On the evening of Teachers’ Day, on 04/09/2023, a programme was organized by IGNOU Regional Centre Bhopal in collaboration with Excel International Institute of Teachers Training. 

The event focused on engaging with pre-primary teachers and recognizing their invaluable role in fostering innovation and creativity, aligning with the vision outlined in the National Education Policy (NEP) of 2020. It was an inspiring gathering that highlighted the significance of early childhood education in shaping the foundation for creativity, innovation, and lifelong learning.

The Patent Facilitation Unit at IGNOU aimed at guiding and supporting the IGNOU students in IPR and the patent filing process is organizing a virtual session “Registering a Company: Experience of an Entrepreneur” by Mr. Chandan Kumar, Innovator Student of IGNOU, on 31st August 2023 at 11:00 am. Mr. Chandan Kumar is the founder and CEO of CraftUrCareer Educations Pvt. Ltd. and IG Crafter - The Indian Gifting. The talk session was held virtually through Google Meet. Total 41 participants including the faculty and students of IGNOU attended the talk. The participants were the innovator students of IGNOU and the objective of the talk was to discuss the personal experience of an innovator regarding registering of his company.

InnovationClub@IGNOU also provides a platform for innovators and entrepreneurs to showcase their innovative prototypes or products or their Startup initiatives. In this context, InnovationClub@IGNOU organised an Online Talk on “Innovations in Human Computer Interface and Brain Communication Interface in context to Students and Researchers” which was delivered by Mr. Deepak Khatri, Founder and Head of Engineering, UpsideDown Labs, New Delhi to be held on August 22, 2023 at 14:30 hrs through Google Meet as a part of InnovationClub@IGNOU activity.

An Online Panel Discussion on the topic, "Innovation and Sustainable Development in the Context of G-20," was held on 21st August 2023 at 11.00 A.m. to commemorate the G-20 presidency of the nation. The panelists for the session were Prof.M.B.Menon, former Chief and Director of UNESCO Education Programme for Palestine Refugees and former Director SOE, IGNOU, Prof. V.V. Subrahmanyam, Professor, SOCIS, IGNOU, Dr.R.C.Sharma, Adjunct Professor, Computer Science and Engineering, Graphic Era Hill University, Dehradun and Mr. A.Vinod, Mathematics Teacher Govt Higher Secondary School, Kerala.

The webinar reflected on the significance of the spirit of young energetic India for the global world. Poised as it should be to be the future workhorse for the global economy, it is our duty to ensure that they do not lose touch with our civilizational heritage. As beholders of an ancient legacy of wisdom, that is exemplary and incomparable to any other, in its commitment to universal values, inclusion and non violence. All three vital in the designing of a true scientific vision. In aligning with this vision NEP 2020, is a transformative policy for India’s education, it envisions future of education to be seamless, universal, lifelong, flexible, innovative, technology enabled, to create pragmatic, employable visionaries for future India.

As a part of the Celebration Day Activity, IGNOU organised Independence Day. The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Nageshwar Rao hoisted the National Flag on the occasion. In his speech he appreciated the work of the National Centre for Innovations in Distance Education (NCIDE) for establishing and nurturing an ecosystem of innovations in the University. In the Amrit Kal IGNOU has established itself as a top institute for innovation. He urged the teachers and students to be more active in promoting innovations in the university and thus contribute to the G20 Goals.

To encourage innovation and entrepreneurship among school students, IGNOU Regional Centre Srinagar in collaboration with the Muwest High School, Saida Kadal Srinagar, organized an Innovation and entrepreneurship outreach programme on 14th August, 2023 in which the students of the school actively participated and presented their innovative ideas and models.

The Patent Facilitation Unit at IGNOU aimed at guiding and supporting the IGNOU students in IPR and the patent filing process is organizing a virtual session “Patenting on Innovation: My Experience” by Mr. Ajay Kumar, Innovator Student of IGNOU, winner of SIH 2022, on 31st July, 2023 at 10:30 am. The talk session was held virtually through Google Meet. Total 24 participants, including the faculty and students of IGNOU, attended the virtual meeting. The participants were the innovator students of IGNOU and the objective of the talk was to discuss the personal experience of an innovator regarding patenting of his innovation.

