The IGNOU MAWGSR Project is MWGP 101, an 8-credit course in Semester IV that every MA Women’s and Gender Studies learner completes, as either a research project or an internship of at least one month. Proforma I and a synopsis go by email to the course coordinator in Semester III. The report runs 4,000 to 5,000 words, the file goes to IGNOU as a hard copy or online (never both), and an online viva carries 30 per cent of the marks.
- MWGP 101 sits in Semester IV of both specialisations, and the 80 credits of the MA only add up with it. The asterisk beside it in the Prospectus explains the choice of route (internship or research project), not a choice to skip the course (Common Prospectus, July 2026, pp. 106 to 107).
- The length is set in words: about 4,000 to 5,000 for a research report, a case study, a critical analysis or an internship report (manual, pp. 7, 9, 14, 15 and 18). Page counts such as 80 to 120 do not appear in it.
- The research route names no guide or supervisor. You send Proforma I and a synopsis as soft copies by email to the course coordinator, Prof. Himadri Roy, and start only after approval (manual, pp. 5 and 7).
- Only the internship route has a supervisor, and the manual sets the bar: an MA with 2 to 3 years of work in the gender field, with a PhD or experience in a gender organisation desirable (p. 16).
- The final submission is one file of five items, sent as one hard copy to Project Section, Block 3, Students Evaluation Division, or online. The manual says twice: never both (pp. 8 and 17).
- The viva is online, held by the programme team after submission, with the date sent to the e-mail on your proforma. The report carries 70 per cent of the marks and the viva 30 per cent (pp. 6 and 19).
IGNOU MAWGSR Project: compulsory MWGP 101, 8 credits, two routes
Every learner who wants the MA degree completes the IGNOU MAWGSR Project. The July 2026 Prospectus lists MWGP 101 Project Work at 8 credits in Semester IV of the Gender, Literature and Culture specialisation and again in Semester IV of the Women’s Studies specialisation. Five 8-credit courses make the first year’s 40 credits; MWG 005 Research Methods and one specialisation course make Semester III; two specialisation courses and MWGP 101 make Semester IV. That is 80 credits, and there is no theory course offered in place of the project.
| Semester | Gender, Literature and Culture | Women’s Studies | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| I and II (both) | MWG 101, MWG 102, MWG 103, MWG 104, MANE 004 | Same five courses | 40 |
| III | MWG 005 Research Methods, MWG 106 Gendered Nation | MWG 005 Research Methods, MWG 109 Women and Social Structure | 16 |
| IV | MWG 107, MWG 108, MWGP 101 Project Work | MWG 110, MWG 111, MWGP 101 Project Work | 24 |
Source: Common Prospectus, July 2026, pp. 106 to 107. MAWGSR is English medium, Rs 8,000 a year (Rs 16,000 for the two-year minimum), 2 to 4 years (p. 35).
The Prospectus also says when the work starts: at the beginning of the third semester you begin the process, and the project is completed by the end of the fourth, in two parts, a research study or internship and a viva voce. Learners who join Year II after the PG Diploma (PGDWGSR) take the same Year II table, which includes MWGP 101; the diploma’s own table lists five courses and no project (pp. 298 to 299).
- Many MAWGSR learners tell us IGNOU never taught them how to write a synopsis or a project report. The MWGP-101 manual is the closest thing to that class, and it is 24 pages long; read it before anything else.
- Some students wait for IGNOU to push every date by a month before they start. That is a bet, not a plan, and the MWGP 101 synopsis has to be approved before any research begins.
Research project or internship: choosing your MWGP-101 Project Work route
MWGP-101 Project Work offers two routes, and the manual leaves the choice to your interest, preparation and work situation (p. 5). For the IGNOU MAWGSR Project they differ at every step after the topic, so decide the route first.
| Step | Research project | Internship |
|---|---|---|
| What you do | A critical analysis, a theoretical discussion, a case study or a survey (pp. 9, 14, 15) | At least one month with an organisation working on gender issues (pp. 16, 17) |
| Approval form | Proforma I, with a synopsis (pp. 7, 20) | Proforma III, with the supervisor’s CV or bio-data (pp. 8, 22) |
| Who approves | Course coordinator, by email | Course coordinator, by email |
| Guide or supervisor | None named in the manual | Internship supervisor or counsellor at the organisation (p. 16) |
| Final form | Proforma II, your declaration (p. 21) | Proforma IV, the supervisor’s certificate (p. 23) |
| Length | 4,000 to 5,000 words | 4,000 to 5,000 words |
| Viva and marks | Online viva; 70 report, 30 viva | Online viva; 70 report, 30 viva |
Built from the MWGP-101 Project Manual (June 2024); page numbers in brackets.
