The Diplomat Desk
Jammu :TDD,December 2024 Term-end Examinations of the Indira Gandhi National Open University are being conducted across the Country including Jammu region and will conclude on 9th January, 2025. Apart from the regular Examination Centers, Regional Centre Jammu has established Examination Centres in Jails as well. These Special Examination Centres are exclusively meant for jail inmates.
As a part of Prison Reforms, IGNOU has established a number of Learner Support Centers in prisons across the Country. The prisoners are enrolled in various vocational and educational programs for their social rehabilitation and also to enable them to earn their livelihood after their release from the prisons. In Jammu region, there are four Learner Support Centers in District Jail Ambphalla, District Jail Udhampur, District Jail Kathua and Central Jail Kot Bhalwal, Jammu. The education through ODL mode is provided free of cost. Free of Cost Study Material is also provided to the inmates who are enrolled for IGNOU programmes.
Dr. Jai Prakash Verma informed that the first Special Jail Learner Support Centre was established in Jammu region in the year 1999 in District Jail Amphala which was followed by the LSC in District Jail Udhampur in 2005 and the LSC in Central Jail Kot Bhalwal in 2007 and District Jail Kathua special LSC was established in 2011.
The all four Learner Support Centres in jails in Jammu region are also the Examination Centres for the ongoing December 2024 Term End Examinations and the officials of the Regional Centre have been deployed to monitor the conduct of examinations throughout the region by making surprise visits for on the spot assessment of the conduct of examinations, said Dr. Jai Prakash Verma, Regional Director, Regional Centre Jammu.
As a part of monitoring of examinations, Dr. Sandeep Gupta, Assistant Regional Director, visited the Examination Centre established in District Jail Udhampur today. Dharminder Singh Katoch, Superintendent Jail, who is the Coordinator of the IGNOU Centre in Udhampur Jail as well as the Centre Superintendent for the ongoing Examinations there apprised Dr. Sandeep about the conduct of examinations. Dr. Sandeep expressed satisfaction about the manner in which examinations were being conducted in a fair and smooth manner.
Dr. Sandeep Gupta said that IGNOU makes arrangements for the prisoners’ studies through ODL mode free of cost so that they earn academic qualifications during their jail tenure and get easy rehabilitation post release.TDD