InnovationClub@IGNOU provides a platform for staff, academics, teachers, and officials of IGNOU to share their views on different topics through various activities such as webinars, panel discussions, brainstorming sessions, talks, etc. Innovation Club@IGNOU also gives an opportunity to the IGNOU faculty and staff to share their innovative initiatives on this platform. In this context, InnovationClub@IGNOU organised an Online Session on “Showcasing Innovative Support Solutions” developed by Mr. N. Gopala Krishna, Assistant Section Officer, IGNOU Regional Centre Jabalpur which was held on July 31, 2023 at 02:30 PM through Google Meet as a part of InnovationClub@IGNOU activity.

The Ministry of Education, Government of India has organized a mega event to celebrate the 3rd Anniversary of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the 2nd Edition of the Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam during July 29-30, 2023, at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. 

The mega exhibition event was inaugurated and addressed by the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi. 

Participation by IGNOU Vice Chancellor, Pro-Vice Chancellors and Faculty: On July 29, 2023, the Vice Chancellor, Pro-Vice Chancellors, faculty members and students of IGNOU participated in the inaugural ceremony and address by the Prime Minister. They also visited the exhibition and participated in different Sessions during the event. 

The Innovation Club at Regional Centre, Patna and IGNOU Regional Centre, Darbhanga organised an Online Session on "Application of AI for Effective Learner Support Services" on 28th July 2023 through Google Meet.

Shri Shailesh Shrivastava, Head, Digital Government Research Centre, Govt. of India was the Resource Person on this occasion. The participants included the students of computer programmes and the staff of both the Regional Centres, the members of the Innovation Clubs, and the academic counsellors.

The webinar on “Enhancing Enrolment in Higher Education: Innovative Initiatives to Achieve the NEP 2020 target of 50% GER” was conducted on 21st July 2023 jointly by the NCIDE and School of Education, IGNOU. The inaugural session of the one-day webinar on “Enhancing Enrolment in Higher Education: Innovative Initiatives to Achieve the NEP 2020 target of 50% GER” started at 10 am on 21st July 2023. Inaugural address was given by the Hon’ble PVC, Dr. Srikant Mahapatra. A brief remark about the webinar was given by Prof. C.B. Sharma, Director, School of Education, and a detail introduction including the format of the webinar was presented by Dr. O. P. Sharma, Director, NCIDE.

The IIC organised a session on “Angel Investment/VC Funding Opportunity for Early-Stage Entrepreneurs” on July 20, 2023.

The objectives of the session were to: 

• provide thumb rules on how you will achieve funding outline the opportunities available to early-stage entrepreneurs and

• offering valuable insights to improve their chances of attracting investors.

Dr. Venu Gopal, Technical Advisor, Goware Global (US) was the Resource Person of the session.

The IIC organised a Panel Discussion on Innovation and Startup Ecosystem Enablers on July 20, 2023. 

• The objectives of the session were to discuss the:  framework of innovation and startup ecosystem at national level and 

• innovation and startup ecosystem at IGNOU

Dr. Venugopal and Dr. O. P. Sharma along with Dr. Jyotsna Dikshit participated in the panel discussion.

The NCIDE, IGNOU organised a Session on Lean Startup and Minimum Viable Product/Business on July 19, 2023 as a part of the IIC calendar activity. The objectives were to: 

• to describe Lean Startup and Minimum Viable Product/ Business; and 

• to discuss the various aspects crucial for initiating and obtaining a Lean Startup and Minimum Viable Product/ Business. 

Dr. Anupriya Pandey, Associate Professor, SOMS, IGNOU was the resource person of the session.

The NCIDE, IGNOU under the aegis of IIC 5.0 organized a Session on “Accelerators/Incubation – Opportunities for Students & Faculties - Early Stage Entrepreneurs" on July 19, 2023. The basic objectives of the session were to: 

• Give a broad idea about how to get support for converting Innovative idea into a Start-up from any Incubation Centre/Accelerators.  

• Give an idea about process/useful steps for getting incubated 

Mr. Mahendra Kr. Gupta CEO, iNurture Incubation Foundation was the resource person of the Session.

The IIC organised a session on “Innovation/Prototype Validation – Converting Innovation into a Start-up” on July 18, 2023. 

The objectives of the session were to: 

• equip the participants with the knowledge and tools that they require to validate their Innovation effectively and

• navigate through the Journey of setting up a startup and its growth 

The resource person was Dr. Ashutosh Pastor, Senior Manager and Head incubation Foundation for Innovation and Technology transfer at Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. 

