The IGNOU MATS Project is MTTP 22, printed as MTT-022 in the 2015 Guide: a compulsory 16-credit Year 2 course in which you translate a 16,000 to 20,000 word text between Hindi and English and write a critical introduction of about 8,000 words in the target language. A six-point proposal with Annexure क goes by registered post to SOTST, Block 15-C. After approval, the report is uploaded through OPMS. It carries 200 marks, 60 of them for the viva.
- The project is compulsory for every MATS learner and is meant for the last six months of the second year (page 5).
- Your critical introduction is written in the target language, and the Guide says the evaluation of the project rests on that discussion (page 5).
- Only texts from standard Hindi or English books by Indian or foreign writers are accepted, from the areas the Guide lists (page 9).
- The supervisor gives academic help only and will not write or translate any part of the work for you (page 7).
- The approved title is final; the Guide says not to change it even slightly (page 7).
- A report that scores under 40 per cent is redone in the light of the evaluator’s comments and sent again with Annexures ख and ग (page 9).
IGNOU MATS Project: One Course Printed as MTT-022, MTTP-022 and MTTP 22
Whatever code your papers show, the IGNOU MATS Project is a single 16-credit course. The School of Translation Studies and Training (SOTST) prints it one way, eGyanKosh another and the Prospectus a third, so the three codes are easy to mistake for three courses. They are one course.
| Where you see it | How the course is printed | Credits | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Work Guide, December 2015, pages 5 and 9; Annexure घ | MTT-022 (also “MTT 022”) | 16 | The booklet you work from |
| eGyanKosh collection title | MTTP-022 Project Work Guide | Not stated | The same booklet, under its eGyanKosh title |
| Common Prospectus, July 2026, page 109 | MTTP 22, Project Work with Viva-voce | 16 | The code on current programme tables |
| MATS programme page on ignou.ac.in | MTT-022: Project Work, Year 2 | 16 | The course card students see online |
| MATSOL (online mode) programme sheet | MTT 22 Pariyojana | 16 | The online programme totals 64 credits, not 80 |
The Prospectus title, “with viva-voce”, matters more than the letter P. It confirms that the oral examination is part of the course, not an extra the School may or may not hold. On a form, write the code exactly as your own exam form or Samarth account shows it.
एम.ए. (अनुवाद अध्ययन) की परियोजना MTTP 22 (मार्गदर्शिका में एम.टी.टी. 022) 16 क्रेडिट का अनिवार्य पाठ्यक्रम है। इसमें 16 हज़ार से 20 हज़ार शब्दों के हिंदी या अंग्रेज़ी पाठ का अनुवाद और लक्ष्य भाषा में लगभग 8 हज़ार शब्दों का आलोचनात्मक परिचय लिखना होता है। प्रस्ताव परिशिष्ट क के साथ पंजीकृत डाक से अनुवाद अध्ययन एवं प्रशिक्षण विद्यापीठ, ब्लॉक 15-सी, मैदान गढ़ी भेजा जाता है। स्वीकृति के बाद दिसंबर 2026 की परीक्षा के लिए रिपोर्ट 30 नवंबर 2026 तक OPMS पर अपलोड करनी है। कुल 200 अंकों में 60 अंक मौखिक परीक्षा के हैं।
Sixteen Credits, About 480 Hours, One Season
In credit terms, the IGNOU MATS Project is the heaviest single course of the programme. Year 2 of MATS carries 40 credits, and MTTP 22 alone is 16 of them. At IGNOU’s rule of 30 study hours per credit (Prospectus, page 23), that is about 480 hours of reading, translating, revising and writing.
| Year 2 course (Prospectus, July 2026) | Credits |
|---|---|
| MTT 020 Translation Process | 4 |
| MTT 021 Translation Training | 4 |
| MEG 14 Contemporary Indian Literature in English Translation | 8 |
| MEG 15 Comparative Literature | 8 |
| MTTP 22 Project Work with Viva-voce | 16 |
| Year 2 total (Year 1 adds ten 4-credit courses, MTT 010 to MTT 019) | 40, of 80 for the degree |
The Guide places the project in the last six months of the second year. The programme itself runs for 2 to 4 years at Rs 7,500 a year (Prospectus, page 36), so a learner who misses one cycle still has time, but only if the registration is still valid.
In our records, 70 to 80 percent of students become active only in the last month before a submission date. For MTTP 22 that is a poor fit: a 16,000-word translation does not compress into four weeks.
