IGNOU, ICAI inks MoU to enhance academic collaboration

The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has recently renewed and revitalized its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) in an effort to enhance their educational collaboration.

The official signing ceremony for the MoU took place in the presence of key dignitaries, including Professor Nageshwar Rao, the Vice Chancellor of IGNOU, CA Aniket Sunil Talati, the President of ICAI, distinguished members of ICAI, and faculty members from IGNOU’s School of Management Studies (SOMS). The MoU was formally signed by CA Jai Kumar Batra, Secretary of ICAI, and Dr. Alok Chaube, Registrar of IGNOU.

CA Dayaniwas Sharma, Chairman of BoS at ICAI, expressed his satisfaction with the previous collaboration, which had benefitted over 48,522 BCOMAF and 8,650 MCOMFT students. He warmly welcomed the continuation of this academic partnership.

Professor MS Senam Raju, the Director of the School of Management Studies, voiced his approval of the revised MoU. He emphasized the significance of this agreement in the context of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the curriculum and credit framework established by the University Grants Commission (UGC). Professor Raju also mentioned that similar revised MoUs had been signed with ICSI and ICAI (CMA), expressing gratitude for the Vice Chancellor’s consistent support for such collaborations between academic institutions and industry.

CA Ranjeet Kumar Agarwal, Vice President of ICAI, underscored the pivotal role of education in ensuring success in a competitive world. He highlighted that this MoU would enable ICAI students to broaden their education across various disciplines while maintaining practical knowledge during their articleship.

CA Aniket Sunil Talati, President of ICAI, pointed out that the MoU would offer ICAI students a unique opportunity to pursue academic qualifications without compromising their practical training during articleship. He emphasized that both ICAI and IGNOU would play a crucial role in providing students with a blend of academic and practical exposure, leveraging the extensive educational reach of both institutions to meet the nation’s expectations.

Professor Nageshwar Rao, Vice-Chancellor of IGNOU, highlighted the university’s global standing as the largest in terms of enrollment, with 3.5 million students currently enrolled and 3.8 million alumni. He also mentioned IGNOU’s international presence in 58 countries with 5,000 enrolled students. Professor Rao emphasized the shared characteristics between both institutions, such as extensive academic operations, international presence, and large enrollments. He expressed confidence that this renewed MoU would mutually benefit students by offering affordable and flexible learning opportunities.