IGNOU Regional Centre-Bhopal was established on 5th September 1986 (on Teacher’s Day) with the enrolment of 1756. Presently, 31 Districts of Madhya Pradesh are included in the jurisdiction of this Regional Centre which are as follows: Agar Malwa, Alirajpur, Ashok Nagar, Badwani, Betul, Bhind, Bhopal, Burhanpur, Datia, Dewas, Dhar, Guna, Gwalior, Harda, Hoshangabad, Indore, Jhabua, Khandwa, Khargone, Mandsaur, Morena, Neemuch, Raisen, Rajgarh, Ratlam, Sehore, Shajapur, Sheopur, Shivpuri, Ujjain and Vidisha.

During the last three decades IGNOU Regional Centre has been able to establish greater access to education, in rural and urban sectors, across barriers of gender, caste, class and creed. Regional Centre has developed a vast network of 66 Learner Support Centres which include 25 Regular Learner Support Centres, 32 Learner Support Centre (P), 04 Special Learner Support Centres (S) and 05 Learner Support Centre (J).

The enrolment pattern from 1990 to 2016 shows many ups and down. We find prominent upward growth in 1995-96 by 58.45%, in 2000-01 by 41.65% in 2009-10 by 43.85%, in 2010-11 by 39.76% and in 2011-12 by 66.41%. But this trend changed drastically during the three subsequent years in 2012-13, 2013-14, and 2014-15 and in 2015-16 the enrollment growth rate declined by 62.81%, 14.81%, 5.1% and 25.31% respectively. The RC has 2.59% share in the total enrolment of IGNOU up to 2016 and has 10.24% overall average growth rate. Bachelor Degree Level Programmes are ahead with 38.43% share in total enrollment of RC while Masters Programmes have 28.66% share. Diploma Level programme are lagging behind with 18% share in the total enrolment.