Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 06 September 2025
The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has been ranked Number 1 in the Open Universities category of the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2025, reaffirming its position as a leader in Open and Distance Learning (ODL) and online education in India.
Reacting to the achievement, Prof. Uma Kanjilal, Vice-Chancellor of IGNOU, expressed gratitude to the entire university community. “This milestone has been made possible by the dedicated efforts of our faculty, academic, and non-academic staff. At IGNOU, our mission remains clear—to provide affordable, quality education to everyone, everywhere. Going forward, we will strengthen our focus on leveraging digital and technological tools to ensure accessibility even in the remotest parts of the country. We will continue to expand the use of vernacular languages, multimedia, video-based resources, and blended learning approaches so that education reaches learners in the most inclusive and learner-friendly manner,” she said.
The NIRF rankings, instituted by the Ministry of Education in 2015, assess higher education institutions across parameters such as teaching, learning and resources, research and professional practice, graduation outcomes, outreach and inclusivity, and perception. Widely regarded as a benchmark of excellence, these rankings play a significant role in shaping the higher education landscape of the country.
This is the second consecutive year that IGNOU has secured the top spot in the Open Universities category, underscoring the vital role of open and distance learning in creating an inclusive and knowledge-driven society. With a vast learner base across India and abroad, the university continues to innovate in pedagogy and technology, maintaining its status as the world’s largest open university.