Many students also send their papers in the final week before the last date they are working towards. For MTTP 22 that habit costs more than usual, because the proposal has to be approved before the translation can begin.
A common belief is that IGNOU will extend every last date by a month. For the December 2026 exam, IGNOU’s OPMS guidelines say plainly that no further extension will be given.
IGNOU MATS Project Papers: One 2015 Guide, Five Annexures, Two Study Files
Everything official about the IGNOU MATS Project sits in one booklet, the Project Work Guide of December 2015, with its five annexures. The two files from our desk are study material only; keep them out of anything you send to IGNOU.
- MTTP-022 Project Work Guide (SOTST, December 2015, Hindi, 23 pages), on eGyanKosh
- Annexure क, Project Proposal Proforma (page 15 of the Guide)
- Annexure ख, First Page of the Project Work, with your declaration (page 16)
- Annexure ग, Certificate signed by the supervisor (page 17)
- Annexure घ, Proforma for Approval of Supervisor (page 18)
- Annexure ङ, APA Style Sheet (pages 19 to 21)
- MATS Programme Guide (undated)
- OPMS guidelines for the December 2026 exam
- Sample proposal, worked on a public-domain text (PDF, 8 pages): the six points in the Guide’s order, with a filled frame of Annexure क
- Report format template (PDF, 8 pages): page order, certificate frames, empty glossary and difficulty tables
Both carry a diagonal watermark. They show order and level of detail; your text, your translation and your introduction must be your own.
Many MATS students are unsure what “the proforma” means, because the Guide has two: Annexure क for the proposal and Annexure घ for an outside supervisor. Some forget to put it in the envelope; others attach the wrong one. For the proposal, the form that matters is Annexure क.
Where Two IGNOU Documents Disagree
The IGNOU MATS Project is described in two places, and they do not match. The 2015 Project Work Guide is the course’s own booklet. The MATS Programme Guide on ignou.ac.in carries no date and still prints a programme fee of Rs 10,800, so it reflects an earlier fee schedule in at least that part.
Built from the 2015 Project Work Guide (pages 5, 7 to 8 and section 4) and the MATS Programme Guide, both read in November 2026.
| Point | 2015 Project Work Guide | MATS Programme Guide | What we advise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Length of the source text | 16,000 to 20,000 words | 12,000 to 15,000 words | Plan to the 2015 range and get the figure confirmed in your approval letter or by the School |
| Critical introduction | About 8,000 words, in the target language | 8,000 to 10,000 words; one line says target language, another says the language of the original | Aim near 8,000 to 9,000 words, written in the target language as the 2015 Guide says |
| Viva | Date, time and place sent after submission; attend with your own copy, at your own expense | Online, with a presentation of about 10 to 15 minutes | Prepare a short spoken summary either way; the December 2026 OPMS guidelines send viva queries to the Regional Centre |
| Marks split | Translation 70; critical introduction 70 (10, 10, 15, 25, 10); viva 60 | 200 in all, 140 written and 60 viva, with a different split of the introduction | Use the 2015 split to plan the introduction (table further down) |
| Supervisor | Counsellors appointed by the University; an outside supervisor through Annexure घ | A project director approved by the University | Both point the same way: the University approves the supervisor |
| Where the report goes | One bound copy by post to the Registrar, SED, Block 12 | Not stated | For December 2026, IGNOU’s OPMS guidelines replace the post with an online upload |
Some proposals and reports run well past the length the guidelines set and come back for it. For MTT-022 the length that counts is the source text you choose, so fix the chapters before the proposal goes, not after.
Students are also unsure whether a published last date is for the proposal or for the report. The 2015 Guide sets no last date for the proposal; the 30 November 2026 date is the OPMS date for the report.
Ten Areas the Guide Opens for Your Text
An IGNOU MATS Project has no topic in the usual research sense. You choose a passage of a published book, and the “topic” is that text and its title. Section 2.1 of the Guide suggests ten main areas with sub-areas, and lets you go outside them with your supervisor’s recommendation.