The National Centre for Innovation and Distance Education (NCIDE) at IGNOU is actively engaged in fostering its Students and Alumni towards Atmanirbhar Bharat through the promotion, support, and nurturing of Innovator Students and Alumni interested in setting up their own Startups or Enterprise. NCIDE has also designed and developed an Innovative Scheme, IGNOU Udyami (इग्नूउद्यमी) for the Students and Alumni. More than 1800 Students/Alumni of IGNOU have shown their interest towards Innovation and Entrepreneurship by registering on the portal. Sh. Om Birla, Hon’ble Speaker, Lok Sabha, Government of India visited IGNOU on July 15, 2023, and inaugurated the “IGNOU Udyami Samagam” an exhibition to showcase the Startup initiatives by IGNOU Students and Alumni. 

On July 02, 2023, Hon’ble Minister of State for Education, Dr. Subhash Sarkar in the presence of Prof. Nageshwar Rao, Vice Chancellor, IGNOU inaugurated the Startup Fest-2023 organized by the National Centre for Innovation in Distance education (NCIDE), IGNOU on the Occasion of 28th Prof. G. Ram Reddy Memorial Lecture at the Convention Centre, IGNOU, New Delhi. Total nine startups and business ventures by IGNOU students and alumni participated and exhibited their startups in the Startup Fest-2023.

For the first time to recognize the innovative efforts made by the students and alumni to setup their business ventures and to provide them a common platform, IGNOU organized this Startup Fest-2023 in which 9 startup initiatives from Delhi NCR were exhibited. In order to recognize and appreciate their effort to become job providers rather than job seekers. Hon’ble Minister said that Startup festival is good initiative and it will inspire other students of IGNOU.

NCIDE organized the Demo-Day of Startups on 02.07.2023. It was organized as a IGNOU IIC activity. The aim of the Demo day was to provide space for young innovators to present their startups through an exhibition. This platform enabled the IGNOU Students to exhibit their startups and also enabled networking. It also enabled the Innovation Ambassadors to mentor the students.

The State Minister for Education, Mr. Subhas Sarkar graced the occasion with his presence and interacted with the students. He provided some useful tips to the students to improve their products. He also advised many of them to suitably protect their intellectual property. The IGNOU IIC invited selected student startup founders to exhibit and present their startups. Seven students presented their ideas.

As a part of the IIC Calendar Activity, IGNOU invited entries for the Startup Competition-2023. The notification and Guidelines were uploaded on the University website in June 2023 for maximum publicity at the following link:

http://ignou.ac.in/ignou/bulletinboard/announcements/latest/detail/Entries_are_Invited_for_Startup_Competition-2023-2811

The competition is in two rounds. In the first round the students submitted the entries by July 31, 2023. In the second round they are shortlisted and called for pitching. More than 90 entries have been received from the students. The first, second and third winners will get a Rs, 10,000, Rs 7500 and Rs 5000 respectively.

The Patent Facilitation Unit at IGNOU aimed at guiding and supporting the IGNOU students in IPR and the patent filing process is organizing a virtual session “How to file for Patent: My Experience” by Mr. Kunal Ambasta, Innovator Student of IGNOU, winner of SIH 2022, on 28th June, 2023 at 2:30 pm. The talk session was held virtually through Google Meet. The participants were the innovator students of IGNOU and the objective of the talk was to discuss the personal experience of an innovator.

Mr. Kunal Ambasta in his talk highlighted the importance of commercialising an idea for an innovator. He narrated his journey as an innovator. 

A Webinar on World Environment Day 2023 was organized by the IGNOU RC, Shimla on 5th June, 2023. Dr. Pankaj Gupta, Department of Environmental Science, Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla, HP was the resource person on this occasion.

In his presentation, Dr. Gupta dwelt at length upon various issued related to the preservation of environment, policy measures and initiatives taken by the Government as well as the role of all the stakeholders in sustaining environment vis a vis modern economic development.

A Webinar on "India's Contribution towards G-20 Sustainable Development Agenda- Role of Innovation Entrepreneurship and Startups" was held on 18th August 2023 at 11.00 Am in the online mode. Two external resource persons participated in the session- Dr. Deepika Srivastava, Dy. Director, Ministry of Finance, Government of India and Col. Manish Awasthi, 4 Gorkha Regiment, Indian Army. The programme was held under the auspices of NCIDE, IGNOU and coordinated by Dr. O. P. Sharma, NCIDE Director and Dr. M. Rajesh, Additional Director, IGNOU.

