Patna: A special advisory team of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), New Delhi, led by Kanhaiya Tripathi, conducted an inspection of Nalanda Open University (NOU) on Tuesday to assess the facilities and institutional environment available to students.During interactions with the university administration, faculty, employees and students, Tripathi stressed the need for introducing dedicated courses on human rights. He said awareness of rights should not remain confined to specialists, as even people well-versed in their respective fields often lack adequate knowledge of human rights. He urged the university to take concrete steps to promote rights awareness among its students.NOU registrar Abhay Kumar Singh said the university maintained a zero-tolerance policy towards discrimination and ensured that students received support at every level. He said certificates and other documents were generally made available within an hour of an application.IT coordinator Amar Nath Pandey informed the team that women and transgender students receive a 25% fee concession at the university.Pallavi of NOU highlighted the distinctive nature of open education, where there is no age bar for admission, enabling people at different stages of life to pursue higher education and enhance their knowledge and skills.Tripathi separately interacted with officials, teachers, non-teaching staff and students to assess the campus environment independently.NOU senior faculties Kiran Pandey and Sangeeta Kumari briefed the team about hostel facilities, while Meena Kumari outlined the university’s academic programmes.