| Area (section 2.1) | Sub-areas the Guide names, in short |
|---|---|
| Literature and humanities | Poetry, story, novel, drama, one-act play, essay, criticism, biography, autobiography, travelogue, reportage, memoir, culture, fine arts, philosophy, children’s literature, science fiction, folk literature |
| Administration | Office and parliamentary writing; reports of commissions, committees and international bodies such as the UN, WHO, IMF and UNICEF; manuals, rules and codes |
| Science | Physics, chemistry, biology, medicine (Ayurveda, Unani, allopathy, homoeopathy), mathematics, statistics, geology, space science, astronomy |
| Social sciences | Psychology, economics, history, geography, anthropology, political science, public administration, sociology, library science, social work, rural development |
| Professional | Education, law (Indian and international), management, tourism, hospitality and cookery, skill and personality development, interior design, fashion |
| Media | Radio, television, journalism, newspapers, magazines, sports writing, social media, mass and community media |
| Commercial | Insurance, banking, capital markets, national and international trade |
| Contemporary discourses | Dalit, regional, women’s, diaspora and subaltern studies; world literature |
| New areas of study | Comparative literature, cultural studies, aesthetics, translation studies, Indology |
| Miscellaneous | A text from any other field may be proposed, but the final decision rests with the School |
Two filters apply before any area. The text must come from a standard Hindi or English book by an Indian or foreign writer (page 9), and section 3.8 says that at present only Hindi or English can be the source or target language. Choose the target language you write in with ease, because your critical introduction is written in it.
Many students believe they must pick a topic printed in the guidelines, word for word. The MTT-022 Guide does not work that way: it lists areas and calls them suggestions, and a text from another area can be sent with the supervisor’s recommendation for the School to consider.
Choosing the text is where most MATS students tell us they feel lost, and many say IGNOU held no class on how to write the proposal or the report.
Proposals built from widely shared material or the same outside source often land on the same text as other students’ work, and a duplicate is a common reason for return. A passage everyone has already translated also leaves little to say about difficulties in the critical introduction.
Copyright Comes Before the Proposal
Before you fix the text for an IGNOU MATS Project, check who owns it. Under India’s Copyright Act, 1957, section 14(a)(v), making a translation of a work is one of the rights of its copyright owner. For most books, section 22 keeps that right alive for the author’s lifetime plus 60 years, counted from the beginning of the calendar year after the author’s death.
The MTT-022 Guide says nothing about permission. Our practical reading: a text whose author died more than 60 full calendar years ago is the simplest choice; for a recent book, ask your supervisor whether the School expects written permission from the publisher. This is general information, not legal advice. Our sample proposal uses a chapter of M. Visvesvaraya’s Reconstructing India (1920); he died in 1962, so the book has been out of copyright in India since 1 January 2023.
Many students take material from internet sources and submit it without checking it for plagiarism. In an MTTP 22 report that risk sits mainly in the critical introduction, since the translation is checked against your source text anyway. The Guide warns that presenting or copying any printed or unprinted project leads to cancellation.
Who May Supervise Your MTT-022 Work
For an IGNOU MATS Project, section 1.2 of the Guide makes every academic counsellor the University has appointed for the MATS programme an authorised supervisor. Your study centre coordinator holds the list, and the Guide asks you to stay in touch with the coordinator while you choose. Such a counsellor needs no extra form; their consent and signature go on your proposal.
If you want a supervisor from outside that list, apply on Annexure घ, Proforma for Approval of Supervisor. It asks for a doctorate in Translation Studies, Hindi, English, a Modern Indian Language or another relevant area, and not less than 6 years of teaching in a University or PG College, with specialisation and translation work preferred. Attach self-attested copies of degrees and experience and a detailed CV; remuneration is paid as per University norms.
| What the supervisor does (section 1.2) | What the supervisor will not do |
|---|---|
| Points you to source material and books on your text; gives an introduction or certificate for contacting other institutions; arranges study centre library use; helps with difficulties and advises on the critical introduction | Write or translate any part of your work. The Guide limits the role to academic help, and asks you to respect the supervisor’s time and availability |
Most students do not know the eligibility rules, so they pick a supervisor who does not meet them. For MTT-022 the rule has two halves: an appointed MATS counsellor, or an outside expert who clears the doctorate and 6-year test on Annexure घ.
Students often tell us they asked the study centre for a supervisor and were not given one. The MATS Guide says the list of authorised counsellors is held by the study centre coordinator, so ask for that list by name.
Many students who find no one turn to a relative or an outside contact without checking the criteria first. Check the Annexure घ qualifications before you ask anyone to sign.
