This year the Gold Medal for Innovations in ODL has been awarded to Dr. Jeetendra Pande from Uttarakhand Open University, during the 32nd Convocation of the University by the Hon’ble Vice President of India.

Dr. Jeetendra Pande and his team have developed an innovative ICT enabled platform for providing open and distance learning in an integrated way. To devise a way out for these impediments and gap areas in the efficiency of the ODL system, efforts are needed to bring out innovative solutions. An environment of innovation and creativity needs to be fostered in the Universities. It becomes important to foster innovation and creativity among the teachers, the academics and the administrative functionaries of the University. It becomes important to identify and recognize the innovations made by them. The Gold Medal for Innovation in ODL is awarded to recognize such innovators in the University.

This endeavor for recognition “innovation in ODL” is the only one of its kind in India. The innovativeness of the award lies in its concept. It is an endeavor to nurture an environment of innovations in the ODL system by the way of acknowledging the innovators.

The nominations are placed before a committee constituted for the purpose, which carefully deliberates and selects the winner of the medal. The nominations are subjected to different parameters, including elements of innovation, technological features of the innovation, creative breakthrough, implementation, cost-effectiveness, scalability of innovation, sustainability, repetitiveness, spread, adaptability, operational viability relevance with the concept to ODL system and overall impact. There are marks allotted to each parameter for a given nomination.

The Gold Medal provides recognition to the innovators. It helps them to become renowned in their field and this enables them to influence others’ thoughts to bring about a positive change in the system through innovations. It also motivates others to innovate.