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Areas of distinctiveness

Areas of distinctiveness:

1. E-Governance: All the major functions of the University are managed on the e-platforms, say,
Administration and Governance: In administration the management of meetings as well as circulation of agenda and minutes takes place online on the intranet of the University. Collection of fee from learners and payments to all the parties including the internal faculty of the University is online and e-tendering is used. Further, purchase procedure is linked to GEM portal.
Examination Management System: Examination functions of the University are totally online because beginning with the preparation of date-sheet to declaration of results and availability of online mark-sheets and transcripts is ensured online. It extends to online verification of degrees and other documents. Finally, the data is uploaded on the NAD portal to make it safe and easily accessible. The Manual of Digitization of examination system contains the detailed information about it.
Management of LSCs and RCs: This function helps the University to maintain continuous monitoring of LSCs and RCs. ICT facilities have been given by the University to all the RCs and the LSCs are expected to have their own ICT facilities (it is ensured at the time of approval of any LSC by University). So, this function is also online and ICT-based.
Human Resource Information System (HRIS): In order to ensure the smooth tracking of the academic data related to academics of the University HRIS has been prepared. It contains information about individual academic growth of the members and it is expected to be a very handy system at the time of handling the issues related to performance appraisal for CAS, etc.
Office Management: Almost all the functions related to office management are either intranet based or internet based. It ensures smooth management of the office functions of the University.

2. Technology Enabled Learner Support: Technology enabled Learner Support in UOU includes the following:
Admissions: Admission is mostly online and even the record of off-line admissions is entered into the SIS of the University to facilitate learner support.
Self-Instructional Learning Material (SILM): Immediately after admission, distribution of SILM starts with the help of data as available in the SIS. It helps to issue the SILM immediately to the learners enrolled. To augment the learner support further e-SILM is uploaded on the website of the University.
Counselling: Usually off-line counseling is the major mode of counseling but recently the University has started virtual counseling as well.
Learners Management System (LMS): The University has its own LMS platform based on MOODLE which helps the learners to pursue online courses of UOU. It also helps the learners of PhD Programme to get acquainted with the course structure, assignment, video lectures, online chats and discussions etc.
Students Information System (SIS): It is a programme developed by the University. It contains the entire information related to a learner, so it is a technology enabled feeder learner support.
Kiosk: In the UOU headquarters kiosk has been installed to provide all the relevant information to a learner without running from desk-to-desk.
Grievance Management System: The grievance management system of UOU is technology enable support process wherein each grievance is assigned a ticket number and it remains active till the said grievance is finally resolved. Thus, even the learner can track the status of his/her complaint.
Examination management system is learner friendly because even the admit cards downloaded by the learners contain all the relevant information required by them.

3. Penetration into Remote and Tribal Areas: Uttarakhand Open University has made its presence felt in the remote and tribal areas of the state. In some of the districts of Uttarakhand the tribal population lives in majority and the University has made all the efforts to open its study centers in such areas viz., Khatima, District Pithoragarh, Sahiya and District Uttarkashi. The University has opened special LSCs which are earmarked for tribal population. So far as the remote areas are concerned, the University has its LSCs and Examination Centers in the remotest corners of the state like Munsiyari (Distt Pithoragarh) close to Indo-China-Nepal border. Similarly, in the bordering areas with U.P and H.P the LSCs have been established. And these LSCs provide higher education to the learners located in the remotest corners of the state.

4. Social Responsibility Endeavours: In the area of Social Responsibility the UOU has taken the following specific steps:
Adoption of Villages: Since the year …….. ,the University has adopted 5 villages in the nearest vicinity of University headquarters. Later, two villages were adopted in Dehradun region and recently one more undeveloped village at the periphery of Haldwani township has been adopted. Thus, the University has adopted 8 villages of the state, wherein various programmes like sanitation, health care, nutrition, yoga, computer awareness and agricultural information support services have been carried out by the members of the University. It has created a bond of good relationship between the University and these villages. It has helped us to further the cause of ODL as-well amongst these villages.
Community Radio: The University has a community radio with its sanctioned range of 10 Kms of air space, and this community radio has continuously involved the members of the community in spreading awareness about education, sanitation, health, diet and nutrition management, etc., amongst the members of the community. Recently, this community radio has been linked to an App whereby it can be accessed in any part of the globe. Feedback received from the other countries bears a good testimony to its spread and reach.
Providing e-SILM to protect environment: Learners are prompted to opt for e-SILM and those who do not take the hard-copy of SILM are allowed a fee-concession of 15% in the programme fee. Thus, this policy helps to speed-up the process, and it protects the environment as well.
Fee concessions for some segments of learners such as war widows, prison inmates, and the residents of adopted villages have been given.
Miscellaneous: Wall of Heroes and ShahidVatika have been developed in the campus and facilities for differently abled learners are also available.

5. Enhancing Research and Innovation: Initially, the University had the enabling provisions for carrying out research which is an integral feature of the university system, but over the period of time Uttarakhand Open University decided to include innovation with research and the nomenclature of the Directorate of Research was changed to Directorate of Research and Innovation and suitable efforts were made regarding innovations in teaching pedagogy, administrative systems, research and in the other functional areas of the University. Some of these are enumerated as below :

  1. ICT Integrated Teaching Learning : The University has online study material, facility of video lectures, web based radio broadcast, webinars, etc. to ensure ICT integrated learning. During the covid-19 period the University was successful in carrying out all its workshops, viva-voce and examination well in time through the application of ICT.
  2. The examination system, the accounting function, the book distribution and the admissions are fully automated through the application of innovative ICT practices. ERP integration has also been done in the University.
  3. Individual teachers of the University have registered many innovations and they were suitably rewarded for the same, e.g., Dr. Jeetendra Pande received gold medal in ODL at IGNOU, and he participated in many international events to showcase his innovations. Similarly, Dr. Deepak Paliwal contributed to individual innovations. The documentary evidences of these activities are given as web links to this point

Links :

For Administrative enquiries:

Uttarakhand Open University

Behind Transport Nagar, Vishwavidyalaya Marg,
Haldwani (Nainital) 263139 Uttarakhand

Toll Free : 1800 180 4025
Operator : 05946-286000


Admissions : 05946286002


Book Distribution Unit : 05946-286001


Exam Section : 05946-286022


Fax : 05946-264232