Six Points of the IGNOU MATS Project Proposal
The IGNOU MATS Project proposal follows six points, in the order section 1.1 sets. There are no hypotheses, sampling or questionnaire here; the School reads whether your text, your purpose and your method of translation hang together.
| Point | Wording in the Guide | What to put under it |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | प्रस्तावित चयनित पाठ का शीर्षक | Title of the chosen text: book, author, edition, chapters and page range. This becomes your final title once approved |
| 2 | चयनित पाठ का संक्षिप्त परिचय | A short introduction to the text: what it covers, when and where it appeared, and its approximate word count |
| 3 | प्रस्तावित अध्ययन का उद्देश्य | Why translate this text, and what you want to study through it |
| 4 | पाठ की प्रकृति और उपादेयता | The kind of text it is (literary, technical, administrative) and who will use the translation |
| 5 | अनुवाद की पद्धति, प्रक्रिया, रणनीति, कार्यनीति, साधन | Your method, process and strategy, and the tools you will use: dictionaries, CSTT glossaries, experts |
| 6 | अनूदित पाठ से अपेक्षाएँ | What the finished translation should achieve for its readers |
Make two copies, typed or clearly legible. Send one with your supervisor’s signature and Annexure क, and keep the other, because the School sends back only its decision.
MTTP 22 text and packet check
Built from the MTTP-022 Project Work Guide (December 2015): pages 5 and 9, sections 1.1, 1.2, 2.1 and 3.8, and Annexure घ.
This checker needs JavaScript. If this line stays visible after the page loads, use the six-point table and the Annexure क map instead.
How to read the result: each line is tied to a page or section of the 2015 Guide. Where the older Programme Guide differs, the checker says so instead of choosing for you. It reads nothing from IGNOU and stores nothing.
Many students do not know what the proposal must contain and leave out core parts. In MTTP 22 the parts most often thin are point 5, the method and tools of translation, and point 6, what the translation should achieve.
Many students also draft the proposal with an AI chatbot without reading the MATS Guide, so the plan reads like a social science synopsis with objectives and hypotheses, not the six translation points the School asks for.
When a supervisor asks for several rounds of changes, the proposal can slip by weeks. Build that into your plan, since the translation cannot start until the School has approved it.
Before Block 15-C Reads Your MTTP 22 Proposal
The MTT-022 Guide gives the School three answers to a proposal: approval, rejection or suggested changes. A rejection means a new proposal and a fresh wait before the translation can begin.
- All six points of section 1.1, in the Guide’s order
- A text from a standard Hindi or English book, with its word count stated
- Hindi and English as the language pair (section 3.8)
- Annexure क complete, title included, and the supervisor’s part signed
- Annexure घ and its attachments, if your supervisor is from outside the list
- The section 4 order: cover page, approved proforma, both originality pages, introduction, translation, copy of the text
- Title exactly as approved
- Critical introduction in the target language, covering sections 3.1 to 3.7
- Glossary, footnotes and an APA list as in Annexure ङ
- Supervisor’s signature on Annexure ग
Synopsis (proposal) review Rs 1,000; report review Rs 2,000. We review and correct the proposal and report you have written, for format, completeness and citations against the MTT-022 Guide; we do not translate the text or write the critical introduction for you. You remain the author, and the School and IGNOU’s evaluators alone decide approval and marks.
Many students leave the proposal so late that there is no time left to write it carefully themselves.
Some send a handwritten proposal. The Guide allows the proposal to be typed or clearly legible, but asks for the final project typed and bound, so a typed proposal saves retyping later.
Proposals come back when the reason for the study is missing. In MTTP 22 terms that is point 3, the purpose, and point 4, why the text is useful.
Annexure क, the Proposal Proforma, Box by Box
Annexure क sits on page 15 of the Guide and is the form the School uses to write back to you, so every box of an IGNOU MATS Project proposal proforma matters. The Guide asks for your details in clear letters on the first page, and reminds you not to forget phone, mobile and e-mail.
| Box on Annexure क | What to write | Mistake to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Date | The date you sign and post | Leaving it blank |
| Name of the candidate | As on your IGNOU identity card | A short form or nickname |
| Course Code | The code your exam form shows: MTTP 22, or MTT-022 as the Guide prints it | A Year 1 course code |
| Programme Code | MATS | MATSOL, unless you are enrolled in the online programme |
| Enrolment No. | One digit per box | A control number or registration number |
| Address | Full postal address with PIN code | An old address; the decision comes to you by post |
| Regional Centre | Name and code of your Regional Centre | The study centre’s name in this box |
| Study Centre Name and Code | Name, and the code in the four boxes | Codes swapped between the two lines |
| Phone, mobile, e-mail | Numbers and an inbox you check | Leaving them out |
| Title of the project | Exactly as in point 1 of your proposal | Blank, or worded differently from the proposal |
| Supervisor’s certificate | Signature, name, designation and address; it states the proposal was prepared in consultation and the supervisor agrees to guide you | Unsigned, or signed by someone who is neither an appointed counsellor nor cleared through Annexure घ |
Many MATS students fill Annexure क incorrectly: the supervisor’s details half done, and sometimes their own name, address or e-mail left blank.
