Insta
‘Body Is Trapped, Mind Is Free’: IGNOU Launches Phone-In Radio Counselling To Help Nagpur Central Jail Prisoners
Swarajya Staff
Jan 09, 2019, 06:27 PM | Updated 06:26 PM IST
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has launched a mediated phone-in radio counselling for prisoners in the Nagpur Central Jail with the aim to help them in their academic studies without compromising jail’s security.
The virtual classroom was inaugurated by Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Prisons (eastern region), Yogesh Desai and IGNOU’s regional director P Sivaswaroop at open varsity’s Gyan Vani radio channel studio, reports Indian Express.
“To circumvent this difficulty, an innovative method has been adopted by IGNOU here. Prisoners will now listen to lessons imparted by teachers on the FM radio channel. They will write their doubts/queries on a paper and give it to the IGNOU’s jail coordinator,” Sivaswaroop was quoted in the report as saying.
While IGNOU offered many academic courses, student-teacher interactive call back facility was not available for prisoners as there is no access to phones in the jail.
The coordinator will call the Gyan Vani studio from the jail office phone and read out the student’s queries. The teacher in the studio will then provide answers on the radio channel, said Sivaswaroop.
Desai said that the ‘phone-in education’ was being started for the first time in Nagpur central jail where IGNOU’s academic courses were being pursued by several prisoners. He said that the programme will also help in “correcting and rehabilitating” the prisoners.
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Introducing ElectionsHQ + 50 Ground Reports Project
The 2024 elections might seem easy to guess, but there are some important questions that shouldn't be missed.
Do freebies still sway voters? Do people prioritise infrastructure when voting? How will Punjab vote?
The answers to these questions provide great insights into where we, as a country, are headed in the years to come.
Swarajya is starting a project with an aim to do 50 solid ground stories and a smart commentary service on WhatsApp, a one-of-a-kind. We'd love your support during this election season.
Click below to contribute.