About University
Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University (YCMOU) was established on 1st July 1989 by an Act XX (1989) of the Maharashtra State Legislature. It is the Fifth Open University in the country. The jurisdiction of this university is spread over the entire State of Maharashtra. The YCMOU is recognized under section 12 (B) of the University Grants Commission (UGC), New Delhi. The university is a member of various prestigious associations and bodies like the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU), International Council for Distance Education (ICDE) to name a few.
The goal of the YCMOU is to become a ‘Mass Varsity’. The University strives to ‘Reach the Unreached’ segments of the society thereby providing need-based, academic programs of various levels ranging from certificate to Post-Graduate programs. The YCMOU has its headquarters at Nashik, Regional Centres in 8 regions and 1711 learners support centres spread all over the State of Maharashtra.
Maharashtra has a long and rich tradition of educational reformers like Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, Karmaveer Bhaurao Patil, Swami Ramanand Teerth and other great thinkers and reformers have contributed to educational movement in the Maharashtra. It was therefore appropriate that the state realized the need of an open university, The university was established on 1st July, 1989 through Act XX of 1989 of the Maharashtra State Legislature, aptly named after Shri Yashwantrao Chavan, father of agro industrial development in modern Maharashtra.
The Maharashtra state legislature and ‘University Grants Commission of India’ has fully empowered this university to award various academic honours like certificates, diplomas and degrees. This university takes all precautions in design and development of curricula and the evaluation of learners to ensure that the standards and quality of, education and examinations are preserved.
All the UG and PG degree programs are duly recognized and approved by the ‘University Grant Commission (UGC)’, New Delhi. Hence, these programs are equivalent to the respective programs offered by any other statutory university in India, for the purpose of employment and further education. In this respect, the status of this university is at par with all other statutory universities of in India.