NEW DELHI: Indira Gandhi National Open University is planning to launch several new courses and formal study programmes on social work and HIV/AIDS, Masters in social work (MSW) to commence from July 2008. It will also launch a PG Diploma in social work from January 2009.

In another development, former President of India, APJ Abdul Kalam released a book on HIV/AIDS and delivered a lecture on 'Giving Dignity to Human Life'. He was speaking at the first Mother Teresa Memorial Lecture conducted by IGNOU. The lecture was instituted after signing of an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) between IGNOU and Catholic Bishops Conference of India(CBCI).