New Delhi, July 17: In a landmark initiative, the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has become the first Indian university to introduce online Sand Art courses through the Ministry of Education’s SWAYAM platform. This development officially recognises sand art as a vocational and skill-based field in the academic landscape.
The initiative has been warmly welcomed by Padma Shri awardee and internationally acclaimed sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik, who has played a key role in supporting the programme. “It has always been my dream to make sand art a global symbol of Indian creativity. Today, with IGNOU and SWAYAM’s support, we are empowering thousands of learners to master this art from anywhere,” Pattnaik said.
He expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the Ministry of Education and IGNOU for turning his long-cherished dream into reality. “My special thanks to @EduMinOfIndia and @OfficialIGNOU for this path-breaking step,” he wrote on social media. Pattnaik also acknowledged the unwavering support of Prof. Uma Kanjilal, Vice Chancellor of IGNOU, in making the programme possible.
The introduction of sand art into online education platforms is seen as a significant move toward nurturing traditional art forms and providing them a global audience. The new courses aim to offer structured training and professional exposure to aspiring artists, regardless of geographical boundaries.
