Odisha State Open University (OSOU), Sambalpur, has signed a significant Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Quality Council of India (QCI), New Delhi, to undertake various initiatives focused on quality enhancement and academic excellence for the benefit of learners across the state and beyond, stated a press release from the institute.

The MoU signing ceremony was held in the presence of Minister of Education (Higher Education), Odisha, Suryabanshi Suraj, who commended this collaborative step towards strengthening quality in open and distance learning education.

Under this partnership, OSOU and QCI will jointly work on a broad spectrum of initiatives including:
1) Development of quality digital content on skill-embedded subjects

2) Conducting academic audits of programmes and delivery mechanisms

3) Undertaking studies on the understanding and penetration of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020

4) Designing and implementing apprenticeship-embedded degree programmes

5) Exploring pathways for the internationalisation of academic programmes

6) And many more learner-centric, quality-oriented academic projects.

The MoU was formally exchanged between Dr Chitta Ranjan Sahu, Registrar, OSOU, and Dr Varinder Singh Kanwar, CEO, National Accreditation Board for Education and Training (NABET), Quality Council of India, in the presence of Prof Shyam Sundar Pattnaik, Vice-Chancellor, OSOU, and other dignitaries.

Prof Pattnaik emphasised the importance of collaborative quality frameworks in enhancing the reach, relevance, and rigour of open learning systems. Dr Kanwar reiterated QCI’s commitment to supporting OSOU in driving innovation and quality benchmarks in higher education aligned with NEP 2020.