The Principal functions of the Regional Centres can be broadly classified under the three heads:

a) Academic
b) Administrative
c) Promotional

a) Academic Activities

IGNOU Regional Centre has a number of academic activities. One of the primary functions of the regional centre is to provide information, pre-admission counselling to all the learners for their admissions into IGNOU programmes. The other academic activities encompass function pertaining to maintenance of student regard and providing them support in their course of study, identification and empanelment of academic counsellors, their orientation, research and development pertaining to academic programmes wherever entrusted, organization of academic seminars and workshops, monitoring of counselling sessions and assignment evaluation at the study centres and the learner support centres, conduct of intensive contact programmes, maintenance of library services, translation of some of the academic programmes of the University in regional languages.

b) Administrative Activities

Administrative activities of the Regional Centre include appointment of staff at the Study Centres and other Learner Support Centres, maintenance of service records, purchase and maintenance of furniture and equipment, financial management of the Regional Centre including the maintenance of accounts, maintenance of the grants, control of expenditure, reconciliation of accounts in respect of fees and grants, library, records, preparation of budgetary estimates. Details of these activities have been separately given at the chapters on “Administration” and “Finance and Accounts”.

c) Promotional Activities

Promotional Activities include adequate publicity of the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) System within the region, developing suitable publicity material, identifying journals and newspapers for publicity, establishing regular contacts with various institutions and voluntary organization within the region, organization of public seminars and symposia on ODL System, participation in exhibitions and book fairs, radio, television and press interviews, Regional Director’s visits to institutions / Organizations, liaison with State Government and voluntary organizations, etc. These promotional activities can be group specific (for example for potential students, prospective employers & IGNOU graduates, academicians etc.), programme specific (for example during the admission period).