New Delhi, April 21 (Inditop.com) A total of 308 personnel below officers rank (PBOR) of the Indian army were awarded degrees, diplomas and certificates by the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) Wednesday in different courses of telecommunication and computers.

The PBORs were from the army’s corps of signals in Jabalpur. The ceremonial function took place at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) headquarters in the national capital under project Gyandeep, launched last year.

“The aim of the project is to confer educational certification to PBORs by according recognition to in-service training carried out by individuals during the span of their service career,” an army official said.

“We want to empower all PBORs by arming them with a diploma and degree so as to facilitate a second career post-retirement. This programme has the potential to transform the post-retirement life of soldiers by equipping them with a formal qualification and preparing them for competitive job avenues,” the official added.