Proposals are returned when the title box is empty. On this form the title is also the one that will stand on your report unchanged, so write it with care.
Students also ask which papers go into the envelope. For MTT-022 the Guide names the proposal, Annexure क with the supervisor’s signature, and Annexure घ with its copies when the supervisor is from outside the list; it says nothing about binding the proposal.
Posting the Proposal to Block 15-C
The IGNOU MATS Project proposal does not go to your study centre or Regional Centre. The Guide sends it by registered post to: Programme Coordinator, MA (Translation Studies), School of Translation Studies and Training, Block 15-C, IGNOU, Maidan Garhi, New Delhi 110068. Write परियोजना कार्य प्रस्ताव on the envelope.
Students are often unsure whether the proposal goes to the study centre or the Regional Centre. For MTTP 22 it is neither: the Guide names the School at Maidan Garhi as the address.
Many students forget to keep a receipt. Keep the registered post slip; it is your only proof of the date the proposal left.
Many students think the proposal and the report go together on the last date, and send both without the supervisor’s signature. The MATS route has two separate stages: the proposal to Block 15-C first, and the report through OPMS only after approval.
While the School Reads Your Proposal
The Guide gives no fixed period for deciding on an IGNOU MATS Project proposal. It asks you to post early enough by registered post that the proposal reaches the School in time, and it tells you to wait for the decision before you start translating.
Use the wait well: read the whole book your passage comes from, collect the literature around it (section 2.2.2), and list the dictionaries and CSTT glossaries you will need. None of that depends on the decision, and all of it shortens the work after approval.
In our experience, approval of a proposal often takes two to three months to reach the student. The two to three months printed in the MTT-022 Guide refer to evaluating the finished report, not the proposal, so plan your MATS calendar with both waits in it.
Most students do not know how long approval takes, or whom to ask when a month or two passes without news. For MTTP 22 the office that decides is the Programme Coordinator, MA (Translation Studies), at SOTST; quote your enrolment number and the date on your registered post slip.
We have seen cases where no decision reached the student and the session ran out. If nothing has come within about two months, follow up in writing with the School rather than waiting for the report date.
Approved, Changes Suggested, or Rejected
Section 1.1 gives the three outcomes for an IGNOU MATS Project proposal and what each asks of you.
| Decision from SOTST | What the Guide says to do |
|---|---|
| Approved | Start the translation and the critical introduction with your supervisor. Keep the approved title exactly; not even a slight change is allowed (page 7) |
| Changes suggested | You may have to make the changes in the light of the suggestions and comments and submit the proposal again |
| Rejected | Submit a new proposal |
Most approvals we see come with correction or modification points, so expect comments even on a sound MTTP 22 proposal.
Approval often carries comments that the student must work into the report, and many students skip them. Keep the School’s letter beside you while you write the critical introduction.
When asked to resubmit, many students forget to attach the original proposal. The MTT-022 Guide does not say whether the earlier proposal must travel with the new one, so send a copy of it and of the School’s letter; it costs one page and saves a query.
Dictionaries, Glossaries and Experts
Section 2.2 of the Guide is the working method of an IGNOU MATS Project, and it replaces the research methodology chapter of other IGNOU projects. It runs in four steps.
- Study the approved text (2.2.1). Read the whole book around your passage and note the author, translator, editor, place and year of publication for your reference list.
- Collect related literature (2.2.2). Use the study centre library and ask your supervisor and other scholars what to read about the text and its field.
- Choose dictionaries and glossaries (2.2.3). The Guide points back to MTT 013 and MTT 017 and names the subject glossaries of the Commission for Scientific and Technical Terminology (CSTT). Use more than one dictionary, bilingual and monolingual, and choose online ones with care. List difficult and untranslatable words separately as you go.
