Indira Gandhi National Open University, also known as IGNOU was established in the year 1985 by an Act of Parliament. IGNOU offers distance learning programmes and there are 67 IGNOU regional centres, 29 overseas partner institutions, 21 schools of studies and approximately 2,667 learner support centres. In the year 1993, the university has been recognised as a Centre of Excellence in Distance Education by the Commonwealth of Learning. The university is recognised by the University Grants Commission. Indira Gandhi National Open University is spread over 150 acres of land. IGNOU courses include 228 certificate programmes, diploma, undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes and there are 21 school of studies of that offer these IGNOU courses and they are are:School of Humanities (SOH), School of Sciences (SOS), School of Education (SOE), School of Continuing Education (SOCE), School of Social Sciences (SOSS), School of Gender and Development Studies (SOGDS), School of Computer and Information Sciences (SOCIS), School of Management Studies (SOMS), School of Health Sciences (SOHS), School of Engineering and Technology (SOET), School of Law (SOL), School of Journalism and New Media Studies (SOJNMS), School of Tourism and Hospitality Service Management (SOTHSM), School of Interdisciplinary and Trans-disciplinary Studies (SOITS), School of Translation Studies and Training (SOTST), School of Vocational Education and Training (SOVET), School of Agriculture (SOA), School of Social Work (SOSW), School of Extension and Development Studies (SOEDS), School of Performing and Visual Arts (SOPVA) and School of Foreign Languages (SOFL).