Indira Gandhi National Open University, commonly known as
IGNOU, is a public institution for distance education located in New Delhi,
India. Established in 1985 following the enactment of the Indira Gandhi
National Open University Act, 1985, the university was named in honour of former
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and was initially funded with a budget of ₹20
million. Run by the central government of India, IGNOU has an active enrollment
of over 4 million students, making it the largest university globally.
IGNOU was established to meet the educational needs of the
Indian population through distance and open education, to ensure access to
quality higher education for all social classes. Its objectives include
promoting, coordinating and setting standards for distance and open education in
India, as well as increasing the country's human resources through education.