Date:13/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/13/stories/2008101360980300.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

IGNOU, UN agencies launch course in NGO management

Chitra V. Ramani

Bangalore: The potential of socially spirited individuals, who are managing non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and working for the uplift of society, has remained largely untapped. The NGOs established with an aim to help the socially deprived need the steady services of educated and socially conscious people.

Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) and the 10 UN agencies, under the umbrella of UNAIDS have launched a novel certificate course in NGO management. The ideals of the socially inclined individuals find shape in the curricula developed by IGNOU and UNAIDS.

“IGNOU has tied up with international and national NGOs. The course will groom the youngsters to fight the social evils and anomalies in a healthy and civil manner,” V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai, vice-chancellor of IGNOU, told The Hindu.

The course aims to build up capacity through awareness, before the youngsters join on-the-job training at NGOs short-listed by IGNOU.

It will provide basic managerial concept as what an NGO is, aims to do, how does it gather its resources and utilises them, how better are opportunities for utilising these resources.