- Consult experts (2.2.4). Read the text more than once, list its problems point by point with page numbers, and take that list to your supervisor and subject experts.
The word list from step 3 and the problem list from step 4 become the raw material of sections 3.5 to 3.7 of your critical introduction. Keep them dated; they also make the viva easier.
The Critical Introduction Carries Half the Written Marks
In an IGNOU MATS Project the critical introduction is worth 70 of the 140 written marks, as much as the translation itself. Section 3 of the Guide lists what it covers, and page 8 gives the marks. The word split below is our own proportional suggestion for an 8,000-word introduction, not an IGNOU figure.
Marks from page 8 and topics from section 3 of the 2015 Project Work Guide; the word column is our arithmetic.
| Part of the introduction | Guide section | Marks | Words, in proportion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Importance of the text in the source and target languages, and its nature (cohesion, coherence, intentionality, informativity, intertextuality) | 3.1 to 3.3 | 10 | About 1,150 |
| Method and tools used in the translation, with reasons | 3.4 | 10 | About 1,150 |
| Cultural or technical issues, areas of resistance and untranslatability | 3.5 | 15 | About 1,700 |
| Linguistic and textual difficulties: grammar, sentence structure, setting, proper nouns, titles, tone and intonation, discourse | 3.6 | 25 | About 2,850 |
| Untranslatable terms, glossary, footnotes, bibliography | 3.7 | 10 | About 1,150 |
| Translation of the approved text | 3.8 | 70 | Your full text |
| Viva | Page 8 | 60 | Spoken |
The heaviest single item, 25 marks, is linguistic and textual difficulty. Write it from your own problem list with real examples from your text and how you solved each one, and back your claims with references, as page 8 asks.
Translation and critical-introduction calendar
An estimate from our own working allowances, not an IGNOU rule. Only the 30 November 2026 OPMS date and the 30-hours-per-credit rule come from IGNOU documents.
This calendar needs JavaScript. If this line stays visible after the page loads, divide your word count by your daily pace and add about 40 percent for revision, 16 days for the introduction and 6 days for the back matter.
How the estimate is built: drafting days are your word count divided by your pace; two revision passes take 40 percent of that; the introduction is set at 500 words a day; glossary, footnotes, APA list and assembly take 6 days. Change the pace to see how much a slower or faster day moves the finish date.
Some students submit an AI-written synopsis or report as it is, which is one reason the same texts and the same phrasing keep turning up. In an MTT-022 report the critical introduction has to describe your own difficulties with your own text, and a machine draft cannot know them.
IGNOU MATS Project Report Order, Part by Part
Section 4 of the Guide fixes the order of the IGNOU MATS Project Report. It is not the chapter scheme of a survey project; it is a translation file with a critical introduction in front.
| Order | Part (section 4) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cover page | Title, author of the text, target language, course code, your name, enrolment number, School, University and year. Section 4 labels it “परिशिष्ट क”, but the matching form is Annexure ख, First Page of the Project Work |
| 2 | Original approved proposal proforma | The one the School approved |
| 3 | Originality proforma signed by you | Your declaration that the work is your own |
| 4 | Supervisor’s certificate (Annexure ग) | Signed by the supervisor; without it the report is not accepted (page 8) |
| 5 | Critical introduction | About 8,000 words, in the target language |
| 6 | Translation of the approved text | Under the approved title, unchanged |
| 7 | Copy of the source text | A legible copy, with its first and last pages |
Annexure ग has a line for work “done or redone in the light of evaluator’s comments”; use it as printed for a first submission or a resubmission. If your supervisor is from outside the list, add the approval letter for the supervisor. Our report format template shows these pages as empty frames in this order.
After approval, many students do not know what format the report should follow, and some fall back on the chapter plan of a social science project. The MATS report has no data analysis chapter; it has an introduction and a translation.
Many students are unsure of the page order. For MTT-022 it is the seven parts of section 4, cover page first and the copy of the source text last.
Many reports come back for missing documents. For MTTP 22 the list is short: approved proforma, your signed originality page, the supervisor’s signed Annexure ग, the approval letter for an outside supervisor, and the copy of the text.
APA List, Footnotes and the Glossary
An IGNOU MATS Project has one citation style, and the Guide prints it: the APA style sheet in Annexure ङ, with models for books, reports, journal articles, reviews and online sources. Section 3.7 asks for the reference list at the end of the project, covering every book you studied and every tool you used.