The Third meeting of the IGNOU Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC 5.0) members was held in virtual mode on April 11, 2023 (Tuesday) at 11.00 AM through Google Meet. The agenda of the meeting was as under:

1. To report the activities of IIC 5.0 carried out during Quarter II

2. To plan the activities of IIC 5.0 of Quarter III

3. Any other item with the permission of the chair

Under the aegis of the Innovation Council (IIC 5.0) IGNOU Regional Centre Jaipur organised a Field/ Exposure Visit to Incubation Centre Churu, Govt. College Lohia Churuon 31st May, 2023.Dr. Indu Ravi, Assistant Regional Director accompanied about 70 IGNOU learners who visited the incubation centre and were informed about the activities taking place at the incubation centre. Incubation Centre, Churu was established by DOITC, Govt. of Rajasthan in 20.08.2022 and Inaugurated by Sh. Ashok Gehlot, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Rajasthan. The entire activity was planned and coordinated by Dr. Mamta Bhatia, Sr. Regional Director.

The Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC), IGNOU jointly with IGNOU Regional Centre Delhi-1 is organized a Demo Day of Business Plan for IGNOU Students and Alumni. A total of 10 students and alumni, and 07 faculty members from IGNOU Headquarters and Regional Centre Delhi-1 were present in the Regional Centre. The students were mentored through an expert lecture on how to further their business plan by Dr. Anupriya Pandey, Associate Professor, School of Management Studies, IGNOU, who is also an Innovation Ambassador. Thereafter, the students were mentored by other Innovations Ambassadors, viz, Dr. Oum Prakash Sharma, Director, NCIDE, IGNOU, Dr. Jyotsna Dikshit, Deputy Director, NCIDE, Dr. Moumita Das, Deputy Director, NCIDE and Dr. Sujata Santosh, Assistant Director, NCIDE.

The Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC), Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) is actively engaged in fostering its students and alumni towards Atmanirbhar Bharat through promoting, supporting and nurturing the innovator students and alumni of IGNOU interested insetting up their own startups. In this context, the IIC-IGNOU jointly with IGNOU Regional Centre Delhi-1 is organising a Business Plan Competition-2023 for IGNOU Students and Alumni.

The basic objectives of the mentoring programme were to:

• highlight the importance of the Business Model Canvas,

• explain the components of the Business Model Canvas with examples, and

• empower the students to improve upon their Business Model Canvases generated by them based on the given template.

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 envisions a transformative approach to education in India, focusing on promotion innovation and entrepreneurship among students. To explore the potential of this policy in the context of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), Innovation Club@IGNOU organised an online panel discussion on "Exploring the Possibilities of Promoting Innovation and Startup through Projects of Different Programmes of IGNOU – Towards Implementation of NEP 2020" on May 29, 2023. The basic objectives of the panel discussion were:

• To understand the provisions of the NEP 2020 that promote innovation and entrepreneurship in higher education,

• To identify, strategies, and initiatives for integrating innovation and entrepreneurship in IGNOU's programmes especially in project work,

• To foster collaboration and exchange of ideas among the panelists and participants to drive innovation and startup culture in IGNOU, and

• To develop guidelines for integration and implementation of innovation and startup through project work at IGNOU.

The Patent Facilitation Unit at IGNOU aimed at guiding and supporting the IGNOU students in IPR and the patent filing process is organizing a virtual session “Allied Industrial Intellectual Property Rights” by Prof. Shubha M Gokhale, Professor of Physics, School of Sciences, IGNOU. The talk session was held virtually through Google Meet. Total 35 participants including the faculty and students of IGNOU attended the talk. The participants were the entrepreneur students of IGNOU and the objective of the talk were to

• discuss about the Trademarks, its importance in business and startups; and

• gain knowledge about the other Allied IPRs such as Geographical Indication, Trade Secrets, and Industrial Designs, etc.

Indira Gandhi National Open university (IGNOU) participated as a member of Ministry of Education (MoE) -Institute Innovation Council to display the achievements of IGNOU-IIC in the Ministry of Education (MoE) and AICTE pavilion during the National Technology Week celebration from May 11-14, 2023 at Pragati Maidan (Hall No. 4 and 5), New Delhi. Dr. Rita Chauhan, Assistant Regional Director, IGNOU Regional Centre Delhi-2 and Dr. Vikas Singhal, Assistant Regional Director, IGNOU Regional Centre Delhi-1 as the member of IGNOU-IIC participated in the event and displayed the banner on achievements of IGNOU-IIC prepared by NCIDE, IGNOU in MOE-IIC Pavilion.

