The University began by offering two academic programmes in 1987, i.e., Diploma in Management and Diploma in Distance Education, with a strength of 4,528 students.

IGNOU, the National Resource Centre for Open and Distance Learning (ODL), with international recognition and presence, shall provide seamless access to sustainable and learner-centric quality education, skill upgradation and training to all by using innovative technologies and methodologies and ensuring convergence of existing systems for massive human resource required for promoting integrated national development and global understanding.

The Research Unit of IGNOU, established in 2008, is the nodal unit of IGNOU for the conduct of research programmes of the University. It operates under the overall guidance of the Research Council. The Research Degree Programmes today have an enrolment figure of 973 scholars registered in forty three Disciplines under various Schools of Studies. IGNOU has awarded Ph.Ds to five hundred seventy four (574) scholars and M.Phil to eighty (80) scholars.