Excelsior Correspondent
![Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Pawan Kotwal addressing an Orientation Programme of IGNOU at Universityof Jammu on Friday.](http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/page11-1-300x169.jpg)
JAMMU, Sept 30: Indira Gandhi National Open University, (IGNOU) Regional Centre Jammu organized a two-day Orientation Programme of empanelled Academic Counselors of MA (Sociology) programme associated with various Learner Study Centres of the Northern Region.
Seventy Eight Academic Counselors from Regional Centre Srinagar, Regional Centre Shimla, Regional Centre Delhi-1,2,3, Regional Centre Noida, Regional Centre Lucknow, Regional Centre Varanasi and Regional Centre Jammu participated in the orientation programme. The Programme was organized in the Seminar Hall of Department of Environment Sciences, University of Jammu.
Dr. Pawan Kotwal, Divisional Commissioner Jammu was the chief guest who inaugurated and chaired the programme. Dr. Archana Singh and Dr. Kiranmayi Bhushi from the School of Social Sciences, IGNOU, Maidan Garhi, New Delhi were the resource persons.
Regional Director, Er. K K Bhat, presented the welcome address. In his welcome address, Bhat stated that the University, under the dynamic leadership of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ravinder Kumar, has taken a big initiative for organizing face-to-face Orientation Programmes of empanelled academic counsellors in different phases and expressed his happiness about the Regional Centre Jammu being chosen as the host for this Orientation programme of North Zone.
Terming it a welcome step he said it will go a long way in strengthening the student support services and expressed hope that in future also many such programmes would be organized.
Dr. Pawan Kotwal in his address expressed happiness about organizing such an event of academic importance and congratulated the Academic Counselors for being associated and empanelled with a prestigious Institution like IGNOU. He also added IGNOU is imparting education among the students from the lower strata of the Society who are, in one way or the other, deprived of the conventional system of education and termed the open and distance learning system of education being provided by IGNOU as a wonderful bridging system. Dr. Kotwal also stressed on the need of use of technology for imparting education.
There were several interactive sessions between the resource persons and the Academic Counselors and many issues pertaining to student support services were discussed with the help of Power point presentations.
Vikram Singh, Assistant Regional Director, briefed about the online admission and re-registration process.
Dr. Sanded Gupta, Assistant Regional Director, explained about the Open and Distance Learning and role of Regional Centre by way of a Power point presentation.
Dr. Asha Upadhyay, Assistant Regional Director, briefed bout various issues pertaining to counseling and monitoring of support services.