The event was inaugurated by the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi Ji on May 11, 2023, which is National Technology Day.

A Webinar on National Technology Day was celebrated on May 11, 2023 at organized by School of Engineering and Technology (SOET). The webinar on National Technology Day was started with introduction by Dr. Shweta Tripathi followed by Kulgeet of IGNOU. Prof. Ashish Agarwal, Director, School of Engineering and Technology told about the importance of National Technology Day and need for remembering the importance of National Technology Day. Mr. S. S. Gupta Director CHT Noida, Prof. S. K. Garg DTU, Prof. J. Ram Kumar IIT Kanpur, and Prof. Charu Malhotra IIPA New Delhi highlighted the importance of National Technology Day in the growth of India. They also highlighted the recent development in the area of Technology in India. 

Presidential Address was given by Prof. Satyakam, Pro-Vice Chancellor, IGNOU. Vote of Thanks was given by Ms. Sruthi Samuel.

On the occasion of the World Intellectual Property Day, the Patent Facilitation Unit at IGNOU in collaboration with Regional Centre, IGNOU RC Vatakara organized a discussion session on “A Discussion on Patenting” on April 28, 2023, at 11:00 am. The Resource person was Dr. Kavitha Chalakkal, Assistant Professor, Inter-University Centre for IPR Studies, CUSAT. The session was held virtually through Google Meet. The participants were the innovator students of IGNOU and the objective of the talk was to create awareness about various aspects related to patents and their importance in the field of innovation and Startup.

Innovation Club@ RC Nagpur organized a webinar on the theme “Web Accessibility Inclusion – Feedback and Brainstorming of RC Nagpur Divyang Students for Innovative Solutions” on April 28, 2023. The programme was attended by Innovation Club members, Experts from Delhi, Nagpur and IGNOU Divyang Students of RC Nagpur, who have used the IGNOU web resources during their studies.

The Innovation Club@IGNOU, NCIDE organised an Online Session on the topic "From Traditional to Intelligent: How Artificial Intelligence (AI) is Shaping Online Education" on April 24, 2023. Dr. Kaushal Kumar Bhagat, Assistant Professor, Advanced Technology Development Centre, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, was the Resource Person for the Session. His research area of interest includes augmented reality, virtual reality, flipped classroom, formative assessment, online learning, and technology-enhanced learning. 

Dr. Bhagat shared his thoughts on how artificial intelligence (AI) is shaping online education and highlighted the future role of AI in making online learning more effective. In his talk he mentioned about the evolution of the traditional education system in India, he discussed the present status of online learning, and the different components of AI. He provided examples of how he is currently working with AI in education.

Dr. J.S. Dorothy, Regional Director, RC Cochin welcomed all and addressed the learners by sharing inputs pertaining to Skill Development programmes available and MOOCs programme available in the SWAYAM portal with the learners.

Sh. George Chacko, Welfare Officer Prisons & Correctional Services, Govt. of Kerala was the Resource person for the session. 

Around 80 participants attended the Online/Virtual session which was live streamed through the Facebook page of RC Cochin and can be accessed through the link https://fb.watch/kf2lZByYys/?mibextid=Nif5oz.

On the occasion of World Creativity and Innovation Day, NCIDE, IGNOU organized an Innovators Meet on April 21, 2023 in Online mode. The objective was to share and showcase the various innovative initiatives taken up by IGNOU students. Student innovators of IGNOU, particularly, Student Innovation Awardees during the last few years, were invited to present their innovation in front of other students and teachers. The programme was telecast live on YouTube and Facebook for wider reach to the students and alumni.

IGNOU IIC and IGNOU Regional Centre, NOIDA organized an online lecture on the topic “Creativity and Innovation in the Digital Age for Open and Distance Education” on the occasion of World Creativity and Innovation Day on 21st April, 2023.

The Resource Person Dr. Ramesh Chander Sharma, Associate Professor, School of Global Affairs and Director, Human Resource Development Centre, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar University, Delhi.

The lecture was attended by a total of 72 participants including academics from various Regional Centres, Coordinators and academic counselors from different study centres.

