About Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University (BAOU), established in 1994 by an Act of the Government of Gujarat and now governed under the Gujarat Public Universities Act, 2023, is committed to its motto of ‘Education for All’.

BAOU has received numerous distinctions, including:

1. Accredited with A++ grade with a CGPA of 3.55 out of 4 (first cycle) by National Assessment and Accreditation Council.
2. Awarded Category I status by University Grants Commission, India under Graded Autonomy Regulations.
3. Granted 12B status under the University Grants Commission (UGC) Act, 1956.
4. Entitlement to offer Online Programmes by University Grants Commission – Distance Education Bureau (UGC-DEB).
5. 3rd Rank in India Ranking 2024 (Open University category) by NIRF, Ministry of Education, Government of India.
6. Recipient of the “Excellence in Institutional Social Responsibility” Award by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

Headquartered at its state-of-the-art ‘Jyotirmay’ Parisar in Ahmedabad, the University operates 09 Regional Centres and a network of 315+ Learner Support Centres across Gujarat.

As the only Open University in the State, BAOU has played a pivotal role in expanding access to higher education, enrolling over 3,13,292 learners in the past three years. With 111 academic programmes including Ph.D., Postgraduate, Graduate, Diploma, and Certificate courses, the University continues to transform lives by offering accessible, flexible, and barrier-free education to learners of all ages.

About the Centre for Internal Quality Assurance (CIQA)

The Centre for Internal Quality Assurance (CIQA) at Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University (BAOU) is a dedicated institutional body established to strengthen and sustain quality assurance in all academic, administrative, and governance processes in Open and Distance Learning (ODL) and Online Learning.

CIQA plays a pivotal role in monitoring, evaluating, and enhancing the effectiveness of quality systems across the university, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards and best practices.

It leads efforts in periodic self-assessment, academic and administrative audits, and continuous improvement initiatives, while generating feedback-driven recommendations that support excellence in teaching, learning, research, and institutional governance. By fostering a culture of quality and accountability, CIQA contributes significantly to BAOU’s mission of delivering high-quality, accessible, and learner-centric education.