Vice Chancellor of Indira Gandhi National Open University Prof Ravindra Kumar has said that IGNOU will start its Ph.D program from January 2017. Talking to media persons in Lucknow today he said that the program was closed in 2009 due to some technical issues raised by UGC. Now the UGC has granted permission to restart the Ph.D program, for which enrollment scheme will be publicised soon, he said. At present IGNOU is running 227 programs for its twenty nine lakh students spread all over the country and abroad, he apprised.<br/><br/>When asked what are the special efforts being made by IGNOU to popularise the distance learning with high standards in rural areas, Prof Kumar said that a new program has been launched under ' Unnat Bharat Abhiyan' IGNOU is in process of adopting six backward villages in every state. Here IGNOU will reach amongst the SC and ST prospective students who are deprived of the higher education. <br/><br/>AIR correspondent reports that VC Prof Ravindra Kumar said that UGC, the apex body of regulating higher education discriminates with IGNOU. While UGC recognizes any university with it campus once and gives sole discretion to run any course after its executive council approved it, but same yardstick is not adopted with IGNOU as it has to take approval for its every individual course. Women students constitute 45% of the student strength of IGNOU, VC apprised. He said that IGNOU is laying special emphasis on developing the skill development courses.