A Session (Session 3) on How to plan for Start-up and Legal & Ethical Steps was organized on April 19, 2023 during the Two-Day Student Empowerment Programme on Prototype, Design, Process Development for Business Model. A total of 5 faculty members and 16 students participated in the workshop. The objectives of the workshop were to: i) to impart knowledge about the planning for a startup to selected IGNOU students, and ii) to create awareness about the various legal and ethical steps related to setting up a startup.

Dr. Mansi Sharma, Assistant Professor, SOL, IGNOU, was the resource person of the workshop.

The NCIDE, IGNOU under the aegis of IIC 5.0 organized a Two-Days Student Empowerment Programme on “Prototype, Design, Process Development for Business Model” from April 18-19, 2023 in online mode through Google Meet. During the student empowerment programme, a workshop on “Workshop on “Business Model Canvas (BMC)” was held on April 18, 2023. A total of four faculty members and 21 students participated in the workshop.

The basic objectives of the workshop were to :

• highlight the importance of business model canvas, and

• explain the components of the business model canvas with examples.

Dr. Anupriya Pandey, Associate Professor, SOMS, IGNOU, was the resource person of the workshop.

The NCIDE, IGNOU under the aegis of IIC 5.0 organized a Two-Days Student Empowerment Programme on “Prototype, Design, Process Development for Business Model” from April 18-19, 2023 in online mode through Google Meet. During the student empowerment programme, a workshop on “Prototype/Process Design and Development” was held on April 18, 2023. A total of four faculty members and 21 students participated in the workshop.

The basic objectives of the workshop were to :

• explain the concepts of prototype/process design and development with the help of examples,

• highlight the importance of designing and developing a prototype of product/process and discuss the various methods of prototyping types of technology transfer, and

• explain quality factors for a good Prototype.

Dr. Oum Prakash Sharma, Director, NCIDE and President, IIC, IGNOU, was the resource person of the workshop.

Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell has announced a MIC Driven activity for Creating YUKTI Innovation Repository & Participation in the YUKTI Innovation Challenge 2023 for the IIC Institutions. 

The Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC), IGNOU invited the members to attend the Session organised by MIC on April 13, 2023.

The session was attended online by the President IIC and Convener IIC.

Innovation Club@IGNOU organized an Online Brainstorming Session on "Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer (ChatGPT) – Prospects for Teaching, Learning and Research” on March 28, 2023 at 11:00 AM through Google Meet. Prof. V. V. Subrahmanyam, Professor, SOCIS, IGNOU was the Resource Person for the session. His presentation focused on some interesting applications of AI, in particular ChatGPT.

The objectives of the online session were to

• Give an overview of the concept and capabilities of ChatGPT,

• Give hands on demonstrations to familiarise the participants about the ChatGPT tools and plan and

• Design ChatGPT activities, and Brainstorm on use of ChatGPT in teaching, learning and Research.

The Patent Facilitation Unit at NCIDE, IGNOU organized an awareness talk for IGNOU students on “Patent Filing in India” by Dr. Mansi Sharma, Assistant Professor, School of Law, IGNOU on March 24, 2023, at 11:00 am. The talk session was held virtually through Google Meet. 

The participants were the innovator students of IGNOU and the objective of the talk was to make the students aware about the process of patent filing in India.

A virtual panel discussion was organised by IGNOU RC Bhopal on the occasion of Women's Day (on 07/03/2023) focusing on the topic, Women's Equality and Empowerment by Encouraging Technology and Innovations. The esteemed panelists included, Prof. Himadri Roy, Ms. Indu Sahu, Ms. Shalini Dixit and Dr Kripa Shankar Chaubey. The discussion was a thought-provoking and enlightening. 

The panelists' insights shed light on the crucial role of technology in bridging gender disparities and bringing about empowerment. There was a consensus among the speakers that empowering women in technology fields not only advances gender equality but also contributes significantly to societal progress. Opinions were shared regarding the methods of encouraging women's participation in the field of technology and innovation.

The Innovation Cell of IGNOU Regional Centre Vatakara under the coordination of Dr. M. Rajesh, Sr. Regional Director, IGNOU Regional Centre Vatakara organized a mentoring session for faculty and students on the topic "How can we use our proficiency in commerce and cost accounting to create viable start-ups" on 7th March 2023.