- For a term you transliterate or coin, give a short footnote on the same page or at the end of the text (section 3.7).
- In the glossary, list the technical, historical or cultural terms you met, with the word you used for each in the translation.
- Where no equivalent exists, say whether you used a substitute or a transliteration, and why.
In many reports the reference list does not follow the required format. For MTT-022 the format is set: APA, as in Annexure ङ, and every dictionary and CSTT glossary you used belongs in it.
In many proposals and reports the literature discussed does not match the bibliography. If your introduction quotes a critic of your author, that work must appear in the APA list.
Many students leave the appendix out. In an MTTP 22 report the essential appendix is the legible copy of the source text, and the glossary sits with the back matter.
Submitting the IGNOU MATS Project in December 2026 Through OPMS
For the December 2026 term-end examination, IGNOU’s OPMS guidelines replace the posted copy of the IGNOU MATS Project with an online upload. The upload closes on 30 November 2026 at 11:59 PM, and the guidelines say no further extension will be given.
- Pay the fee first. The Prospectus (page 27) sets the project evaluation fee at Rs 500 for a course of more than 4 credits, so Rs 500 for the 16-credit MTTP 22. The OPMS guidelines ask you to pay it on Samarth before you upload.
- Make one PDF per course. The report may be up to 40 MB; the signed bio-data of the supervisor up to 5 MB; the approval up to 5 MB; the proposal up to 10 MB.
- Check the first page: title, your name, programme code, enrolment number as on your identity card (not the control number), Regional Centre code and course code.
- Upload, then keep proof: save the acknowledgement screen or e-mail. The guidelines say not to send a hard copy to SED or the Regional Centre, and that e-mailed reports are not considered.
Queries go to projects@ignou.ac.in or preexamcs@ignou.ac.in. For dates across programmes, see our December 2026 last date page, and after upload, how to track the status.
Some students e-mail the report instead of using the course’s route. For the December 2026 MTTP 22 cycle the route is the OPMS upload, and IGNOU’s guidelines say e-mailed reports are not considered.
Many students are unsure of the evaluation fee and mix up the Rs 300 and Rs 500 amounts. At 16 credits, MTTP 22 falls in the above-4-credit slab of Rs 500.
Many students do not know how many copies to send, or where. The 2015 Guide asked for two copies, one posted and one kept; under OPMS you upload one PDF and still keep a printed copy of your own for the viva.
Viva, Originality and a Second Attempt
The viva of an IGNOU MATS Project carries 60 of the 200 marks, and the Prospectus lists the course as Project Work with Viva-voce. The 2015 Guide says the date, time and place come after submission and that you attend with your own copy at your own expense; the Programme Guide describes an online viva with a presentation of about 10 to 15 minutes. The December 2026 OPMS guidelines place the viva, where it applies, under the concerned Regional Centre.
Expect questions on why you chose the text, your hardest passages, the words you left untranslated and the strategy you named in the introduction. Our viva question bank helps with practice.
Originality is a condition, not a bonus: page 8 says presenting or copying any printed or unprinted project will lead to cancellation. If the report scores under 40 per cent, page 9 asks you to redo it in the light of the evaluator’s comments, attach Annexures ख and ग again, and send it with a demand draft of Rs 2,200 in favour of IGNOU, payable at New Delhi, to the Registrar, SED, Block 12. That fee and route are as printed in 2015; confirm the current ones with SED before you resend.
Many students do not know whether a viva applies to them. For MTTP 22 it does: the course is printed as Project Work with Viva-voce, and 60 marks depend on it.
Some students submit the report without the supervisor’s signature on the originality certificate. On the MATS route that is Annexure ग, and page 8 says the report is not accepted without it.
Some students have the final report spiral bound. The 2015 Guide asked for a typed, bound copy; for the December 2026 upload the file is a PDF, so binding matters for the copy you keep and carry to the viva.
Questions MATS Students Ask About MTTP 22
Is the IGNOU MTTP 22 project the same as MTT-022?
Yes. The IGNOU MTTP 22 project and the IGNOU MTT-022 project are one 16-credit course. The 2015 Project Work Guide prints MTT-022, eGyanKosh files the Guide as MTTP-022 Project Work Guide, and the July 2026 Prospectus lists MTTP 22, Project Work with Viva-voce. Write the code your exam form or Samarth account shows.
What is the MATS full form at IGNOU?