The research route needs no outside organisation. The internship suits someone already near an NGO, a women’s cell or a helpline, since the supervisor there signs Proforma IV at the end.
- Students on the internship route often ask a relative or a family contact to be the supervisor without reading the manual’s qualifications first. Check the MA and the 2 to 3 years of gender-field work before you write the name on Proforma III.
- Most learners do not know the supervisor criteria at all. For MWGP 101 they apply only to the internship route, and they are printed on page 16.
- Many ask their study centre coordinator for a guide and come back with none. For the research route the manual names no guide; your topic is approved by the SOGDS course coordinator by email.
One manual, four proformas: the MWGP 101 papers
The MWGP 101 Project Manual of June 2024 is the only IGNOU document that sets the procedure of the IGNOU MAWGSR Project. It carries the procedure, the two report structures, the internship rules, the citation formats, four proformas and the list of suggested areas. Everything else on this page is checked against it, or against the Prospectus where the manual is silent.
- MWGP-101 Project Manual, School of Gender and Development Studies, June 2024, 24 pages: procedure, structures, Proformas I to IV, suggested areas. Read in full.
- Common Prospectus, July 2026: programme table (pp. 106 to 107), fee and duration (p. 35), project fee (p. 27).
- MAWGSR programme page on ignou.ac.in: course list, fee, coordinators.
- Proformas I to IV are printed inside the manual (pp. 20 to 23).
- The MAWGSR Programme Guide (2023) sits on eGyanKosh; we could not open it, so nothing on this page rests on it.
- Sample synopsis, social science route: women beauty-service workers on home-service apps, with every local fact left blank for you. Watermarked study reference.
Download the sample synopsis (PDF) - Report format template in three tracks (humanities, social science, internship): order of parts, empty table shells, the single-file order. No findings.
Download the report format (PDF)
Watch: the MWGP 101 project on video
Where the video and this page differ, follow the page: it was checked line by line against the June 2024 manual.
- Many students are unsure what a proforma is, and MWGP 101 has four of them; some forget to attach one, others attach the wrong one.
- Some draft the synopsis in ChatGPT without reading the manual, so the plan does not match the four or five parts MWGP 101 asks for.
- After approval, many do not know which report format to follow. The manual gives two, and the choice depends on whether your topic is humanities or social science.
Nine places where IGNOU’s own papers disagree
The manual reuses older material in places, and a careful reader of the IGNOU MAWGSR Project papers finds slips. None of them changes what you must do, but each one has confused students. Where two papers disagree, the later or more specific one is the safer guide, and the course coordinator’s email is the final word.
| Point | One paper says | Another says | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| When the project is taken up | Manual message: “in their second semester” (p. 5) | Manual calendar and Proforma I: Semester III (pp. 6, 20); Prospectus: start of Semester III, finish by end of Semester IV | Plan for Semester III |
| Internship length | Manual: at least one month, longer by agreement (p. 17) | Prospectus: one to three months (p. 107) | One month is the minimum |
| Internship packet | Manual lists a synopsis and its approval in the internship file (pp. 8, 17) | Internship approval runs through Proforma III, not a synopsis (pp. 8, 16) | Ask the coordinator what goes in item 2 |
| Survey objectives | “Collect data related to various issues or problems in urban planning and development” (p. 15) | Rest of the manual is about gender | Read it as a copy slip |
| Plagiarism section | Message points to page 9 (p. 5) | The section is printed on pp. 12 to 13 | Read pp. 12 to 13 |
| School name on Proforma II | “Gender and Development Multani Studies” (p. 21) | Gender and Development Studies (pp. 1, 20) | Leave the printed form as it is |
| Proforma III numbering | Items run 1, 1, 3, 2, 5, 6 (p. 22) | The printed numbers repeat 1 and skip 4 | Fill every box shown |
| Programme coordinator | Manual (June 2024): Prof. Nilima Srivastava | Prospectus and programme page (2026): Smita M. Patil and Sunita Dhal (titled Dr in the Prospectus and Prof on the programme page) | Send the project email to the course coordinator the manual names |
| Programme duration | Programme page: 24 to 36 months | Prospectus: 2 to 4 years (p. 35) | Check your own registration validity |
Read in November 2026: MWGP-101 Project Manual (June 2024), Common Prospectus (July 2026), MAWGSR programme page.
- Many students cannot tell whether a published last date is for the synopsis or the report. For MWGP 101 the manual’s calendar gives Semester III for approval and “as decided by the University” for the report; the report goes in the cycle the University notifies, and for December 2026 IGNOU’s notice sets the date for the project fee.
- Some think the synopsis and report go together on the last date. MWGP 101 runs in two stages: the synopsis is approved by email first, and only the final five-item file goes to the Students Evaluation Division.
