counsellors gained clarity on the IGNOU ODL system and their specific roles and responsibilities.
- Enhanced their understanding of assignment handling, evaluation procedures, project/dissertation guidance, and internship support.
- Exposure to the online empanelment process of Academic Counsellors.
- Productive discussions on issues, challenges, and best practices in providing learner support.
- Strengthened collaboration between IGNOU RC Gangtok, LSCs, and Academic Counsellors.
The smooth moderation and coordination by Mr. D.K. Darjee, Assistant Registrar, IGNOU RC Gangtok, as the Master of Ceremony, ensured that the programme was conducted seamlessly and with active participation from all.