IGNOU Notable Alumni - Successful People who have Inspired Generations of Students

When it comes to distance learning, the first name that comes to mind is IGNOU. Let's check out some famous people who also chose IGNOU for their higher education. 

 

IGNOU Notable Alumni - Distance and open learning have become synonymous with IGNOU in our country. It is undoubtedly the most popular distance learning institute. This open university gives admission to a humungous number of students from across India each year. IGNOU was established in 1985 and quickly gained popularity in and out of India for its distance learning programmes. Over the years, it has also taught some names that have failed to stay hidden from the world. In this article, we will take a look at some notable IGNOU alumni from across fields like entertainment, public administration, media, etc. Read on for more on IGNOU and its alumni.

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IGNOU: Highlights

Before getting into the list of its alumni, let us take a look at some highlights about the people's university here. 

IGNOU Courses

Some of the popular streams in which various IGNOU courses are offered include:

Notable Alumni of IGNOU

While IGNOU has been catering to the educational aspirations of students for over 30 years, it is a general belief among students that the university is apt only for those who are academically weak or non-serious about their careers. The self-guided approach to higher education may be the reason behind this misconception. However, it is far from the truth. IGNOU has provided quality distance education and its alumni are proof of the same. Here is a list of some notable IGNOU alumni. 

Keshvendra Kumar: 

Keshvendra Kumar is an IAS Officer who belongs to the state of Bihar. After completing his schooling from Sitamarhi, Keshvendra enrolled in a Hindi (Hons) course at IGNOU. Along with Hindi (Hons), Keshvendra also pursued a railways vocational course to support his family financially. After completing the course from IGNOU, Keshvendra took the UPSC Civil Services Exam and cracked it on the first attempt.

Kumar Ravikant Singh:

Having a similar story as Keshvendra, Kumar Ravikant Singh is also an IAS Officer from Bihar. The lad secured admission at IGNOU after clearing Class 12^th and also took up a job simultaneously. Thereafter, Kumar took as well as cracked the Civil Services Exam.

Himanshu Kumar:

Himanshu Kumar, an IAS Officer again, is the third student ever of IGNOU to crack the UPSC Civil Services Exam. Himanshu had enrolled in an MA Public Administration course at the university. Hailing from Champaran district in Bihar, Himanshu has completed his graduation in Journalism from Delhi University. 

Karthik Gurunathan Iyer:

Karthik Gurunathan Iyer completed his graduation in Science stream from Fergusson College, Pune University. Thereafter, Karthik secured admission in the Masters in Political Science programme at IGNOU and started preparing for the Civil Services Exam simultaneously. He cracked the Civil Services Exam in a single attempt and wished to join the Indian Foreign Service (IFS).

Deepika Padukone:

Deepika Padukone is one of the highest-paid actresses in the Indian film industry. Born in Denmark and brought up in Bangalore, Deepika enrolled in the BA Sociology programme at IGNOU after completing her schooling. However, the actress later quit the course due to her emerging career in modelling. Another actress who has studied at IGNOU is Celina Jaitley.

Sudipta Chakraborty:

Sudipta Chakraborty is an Indian actress who usually works in Bengali cinema. Hailing from the city of Kolkata, Bengal, Sudipta has completed her graduation in English from IGNOU post where she went ahead to build a career in films.

General Deepak Kapoor:

General Deepak Kapoor was the Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army from 2007 – 2010. The General has completed his master’s degree in Business Administration from IGNOU.

Ashok Khemka:

Ashok Khemka is another popular IGNOU alumni who is a notable economist, computer scientist and IAS Officer in the state of Haryana. The officer possesses an MA in Economics degree from IGNOU.

Reema Debnath:

Reema Debnath is an Indian actress who is known for her supporting roles in films like Bodyguard and PK. Born and brought up in Agartala, Tripura, Reema has completed her graduation from Calcutta University. Apart from this, the actress has also pursued courses in Modern Office Management and Computing from IGNOU.  

Biswatosh Sengupta:

Biswatosh Sengupta is one of the most highly qualified alumni of IGNOU and is an Indian academic. Among the various degrees that he possesses, Biswatosh has completed his PG Diploma in Creative Writing in English, Diploma in Computer in Office Management, and MCA from IGNOU.

Lipin Raj:

Fighting all the odds of an eye injury, financial crisis and other family issues, Lipin Raj cracked the prestigious Civil Services Exam to become an IAS Officer. The lad completed his graduation from Mar Ivanios College, Thiruvananthapuram and post-graduation in MA History from IGNOU.

This was our list of top IGNOU alumni. As evident above, pursuing a course from Indira Gandhi National Open University only adds more shine to one’s career.

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