Semester III for approval, Semester IV for the report
The IGNOU MAWGSR Project has no fixed synopsis last date in the manual. Its calendar puts the approval of Proforma I or III in Semester III and the submission of the report “as decided by the University” (p. 6). In practice the report is submitted in a cycle IGNOU notifies; for December 2026 the notice we read sets the project fee date.
| Stage | What the papers say | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Start | Begin the process at the start of Semester III | Prospectus, p. 106 |
| Approval of topic or organisation | Proforma I or III by Semester III | Manual, pp. 6, 20, 22 |
| Report | As decided by the University; complete by the end of Semester IV | Manual, p. 6; Prospectus, p. 106 |
| Project fee, December 2026 cycle | Pay through the Samarth portal by 30 November 2026 | IGNOU announcement, Students Evaluation Division (read November 2026) |
| Viva | Online, after submission; date sent by email | Manual, pp. 6, 19 |
For the December 2026 report itself, news reports in October 2026 describe a new Online Project Management System inside Samarth with 30 November 2026 as the last date. We could not read IGNOU’s own notice on it, so check your Samarth account and our December 2026 project dates tracker before you post anything.
- In our records, 70 to 80 per cent of students become active only in the last month before a submission date; when the date falls in November, most start in October.
- Many send the synopsis in the final week. With MWGP 101 that leaves no room, because the approval email has to arrive before the research can start.
- Some leave the synopsis so late that there is no time to write it properly. Four or five short parts still need your own reading of the topic.
Thirty-nine unit titles, one specific topic
The suggested areas at the end of the manual are, in its own words, unit titles from your curriculum, and you must choose “a specific topic” inside one of them (p. 24). You may also choose a topic outside the list, with prior approval. For the IGNOU MAWGSR Project the title should be clear, short and specific, and ideally grow from a unit you have already studied (p. 11).
| Kind of study | Areas from the manual’s list that suit it | A direction to narrow (our suggestion) |
|---|---|---|
| Critical analysis of a book, film, news report or artwork | Gender and Literature; Queer Literature; Gender, Film and Cinema; Queer (ing) Cinema; Gender, Stage and Theatre; Creativity and the Maternal Metaphor | One novel or film, compared with one or two others on the same theme |
| Theoretical discussion | Feminisms: Variations and Contexts; Dalit and Black feminism; Eco-feminism; Androgyny; Interrogating Oedipus; Queer Philosophy and Psychoanalysis | One idea traced through two or three thinkers you studied |
| Case study | Gender and Law; Gender and Education; Gender Discrimination and Sensitization; Section 377 | One women-centred NGO, one law’s use in one court, one school’s practice |
| Survey | Gender and Work; Gender and Cyberspace; Caste and Gender; Gender and Class | One group of women in one place, with an interview schedule |
| Internship | Woman’s Movements in India; Gender and Work; Disability, Sexuality and Motherhood | An organisation that works on that area near you |
Areas as printed on p. 24 of the manual; the grouping by kind of study is our planning aid, not an IGNOU list.
Area-to-title and word budget planner
A planning aid. The 39 areas and both report structures are printed in the MWGP-101 manual; the title frame and the split of 4,000 to 5,000 words are our suggestion, explained below the planner.
This planner needs JavaScript. If this line stays visible after the page loads, the table above and the word split below give the same help.
For example: one novel and its author, one film, women domestic workers in one ward, one named NGO.
How the budget is split. A humanities report (critical analysis or theory) follows the manual’s six-part structure; the plan gives the discussion and critical analysis about 68 per cent of the words, because the manual calls it the main body (p. 12), the introduction 13, the purpose 7 and the conclusion 12. A social science report gives the analysis 52 per cent, the introduction and the methodology 15 each, the conclusion 15 and the objectives 3. An internship report follows the order on p. 18, with the work done and the link to course concepts getting the most words. Title and references sit outside the split.
The title frame only puts your area and focus in a standard order. Rewrite it in your own words before it goes on Proforma I in block letters. IGNOU sets no split by section; these numbers are ours.
- Many students think they must copy one of the printed areas as the title of their IGNOU MAWGSR Project. The MWGP 101 list is of unit titles; the manual asks for a specific topic inside one, and allows one outside the list with approval.
- Synopses built from widely shared material often carry the same topic as other students’ work, and duplicate topics are a common reason for return.
- Evaluators often send synopses back asking that the study be based on the student’s own city or district.
Humanities or social science: two report shapes
The manual lets you choose between two structures for the IGNOU MAWGSR Project, depending on the kind of study (p. 9). A critical feminist reading of a novel or film takes the humanities shape; a survey or case study takes the social science shape. The choice also decides your synopsis parts.
| Humanities (literature and related areas) | Social science |
|---|---|
| (a) Title | (a) Title |
| (b) Introduction | (b) Introduction and statement of the problem |
| (c) Purpose of study | (c) Objectives |
| (d) Discussion and critical analysis | (d) Methodology |
| (e) Conclusion | (e) Analysis |
| (f) References | (f) Conclusion and recommendations, if any |
| (g) References |
MWGP-101 Project Manual, p. 9.