The mentor for the session was CMA (Adv). Sh. Sankar Panicker, Chairman, of the Southern India Regional Council of ICAI and an accomplished Advocate and Insolvency professional. Dr. O. P. Sharma, Director, NCIDE, IGNOU and Dr. Prameela. O, Assistant Regional Director, IGNOU Regional Centre Vatakara also formed part of the panel. Total of 165 participants including faculty and students attended the programme.

As part of the celebration of International Women's Day, the School of Gender and Development Studies has organized a webinar on the international theme this year, "Achieving Gender Equality through Technology". The webinar began at 11:00 AM on the March 06, 2023. Three eminent speakers were invited to discuss and analyze the transformative impact of technology on women's lives in India and the world. Achieving Gender Equality is the aspiration of all nations now. The names of the speakers were Dr. Huma Masood, UNESCO, Prof. K. Ajitha Ravi, Director, Women's Studies, University of Science and Technology, Kochi, and Ms. Kinkini Dasgupta Misra, Senior Scientist, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.

The Second meeting of the IGNOU Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC 5.0) members was held in virtual mode on January 31, 2023 (Tuesday) at 11.00 AM through Google Meet. The agenda of the meeting was as under:

1. To report the activities of IIC 5.0 carried out during Quarter I

2. Action Taken Report on the suggestions of the IIC 5.0 first meeting

3. To plan the activities of IIC 5.0 of Quarter II

4. Any other item with the permission of the chair

The MoE's Innovation Cell (MIC) organized an Orientation Session for the members of the Institutions’ Innovation Council (IIC-5.0) for the academic year 2022-23 in virtual mode on January 11, 2023 at 11.00 AM. All the members of IGNOU-IIC 5.0 were requested to join the session virtually. IGNOU IIC members joined from all over India and attended the session.

Dr. Deepan Sahu, Assistant Innovation Director, MoE’s Innovation Cell gave an overview of the Indian Innovation System and Indian Education System. He also elaborated upon the National Education Policy-2020. Then he described the efforts made towards institutionalizing Innovation and Entrepreneurship Ecosystems in Higher Education Institutions. He elaborated on the journey and activities of the Institution’s Innovation Council so far. He introduced the new features of the IIC 5.0 Portal. He also talked about the new activities introduced in the IIC 5.0, such as state level forums for IICs and Sub IICs in Universities.

NCIDE and SOS with the help of the Regional Services Division and the Regional Centres celebrated the National Science Day over a period of one month. The National Science Month Programme was inaugurated on February 01, 2023 by Prof. Satyakam, Pro-Vice Chancellor and Prof. Srikant Mohapatra, Pro-Vice Chancellor. Er. Anuj Sinha, Former Advisor and Head, NESTC (DST) and Former Director, Vigyan Prasar (DST) was the Chief Guest and he delivered a Popular Science Talk on “Excitement of Research for Open Learners”. This inaugural programme was organized in Virtual Mode which was attended by the faculty and staff of Headquarters and Regional Centres. 

On this occasion three Activities/Competitions were announced for the IGNOU students and alumni through all the Regional Centres. These competitions included :

1. Poster Making Competition on Science, Technology and Innovations for National Development.

2. Essay Writing Competition on Science, Technology and Innovations for National Development.

3. Ideathon Idea Competition on Science, Technology and Innovations for National Development.

The basic objectives of these competitions were :

1. to encourage IGNOU students towards Creativity, Critical Thinking and Innovation, and

2. to inculcate scientific tamper among IGNOU students and make them think scientifically.

Dr. S. K. Varshney, Advisor, International Division, DST, Government of India delivered keynote address on National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy of the Government of India. 

The winners of the Ideathon Competition were as follows:

Mr. Kunal Ambasta (First Prize) 

Ms. Humeera Mulla (Second Prize) 

Mr. Jayant Som (Third Prize) 

Ms. Khushboo (Consolation Prize) 

Mr. Salil Mehta (Consolation Prize) 

Mr. Varghese Suja K. (Consolation Prize) 

Innovation Cell at IGNOU RC Vatakara celebrated National Science Day on 27-2-2023 by conducting an online seminar on the topic ‘How to ask right questions from the perspective of sciences’.The speech was delivered by Ms. Nikita Bhatia.

According to the subject expert, overcoming the fear of asking questions is the first step towards developing the curiosity towards science. The Coordinator of the programme was Dr. M Rajesh, Regional Director, IGNOU Regional Centre Vatakara.