The Jharkhand State Open University (JSOU) marked its second Foundation Day with a grand event at Birsa Agriculture University, Ranchi on 24 January 2025. Dr B. Shadrach, Director, Commonwealth of Learning (COL)’s regional centre in Asia, the Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (COL-CEMCA), graced the occasion as the Guest of Honour, alongside other distinguished guests, who shared insights on the future of education and the role of open universities, especially JSOU, in taking education to the door-steps of the marginalised and unreached tribal population.
The event commenced with a welcome address and the presentation of the annual report by Professor (Dr) Triveni Nath Sahu, Vice Chancellor of JSOU. Reflecting on the university's journey, he acknowledged challenges in infrastructure and finances, but expressed optimism about overcoming them through collective efforts. He highlighted JSOU as Jharkhand’s sole open and distance learning institution and its inclusion in the University Grants Commission's list.
The Chief Guest, Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar, Governor of Jharkhand, appreciated the valuable insights shared by preceding speakers, Dr B. Shadrach, Dr Bansh Gopal Singh, Vice Chancellor of Pandit Sundarlal Sharma Open University, Chhattisgarh, and Shri Balbir Dutta, a veteran journalist, and author of several scholarly books. Shri Gangwar commended JSOU's dedicated efforts in creating pathways to opportunity for students from the rural and tribal regions of the state, who have been unable to access conventional education due to diverse challenges. He added that the open universities are going to play a stellar role in realising the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat by 2047. He urged the JSOU to aspire for greater achievements.
Earlier, in his address, Dr B. Shadrach, referred to the remarkable coincidence of JSOU’s Foundation Day aligning with the International Day of Education. He highlighted the transformative role of open universities in fostering inclusive education, particularly for tribal communities in Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. Further, he emphasised the importance of skilling, reskilling, and upskilling in the era of digital, green, and AI revolutions sweeping the educational and skilling landscape in India. Identifying challenges such as high dropout rates and the declining GER, he proposed solutions rooted in research, integrated policy approaches, and community engagement. “JSOU has the potential to scale up a hundredfold by addressing systemic issues, building teacher capacity, and integrating mother-tongue education. It must also become an awarding body for NCVET and establish links with national educational schemes,” he suggested.
Professor (Dr) Bansh Gopal Singh lauded JSOU's remarkable progress within two years, noting its establishment of 178 Study Centres within the state. He emphasised the need to align with NEP 2020 goals by introducing new courses and increasing the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER). "Open universities were pioneers in using technology for education, from television to internet-based platforms, and we must build on this legacy," he remarked.
The event concluded with a call for collective action to transform education and drive state development, as echoed by special guest Padmashri Balbir Dutta.