A book review cannot be the project. You may take a book and its theme, philosophy or ideology, but you must analyse it critically and compare it with other books of the same theme (pp. 9 and 15). The manual asks for no abstract and no acknowledgement page; neither appears in its two structures.
- Many base the synopsis and report on secondary material only. For a humanities MWGP 101 topic that is the design itself, since the manual allows analysis of books, films and news reports; for a survey it is not, so match the data to the shape you chose.
- Many are unsure of the page order. In MWGP 101 the report, item 5 of the single file, follows the manual’s list of six or seven parts.
IGNOU MAWGSR Project synopsis by email: what goes in
For the IGNOU MAWGSR Project the synopsis travels as a soft copy by email with Proforma I to Prof. Himadri Roy, course coordinator, at himadriroy@ignou.ac.in (manual, p. 7). It goes nowhere else: not to the study centre, not to the Regional Centre, not by post.
MWGP 101 synopsis parts by structure
| Social science topic | Humanities topic | What the manual says about the part |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction | Introduction | Set out the topic, its purpose and why you take it up (p. 12) |
| Objectives | Purpose of study | Usually three to four objectives, in serial order; do not stack too many (p. 12) |
| Methodology | (not asked) | Empirical or qualitative method, how data are collected, cleaned and analysed (p. 12) |
| Description | Description | How the work and the report will be organised |
| Bibliography | Bibliography | Exact sources with author, title, publisher, year and pages (pp. 12, 19) |
Parts as listed on p. 7 of the manual; explanations from pp. 11 to 12 and 19.
MWGP 101 route and single-file check
Built line by line from pages 5 to 9, 16 to 19 and Proformas I to IV of the MWGP-101 Project Manual (School of Gender and Development Studies, June 2024), read in November 2026.
This check needs JavaScript. If this line stays visible after the page loads, use the closing checklist near the end of the page instead.
Where each answer comes from in the manual. Route and email address: pp. 7, 8 and 16. Synopsis parts by structure: p. 7. Proforma I: p. 20; Proforma II: p. 21; Proforma III with the supervisor’s CV: pp. 8 and 22; Proforma IV: p. 23. The five-item file and its order: pp. 7, 8 and 17. One route, never both: pp. 8 and 17. Book reviews ruled out: pp. 9 and 15. Words: pp. 7, 9 and 18. Viva e-mail and marks: pp. 6 and 19.
The check counts what you tick against those lines and lists what is missing. It does not read your synopsis, and approval rests with the SOGDS faculty who read it.
- Many students do not know the synopsis structure and leave out objectives or methodology. MWGP 101 social science topics need both; humanities topics need a purpose of study instead, and a hypothesis is optional even in a survey (p. 15).
- Synopses come back when the reason for the study, or the questionnaire for a survey, is missing. In MWGP 101 the reason belongs in the introduction: why you propose to take the topic up.
- Synopses are also returned when the period of the study is missing. The manual lists “definition of time limits” among the survey steps (p. 15), so give your field-work months.
Send the MWGP 101 draft before the email goes
The first reader of an IGNOU MAWGSR Project synopsis is a SOGDS faculty member reading a short email attachment. There is no guide in between to catch a missing part, a wrong proforma or a book review dressed as research. A second reading before you press send costs less than a returned email in Semester III.
- In many MWGP 101 synopses the literature named in the introduction does not match the bibliography.
- Some students still write the synopsis by hand. The manual asks for a soft copy by email; a typed file reads cleanly when the coordinator opens it.
In an MWGP 101 synopsis email, we read for
- Proforma I complete: title in block letters, signature, date, enrolment number, e-mail, name, address
- Every part your structure asks for: five for social science, four for humanities
- Three to four objectives, worded without assuming a finding
- A method that can answer each objective
- Sources named in the text matching the bibliography
- A topic that is analysis, not a book review
In a 4,000 to 5,000 word MAWGSR report, we read for
- The six or seven parts of your structure, in the manual’s order
- Word count inside 4,000 to 5,000
- Analysis that answers each objective or purpose
- APA or Chicago, used the same way throughout, with page numbers for quotations
- Proforma II or IV signed and placed as item 4
- Five items in one file, ready for one route
Synopsis review Rs 1,000; report review Rs 2,000.
You remain the author. We read your own draft against the MWGP-101 Project Manual and return it with corrections; the topic is approved by SOGDS and the marks are decided by IGNOU’s evaluation, not by us.