The MATS full form is Master of Arts in Translation Studies. The MA in Translation Studies IGNOU offers is run by the School of Translation Studies and Training, carries 80 credits over 2 to 4 years and costs Rs 7,500 a year, as per the July 2026 Prospectus. The online version, MATSOL, totals 64 credits.
Who has to do the MATS project at IGNOU?
Every MATS IGNOU learner. The Guide calls the project compulsory and places it in the last six months of the second year, and the Prospectus lists MTTP 22 among the five Year 2 courses. For admission rules to the programme itself, see our programme overview for MA (Translation Studies).
Can I start translating before the proposal is approved?
The Guide says to begin work only after the School has approved the proposal, and the approved title becomes final. You can still read the full book, collect related literature and build your dictionary list while you wait.
Who can supervise an IGNOU MTT-022 project?
Any academic counsellor appointed by IGNOU for the MATS programme is an authorised supervisor; the study centre coordinator has the list. An outside supervisor needs approval on Annexure घ: a doctorate in Translation Studies, Hindi, English, a Modern Indian Language or a relevant area, and at least 6 years of teaching in a University or PG College.
What goes into the final IGNOU MATS Project Report?
In this order: cover page, the approved proposal proforma, your signed originality page, the supervisor’s signed certificate (Annexure ग), the critical introduction, the translation and a legible copy of the source text. Add the approval letter if your supervisor is from outside the counsellor list.
How long is the IGNOU MATS Project?
The 2015 Guide asks for a source text of 16,000 to 20,000 words and a critical introduction of about 8,000 words in the target language. The undated Programme Guide prints 12,000 to 15,000 words and 8,000 to 10,000 words, so confirm the figure that applies to you with the School.
Is a glossary required in the MATS project?
Yes. Section 3.7 asks for a list of technical and culture-bound terms with the word you used for each, footnotes for transliterated or coined terms, and an APA reference list. Together with untranslatable terms they carry 10 marks.
Which kind of text works best for MTT-022?
No text earns marks by itself. A passage from a standard Hindi or English book in one of the ten listed areas, with enough cultural, technical or linguistic difficulty to discuss, gives your critical introduction real material; the linguistic and textual difficulties section alone carries 25 marks.
Where do the proposal and the report go?
The proposal goes by registered post to the Programme Coordinator, MA (Translation Studies), SOTST, Block 15-C, IGNOU, Maidan Garhi, New Delhi 110068. For the December 2026 exam the report is uploaded through OPMS by 30 November 2026, with no hard copy to SED or the Regional Centre.
Before the IGNOU MATS Project Leaves Your Desk
Run this last check before the IGNOU MATS Project goes out, whether it is the proposal envelope or the OPMS upload.
- The title on the report matches the approved title, word for word.
- The critical introduction is in the target language and covers sections 3.1 to 3.7.
- Annexure ग carries the supervisor’s signature; your own originality page is signed.
- The APA list includes every dictionary and glossary you used.
- The Rs 500 fee is paid on Samarth, and the first page shows your enrolment number, not the control number.
- A printed copy of the full report is with you for the viva.
Some students skip keeping proof once the report has gone. For the MTTP 22 upload, save the OPMS acknowledgement; along with the registered post slip for your proposal, it is the record you will need if a query comes.
We have seen submissions returned when the supervisor’s bio-data had no stamp or working ID. OPMS asks for the supervisor’s signed bio-data, and Annexure घ asks an outside supervisor for self-attested degree and experience copies and a CV, so check those pages before you upload.
Other translation programmes have their own rules: the PG Diploma in Translation project has a separate page, and all programme project pages are listed in one place.
Sources Read for This Page
- School of Translation Studies and Training, IGNOU. MTTP-022 Project Work Guide, December 2015, 23 pages (Hindi), with Annexures क to ङ. Read from the PDF supplied by the publisher of this page.
- IGNOU. MATS Programme Guide, undated.
- IGNOU. Common Prospectus, July 2026: pages 23, 27, 36, 108 and 109.
- IGNOU. MATS programme page on ignou.ac.in and the MATSOL programme sheet on Samarth.
- IGNOU. Guidelines for online project submission, December 2026 term-end examination.
- Government of India. The Copyright Act, 1957, sections 14 and 22, on India Code.
ignouproject.com is an independent service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by IGNOU. Rules, fees and dates are quoted from the documents listed above as read in November 2026; IGNOU’s own notices prevail where they differ. Our correction service reviews work the student has written; it does not write or translate any part of a project.
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