Bhubaneswar: The regional centre of the Indira Gandhi National Open University (Ignou) is planning to launch six-month certificate courses for graduate and postgraduate students in collaboration with the state higher education department.

The certificate courses will be provided through some 52 government and 251 government-aided colleges across the state. Students can complete up to four certi-ficate programmes simultaneously.

The Ignou regional centre has also started working with the Skill Development Institute, Bhubaneswar for offering some certificate courses.

Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) also plans to collaborate with Ignou in opening several courses - such as Certificate in Information Technology, Certificate of Competency in Power Distribution and Certificate in Communication and IT Skills.

Nine certificate programmes will be launched on subjects such as first aid, event management, tribal studies, Ambedkar studies, financial management, marketing management, operation management, human resource management and retail management in the initial phase.

The fees of the courses will range from Rs 1,500 to Rs 4,000. However, the courses will be free for students belonging to scheduled caste and scheduled tribe categories.

"Ignou has already started these courses in Rajasthan. We want to start them in Odisha for the benefit of the students," said Ignou regional centre's zonal officer Manoj Kumar Dash.

A proposal has also been submitted to the general manager of East Coast Railway for collaboration with Ignou for implementation of certificate programmes for officials of the Indian Railway at various levels.

The regional centre is also planning to open study centres in all circle jails and district jails of Odisha with the support of the directorate of prisons."A final notification about opening of the study centres would be released within a month," said Dash.