Proforma I and II, box by box
Proforma I asks for approval of the IGNOU MAWGSR Project research topic, and Proforma II is the declaration you sign at the end. Both are one page, both are filled only by you, and both are printed inside the manual. Proformas III and IV for the internship route are mapped in the internship section below.
| Proforma and box | Who fills it | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| I: title of the research project | You | Write it in block letters; the same title goes on Proforma II |
| I: declaration text | Printed | Says the work will be your own and not submitted or researched earlier at IGNOU or elsewhere |
| I: place and date | You | The date you send the email |
| I: signature | You | Sign before you scan; an unsigned form is an incomplete form |
| I: enrolment number | You | As on your IGNOU identity card |
| I: e-mail | You | One you read daily: approval and the viva date come here |
| I: name and address | You | Full postal address |
| II: title of the research project | You | The approved title, in block letters |
| II: declaration text | Printed | Adds that no chapter is lifted from your own or others’ earlier work |
| II: place, date, signature, enrolment number, e-mail, name, address | You | Same details as Proforma I; the school name is misprinted on this form, leave it |
MWGP-101 Project Manual, pp. 20 and 21.
- Many students fill the proforma only half way, sometimes leaving their own name, address or e-mail blank. On Proforma I those are almost the only boxes, so each one counts.
- Synopses are returned when the title box is empty. On Proforma I the title is the first thing the coordinator reads.
- Many forget to keep proof that they sent it. For MWGP 101 the proof is your sent email with both attachments; keep that sent email as well as the draft.
The approval email is a document: keep it
Approval of an IGNOU MAWGSR Project topic arrives by email, and the manual makes that email item 3 of your final file (“attach the email approval”, p. 7). Print it or save it as a PDF the day it arrives. The manual prints no time limit for the reply.
If the email carries comments, the report has to answer them. If the topic is not approved, the manual gives no resubmission rule, so reply on the same email thread with the revised synopsis and a fresh Proforma I, and keep the earlier exchange with it.
- Approval often reaches students late; in our experience IGNOU takes two to three months to approve a synopsis, and the MWGP 101 manual prints no period at all.
- Most approvals we see come with correction or modification points.
- Many students skip those comments in the report. In MWGP 101 the approval email sits inside your final file, so the examiner can see what you were asked to change.
Feminist and queer approaches, case study and survey steps
This part of the manual is what makes MWGP 101 a gender studies project rather than a general survey. Adapted from MWG 005 Block 5, the feminist approach asks you to admit that the researcher’s and respondent’s identities shape what is said, that women are not one homogeneous group, and that respondents may hold back for fear of exposure (p. 10). The queer approach asks you to keep subject and subjectivity in one frame, avoid binary terms when you interview transgender respondents, and not generalise across sub-groups (pp. 10 to 11).
| Design | Steps the manual lists | Page |
|---|---|---|
| Planning any project | Brainstorm; collect primary and secondary data; sort material by relevance, independence, priority and propriety; build an outline like a detailed table of contents | 11 |
| Case study | Introduction; existing situation; direct observation; further validation of the diagnosis; summary of findings | 14 |
| Survey | Select the problem; define aim, scope and time limits; examine sources; fix the unit and the refinement; prepare respondents; build the tool; field work; process, analyse, interpret and write | 15 |
For a survey the manual lists hypothesis testing as optional (p. 15). Our guide to building a questionnaire and collecting data covers the tool itself; for the IGNOU MAWGSR Project, add a line on how your own position as interviewer may affect answers, because that is what the manual’s feminist approach asks.
- Some students write the analysis chapter on assumed data without running a real survey. In a gender study the respondents’ words are the evidence; data that were never collected break the manual’s originality rule.
- Some attach the filled-in questionnaires at the end of the report. The MWGP 101 manual is silent on appendices; a blank copy of the tool is the common practice, and filled forms carry your respondents’ details.
The internship route: organisation, supervisor, Proformas III and IV
An internship under the IGNOU MAWGSR Project is at least one month with an organisation that works on gender issues and is within your reach (pp. 16 to 17). The head of the organisation, or a person the head nominates, acts as your internship counsellor; faculty named by the course coordinator can help with academic questions (p. 16). The manual allows field-based work in a theme and locale of your choice, or organisation-based work inside the organisation (p. 18).
| Proforma and box | Who fills it | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| III: name in block letters | You | The form does not say whose name; write yours, then the supervisor’s details below |
| III: organisation name, year of establishment, registration number, areas of work, other information | You, with the organisation | Areas of work should show gender issues |
| III: designation | You | The supervisor’s post in the organisation |
| III: Regional Centre | You | Where you are registered |
| III: supervisor’s degrees (doctoral, master’s, bachelor’s, other) with subject, university, year, division | Supervisor | An MA is essential (p. 16) |
| III: total field experience and the last five years | Supervisor | 2 to 3 years in the gender field is essential (p. 16) |
| III: attach CV, resume or bio-data | Supervisor | Sent with the proforma by email (pp. 8, 22) |
| IV: certificate that you worked under the supervisor, with the organisation’s name | Supervisor | Your name as on the ID card |
| IV: place, date, signature, name and address of the supervisor | Supervisor | Signed at the end of the internship |
| IV: report about the intern: field situation, research understanding, general comments | Supervisor | Extra sheets allowed |
MWGP-101 Project Manual, pp. 16 to 18, 22 and 23.
