Introduction

The Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University (BAOU) was established by the Act No.14 of 1994 passed by the Gujarat State Legislature, and assented to by the Governor of Gujarat on 27th July, 1994. The BAOU is the seventh Open University in the country in terms of their establishment. The University offers 72 programmes with an enrolment of more than 1,00,000 learners.

The headquarters of the university is located at Ahmedabad. The University has established Regional Centre on the campus of South Gujarat University, Rajkot and has initiated the process of another establishing Regional centre on the campus of North Gujarat University, Patan. The University has more than 507 study centers. It has jurisdiction over the whole state of Gujarat. It is open to all persons irrespective of classes, castes, creed, religion or sex.

The important and distinguishing objectives for BAOU are to:

• Advance and disseminate learning and knowledge by a diversity of means, including use of any communication technology,
• Provide opportunities for higher education to a large segment of the population,
• Promote the educational well-being of the community generally, and * Encourage the Open University and distance education system in the education pattern of the Sate