Hyderabad : Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Open University (BRAOU), Hyderabad, celebrated its 45th Foundation Day with a special lecture on “BRAOU and the Promise of Democratised Education” at its campus on Friday. The programme was presided over by the University’s Academic Director, Prof. G. Pushpa Chakrapani.
Prof. Ghanta Chakrapani, Vice-Chancellor participated as the chief guest at the event and spoke about the university’s 45-year journey, highlighting the developments undertaken over the past two years and the new changes introduced during this period. On the occasion, he said that Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Open University has played a key role in making higher education accessible to students from various social and economic backgrounds. He explained that the university, which was established with the goal of providing education to those unable to pursue higher studies through the conventional education system, is now transforming into a full-fledged digital university by embracing modern technology, online education, and artificial intelligence (AI).
He said that, along with technology, the university needs to move forward while giving priority to inclusiveness, accessibility, and quality education. He further stated that, with the support of the Telangana government and in line with the vision of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Open University is progressing steadily. He noted that the numerous modern reforms and the digital education model introduced by the university have proven useful to government institutions. As part of this effort, he said, the university had recently begun training teachers working in government schools through the “AI for Teachers” course. He also explained that the University Grants Commission has permitted the university to offer courses in digital and online mode, and that henceforth, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Open University will be recognised not merely as a distance-education university but as a digital and online university as well.
Dr. B. Shadrach, Director, Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (CEMCA), New Delhi was the keynote speaker and delivered a lecture on “BRAOU and the Promise of Democratised Education”. Dr. Shadrach highlighted the transformative potential of open and distance learning in democratising higher education. He said that digital technologies, open educational resources and innovative learning models can further expand access to quality education and create opportunities for learners irrespective of their geographical and socio-economic backgrounds. Traditional distance education was limited by fixed schedules and geographical barriers. Today, asynchronous digital learning enables students to learn according to their time, pace, language and individual needs. Farmers, homemakers and working professionals can access education conveniently alongside their daily responsibilities. With AI-driven personalised learning, education is becoming more adaptive and learner-centric.
Digital ODL also removes the physical limitations of conventional universities, enabling institutions like BRAOU to expand access to quality higher education, reduce costs per learner and continuously update course content. In this digital era, distance education is no longer a secondary alternative to conventional education; it is emerging as the primary engine for global, lifelong learning. Technology has provided us with an unprecedented lever to bridge the educational divide if only we choose to wield it with purpose, vision, and the enduring spirit of Babasaheb Dr. B. R. Ambedkar. He also highlighted that BRAOU TV for visual broadcasts, Hi-BRAOU Digital Radio for audio streaming on basic mobile devices, iBooks for offline-first reading, and our integrated DigiLibrary, we complete a multi-channel reach strategy, ensuring learning meets every student wherever they are, on whatever device they hold, online or offline.
Prof. G. Pushpa Chakrapani, Director (Academic), BRAOU presided over the program. She said Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Open University remains steadfastly committed to the goals of social justice and inclusive education, and continuously evolves its academic policies to meet students’ needs in keeping with changing times. She elaborated on the recent decisions taken by the university, the changes brought about as a result, the new courses recently approved by the UGC, and the university’s ongoing journey towards a digital education model. Dr.L.Vijaya Krishna Reddy Registrar BRAOU introduced about the program and Chief Guest and spoke on the occasion.
Earlier, on the occasion of the university’s 45th Foundation Day, floral tributes were paid with great reverence to the statue of Bharat Ratna Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and to the portrait of Prof. G. Ram Reddy, the father of distance education who first introduced it in the country. The programme was attended by Prof. D. Rabindranath Solomon; Prof. Vaddanam Srinivas, Prof. Sridevi, Prof. Venkata Ramana, Prof. Boju Srinivas, Prof. Madhuri, former Vice-Chancellor of Krishna University Prof. Venkaiah, former faculty members Prof. Kuppuswamy Rao, Prof. Hayat, Prof. Rajasekhar Reddy, Prof. Venkataiah, Dr. Santosh Reddy, Dr. Malla Reddy, heads of all departments, deans, leaders of all employee associations, and teaching and non-teaching staff.