The internship report has the same 4,000 to 5,000 words and must cover the organisation (its history, areas of intervention and work with the community), the area you chose, the work done, and what you learned, linked to concepts from your courses (p. 17). The order of parts is in the template linked in the documents section above.
- When the supervisor asks for several rounds of changes, the report can slip by weeks. The manual makes finishing the report on time one of the supervisor’s four tasks (p. 16); agree the review dates on day one.
- We have seen files held up when the supervisor’s bio-data carried no stamp or working ID. The MWGP 101 manual asks only for a brief CV, resume or bio-data, but an official letterhead removes doubt.
- Some students submit without the supervisor’s signature on the closing certificate. For an MWGP 101 internship that certificate is Proforma IV, item 4 of your file.
IGNOU MAWGSR Project Report in 4,000 to 5,000 words
An IGNOU MAWGSR Project Report is short by IGNOU standards: the manual repeats the 4,000 to 5,000 word range for every kind of study (pp. 7, 9, 14, 15 and 18). In the humanities shape the discussion and critical analysis carries the report; in the social science shape the analysis section does, with each objective answered in turn. The conclusion sums up what you found, and in a social science study it may add recommendations (p. 12).
The manual sets no font, margin, spacing or binding. IGNOU’s online submission guidelines for the June 2026 cycle asked that the first page of an uploaded file show the title, your name, programme code, enrolment number, Regional Centre code, course code and your mobile and e-mail; put the same details on a hard copy. The report format template lays out all three tracks with empty tables, and our note on word limits and page counts across IGNOU courses explains why page targets copied from other courses mislead here.
- Some reports run far beyond the length the guidelines set and come back. For MWGP 101 that limit is 5,000 words, and a 60-page report overshoots it.
- In many reports the analysis is too thin to carry the objectives. With only about 2,000 words for analysis in a social science MWGP 101 report, every paragraph has to answer an objective.
- Many leave the questionnaire or interview schedule out. Add a blank copy at the end of an MWGP 101 survey report so the examiner can see what you asked.
APA or Chicago, and the manual’s four reference formats
The manual asks for the latest APA and/or Chicago style for social science research (p. 12), and on p. 19 it spells out what each kind of source must show. For the IGNOU MAWGSR Project that matters more than usual, because film, news reports and websites are common sources in gender studies.
| Source | Details the manual asks for (p. 19) |
|---|---|
| Book | Author or editor, publisher or imprint, place and year, exact page numbers |
| Journal, newspaper, magazine | Author, the journal or paper, editor if any, volume and issue, publisher, place and year |
| Internet | The exact link to the page, author, publisher, year, and the date and time you accessed it |
| Film, video, audio | Title, production house, year of release, cast and crew, duration, language, certification |
When you borrow words, use quotation marks with the page number; when you paraphrase, still name the source in the text and list it at the end (p. 12).
- In many reports the reference list follows no consistent format and does not match the sources used in the text. MWGP 101 names APA or Chicago, so pick one and keep to it.
- Many reports carry an outdated literature review, and in our experience that costs marks.
- The correction we see most often in approval comments is to bring the review of literature up to date.
Nine forms of plagiarism the manual lists
The manual is blunt: copied work in an IGNOU MAWGSR Project is forwarded to the University’s Examination Discipline Committee as an unfair means case (p. 5), and plagiarised projects are not accepted (p. 13). It names nine forms (pp. 12 to 13):
- Submitting someone else’s work under your name.
- Copying ideas, thoughts or language without quoting and crediting the source.
- Giving wrong details of a quotation’s source.
- Keeping a sentence’s structure and changing a few words.
- Taking so many ideas from a source that nothing original is left, even with credit.
- Stitching ideas from several sources together with a few sentences.
- Reusing your own earlier work for a new piece.
- Naming the writer but not the work the material came from.
- Giving source details so incomplete that the source cannot be traced.
The manual also warns against saving your project on market or cybercafe computers, and asks you to empty the recycle folder if you must (p. 13).
