SSLNT Women’s College in Dhanbad where the Ignou study centre will come up. Picture by Gautam Dey

Dhanbad women — homemakers, those working and the elderly — who cannot attend regular classes to pursue higher education can now hope to achieve their dreams, thanks to an initiative by SSLNT Women’s College.

The coal capital’s lone constituent cradle for girls has finally got the go-ahead from Indira Gandhi Open University (Ignou) to open an exclusive women’s study centre on its premises.

The college had applied to Ignou for starting the study centre long back, but the approval came only a month ago.

Divulging details, college principal Kiran Singh said, “Though we have yet not received any formal document, we have been verbally informed that our application for a study centre has been approved.”

She added that once the letter from Ignou’s regional centre in Ranchi arrived, the college would start enrolling students. The required infrastructure such as the building, experienced faculty members and so on are all ready.

The principal, however, said that they were yet to decide on the courses that would be taught and a few other details. Usually, Ignou offers postgraduation, vocational and professional courses.

When contacted, director of the Ranchi regional centre of the open university Shiva Kumar confirmed that the study centre at SSLNT Women’s College had been approved, but added that notification from the Ignou headquarters in Delhi was yet to come. “We will dispatch the letter as soon as we get the notification,” Kumar said.

Coal town women are more than happy.

Sindri-based homemaker Shilpi Mishra, who completed her postgraduation in economics from SSLNT Women’s College in 2006 and later did her BEd from the same college in 2009, is one of them.

“I am interested in doing an MA in Hindi. The Ignou study centre at my alma mater will help me pursue the course. The fact that it will be an exclusive centre for women will help as there will be no objection from my in-laws,” said the 34-year-old woman.

Since postgraduation courses, except in home science, were withdrawn from SSLNT Women’s College in 2006, many students were compelled to quit studies after graduation. Many opted for Ignou’s postgraduation centre at PK Roy Memorial College.

“Apart from homemakers and working women, the centre will also benefit the 5,000-odd students of our college as they will now have the option to pursue masters at the Ignou centre,” said the principal.