Prof. Uma Kanjilal

Prof. Uma Kanjilal assumed charge as Vice-Chancellor of the Indira Gandhi National Open University on 25 July 2025, having served as Acting Vice-Chancellor from July 2024. With over 36 years of experience in Open and Distance Learning, she has held several key leadership positions at IGNOU, including Pro Vice-Chancellor, Director of the Centre for Online Education, IUC-TEFED, ACIIL, and the School of Social Sciences, and University Librarian.

A Fulbright Scholar at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (1999–2000), she specialised in multimedia and web-based courseware development. She has undertaken international assignments with the Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia, UNRWA in Jordan, and the Commonwealth of Learning in Canada. Nationally, she is National Coordinator for SWAYAM and SWAYAM PRABHA, flagship initiatives of the Ministry of Education, and leads IGNOU's Project Management Unit under NMEICT Phase-III.

Her awards and fellowships include the Manthan Award for e-Education, an Australia-India Council Grant, a DANIDA Fellowship, and DELNET's Best Lending Library Award. She has contributed to numerous national committees and advisory boards under the Ministries of Education and Culture. Her research spans digital libraries, multimedia courseware, and ICT-based education, including projects such as Sakshat, NMEICT, and the National Virtual Library of India, and with over fifty publications comprising books, chapters, research papers, and policy documents, her expertise has been instrumental in advancing India's digital education and open learning landscape.