- Some students submit an AI-written synopsis or report as it is, which is one reason the same topics keep appearing. The manual’s note of caution asks for the report in your own words (p. 13).
- Many take material from websites and send it without checking it for copying. Under MWGP 101 the risk is an unfair means case, not a lower mark.
One file, one route: hard copy or online, never both
When the IGNOU MAWGSR Project is finished, you join five items into one file: enrolment details, the synopsis, the approval email, Proforma II (or IV for an internship) and the final report (pp. 7, 8 and 17). Then you choose one route:
- One hard copy to Project Section, Block 3, Students Evaluation Division, Indira Gandhi National Open University, Maidan Garhi, New Delhi 110068; or
- One PDF through the online submission link IGNOU publishes on its website for each cycle.
The manual says it twice: do not submit both (pp. 8 and 17). The project evaluation fee is Rs 500 for project work above 4 credits, paid with the term-end examination form (Prospectus, p. 27); for the December 2026 cycle IGNOU’s notice asks for it through the Samarth portal by 30 November 2026. The June 2026 online guidelines also asked for a copy of the fee receipt with the report. If you want to follow the file after it leaves you, our project status guide shows where to look.
- Students are unsure whether the file goes to the study centre or the Regional Centre, and some carry it to Maidan Garhi thinking that is wrong. For MWGP 101, Maidan Garhi is right: the Project Section at Block 3 is the address the manual prints.
- Some students email the report instead of sending it by the route the manual prints. Only the synopsis travels by email; IGNOU’s online submission guidelines say reports sent by email are not considered.
- Many do not know how many copies to send. The MWGP 101 manual asks for one file by one route.
Online viva for the IGNOU MAWGSR Project: 70 and 30
Every IGNOU MAWGSR Project ends in a viva voce, held online by the programme team after the report or internship report is submitted (pp. 6 and 19). The date and time are sent to the e-mail address on your proformas. Evaluation has two steps: the report carries 70 per cent of the total marks and the viva 30 per cent (p. 19). The manual prints no pass mark for the project and no question list.
Expect questions on why you chose the topic, how your feminist or queer approach shaped the reading or the interviews, what each objective found, and what you would change. Our bank of IGNOU project viva questions helps you practise aloud.
- Many students do not know whether a viva applies to them. For MWGP 101 it does, for every learner and both routes, and it is worth 30 per cent of the marks.
Six claims about the IGNOU MWGP 101 Project, checked against the manual
These claims circulate on guides about the IGNOU MAWGSR Project, including an earlier version of this page. Each was checked against the June 2024 manual and the July 2026 Prospectus.
| Claim | What the papers say |
|---|---|
| The project is optional; take theory courses instead | MWGP 101 is in Semester IV of both specialisations and the 80 credits need it; the choice is between internship and research (Prospectus, pp. 106 to 107) |
| The report is about 100 pages, or 80 to 120 | 4,000 to 5,000 words (manual, pp. 7, 9, 14, 15, 18) |
| Send the synopsis through the Regional Centre with the supervisor’s bio-data | Proforma I and synopsis by email to the course coordinator; no guide on the research route (p. 7) |
| Submit two copies of the report to the Regional Centre | One file, to Project Section, Block 3, SED, or online; never both (pp. 7, 8, 17) |
| Synopsis deadlines are 31 March and 30 September | The manual’s calendar says Semester III; the report goes in the cycle IGNOU announces (p. 6) |
| Times New Roman 12, 1.5-inch margin, abstract and acknowledgements required | The manual sets no font, margin or abstract; its two structures list every part required (p. 9) |
- Some students submit the final report spiral bound. The MWGP 101 manual sets no binding; one clean hard copy, or one PDF, is what it asks for.
- Many do not know the documents the report must carry and the file comes back. For MWGP 101 the list is five items, and Proforma II or IV is the one most often missing.
MWGP 101 questions students send us
Is the IGNOU MAWGSR Project compulsory?
Yes. MWGP 101 Project Work is listed in Semester IV of both MAWGSR specialisations, and the programme’s 80 credits include it. What you choose is the route: a research project or an internship (Prospectus, July 2026, pp. 106 to 107).
Can I do an internship instead of a research project?
Yes. The internship lasts at least one month with an organisation working on gender issues, approved through Proforma III with your supervisor’s CV, and ends in a 4,000 to 5,000 word report with Proforma IV (manual, pp. 16 to 18).
Who approves my MWGP 101 synopsis, and how?
You email Proforma I and the synopsis as soft copies to the course coordinator, Prof. Himadri Roy, at himadriroy@ignou.ac.in, and the approval comes back by email (manual, p. 7). The study centre and the Regional Centre are not part of this step.
Do I need a guide for MWGP-101 Project Work?
