The Hindu 30.01.2014
IGNOU launches course in urban planning
It will focus on how to meet the challenges of rapid urbanisation
Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), which
has been offering distance education courses in various subjects, has
now entered the urban planning and development sector.
Challenges
Realising
the challenges lying ahead for planners and policy makers in view of
increasing urbanisation, the university has introduced a one-year
postgraduate English diploma course in Urban Planning and Development.
It is mainly aimed at councillors, civil engineers, architects, real
estate promoters and those who are handling development projects in
municipal corporations, municipalities and town panchayats.
S. Mohanan, Regional Director of IGNOU-Madurai Regional Centre, told
The Hindu
on Wednesday that the admissions for the January session had commenced.
He
said that soon he would write to District Collectors and Corporation
Commissioners to encourage their town planning staff to join the course.
Efficiency
This
distance learning programme was designed by the varsity’s School of
Extension and Development Studies to strengthen the efficiency and
effectiveness of the people working in urban planning divisions and
non-governmental organisations.
An introductory note
prepared by IGNOU said urbanisation had created various problems with
regard to transportation, unauthorised housing and construction and
displacement of people. Mr.Mohanan said any graduate could join the
course, the fee for which was fixed at Rs.2,800.
“Support needed”
“Soon
I will also meet the Collectors of the districts coming under the
jurisdiction of Madurai Regional Centre and seek their support.
Municipal authorities can sponsor their senior employees as it will help
them address the challenges of growing urbanisation and find ways to
tackle them,” he noted. The IGNOU-Madurai Regional Centre covers 15
districts and the overall student enrolment in this admission season had
been encouraging, he added.
Admitting inmates of
Madurai, Coimbatore and Tiruchi prisons to suitable courses and skill
development programmes and opening of a programme centre for law in
Government Law College in Madurai were among the other priorities of the
centre, he pointed out.