Not on the research route: the manual names no guide or supervisor for it. On the internship route you need a supervisor with an MA and 2 to 3 years of work in the gender field (manual, p. 16).
How long should the report be?
About 4,000 to 5,000 words for every kind of study, research or internship (manual, pp. 7, 9, 14, 15 and 18). The manual sets no page count.
How are the marks split?
The submitted report carries 70 per cent of the total marks and the online viva 30 per cent (manual, p. 19).
Where does the viva happen?
Online, held by the programme team after submission. The date and time are sent to the e-mail address on your proformas (manual, pp. 6 and 19).
What if no reply comes to my synopsis email?
Most students do not know how long approval takes or whom to ask when a month or two passes. For MWGP 101 the contact is the same course coordinator, by a polite follow-up on the same email thread. We have seen cases where no approval reached the student before the session ran out, so follow up in time rather than wait for Semester IV.
My synopsis came back with changes. What do I send again?
The manual prints no resubmission rule. When asked to resubmit, many students forget to attach the original synopsis with the comments; for MWGP 101, reply on the same thread with the revised synopsis, a fresh Proforma I and the earlier version, so the reader sees what changed.
Can my topic be outside the 39 suggested areas?
Yes, as long as you get prior approval through Proforma I in the usual way (manual, p. 24).
Before the IGNOU MAWGSR Project leaves your hands
Run this list on the day you post or upload the IGNOU MAWGSR Project file. Every line comes from the June 2024 manual or the July 2026 Prospectus.
- The title on the report is the approved title, the same one written on Proforma II.
- The report body has 4,000 to 5,000 words, in the six or seven parts of your structure.
- Every source in the text is in the reference list, in APA or Chicago.
- Proforma II (research) or IV (internship) is filled and signed.
- Enrolment details, synopsis, approval email, proforma and report are one file, in that order.
- One route only: the hard copy to Project Section, Block 3, SED, or the online link.
- The Rs 500 project fee is paid for your cycle and the receipt is kept.
- The e-mail on your proformas is one you will check for the viva date.
- Some students skip taking a receipt when they hand in the report. For an MWGP 101 hard copy keep the speed post or counter receipt; for an upload, keep the acknowledgement.
- Many confuse the Rs 300 and Rs 500 project fees. MWGP 101 is 8 credits, so the Rs 500 slab applies.
- Many are unsure whether a synopsis should be bound or filed. At the approval stage the MWGP 101 synopsis is an email attachment; later a copy becomes item 2 of the final file.
Stuck on a proforma box or the route? Message the ignouproject.com desk on WhatsApp. ignouproject.com provides customised project guidance, topic refinement, methodology support, review and correction of learner-written synopses and reports, formatting and citation support, reference material, printing and binding, and project status and result guidance.
WhatsApp +91 93546 37830More project guides by programme, including the MA Gender and Development Studies internship and field project page, are on the IGNOU projects hub. MAWGSR assignment help sits on a separate assignment page.
What we read for this MWGP 101 guide
- School of Gender and Development Studies, IGNOU. MWGP-101 Project Manual, June 2024 printing, 24 pages, eGyanKosh. Read in full, November 2026. All procedure, structures, proformas, internship rules, citation formats, viva and marks.
- IGNOU. Common Prospectus, July 2026, pp. 27 (project fee), 35 (fee and duration), 105 to 107 (MAWGSR), 298 to 299 (PGDWGSR). Read November 2026.
- IGNOU. MAWGSR programme page, ignou.ac.in. Read November 2026: courses, fee, duration, coordinators.
- IGNOU, Students Evaluation Division. Announcements: submission of project, internship and practical course fee for the December 2026 term-end examination (Samarth portal, last date 30 November 2026). Read November 2026.
- IGNOU, Students Evaluation Division. Online submission of project, dissertation and internship reports, June 2026 TEE: first-page details, fee receipt, emailed reports not considered. Read November 2026.
BK Sahni founded Shri Chakradhar Publication Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, which has served IGNOU distance learners since 2010, runs its own printing press and publishes IGNOU help books and guess papers. He is the author of Mind Loop. ORCID 0009-0005-8092-459X.
ignouproject.com is an independent service, not affiliated with or endorsed by IGNOU. Rules on this page were read from IGNOU’s own documents in November 2026; IGNOU’s current notices decide.
BK Sahni iD 0009-0005-8092-459X
Founder, Shri Chakradhar Publication Pvt. Ltd. & ignouproject.com — helping IGNOU distance-learning students since 2010 (5,00,000+ students supported across MBA, MCom, MA & more). Author of IGNOU exam guides, solved assignments & project reference books.
Disclosure: Shri Chakradhar Publication Pvt. Ltd. and ignouproject.com are independent third-party study-help services — not the official IGNOU website. Always verify final dates and rules on ignou.ac.in.
