What is the IGNOU MAANY project?
The IGNOU MAANY project is two separate courses in the second year of the MA Anthropology (MAANY): MANE-106 Ethnographic Training, a 4-credit elective in Semester III, and MANP-101 Dissertation, an 8-credit compulsory course in Semester IV. Neither course has an assignment or a term-end examination. Each is evaluated on the report you submit.
This category holds MAANY synopsis and report reference sets for both course codes, in PDF and printed form. Before you choose one, the sections below settle three things that most MAANY pages online get wrong: which project codes belong to your programme, which inbox approves each synopsis, and where the finished MANE-106 report and MANP-101 dissertation go. Every procedural point on this page comes from the IGNOU MAANY Programme Guide and the IGNOU Common Prospectus for July 2026, and where those documents are silent, the page says so.
MANE-106 and MANP-101 side by side
| Point | MANE-106 Ethnographic Training | MANP-101 Dissertation |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Semester III, Elective Group B (choose any two of MANE-105, MANE-106, MANE-107, MANE-108) | Semester IV, compulsory for every MAANY learner |
| Credits | 4 | 8 (100 marks) |
| Assignment and TEE | None. Project only | None. Project only |
| How it is evaluated | Entirely on the project report | Entirely on the dissertation |
| Synopsis approval email | [email protected] | [email protected] |
| Final report goes to | Registrar, Student Evaluation Division (SED), or the upload link if IGNOU opens one | Registrar, SED, or the upload link if IGNOU opens one |
| Viva voce | Not mentioned in the Programme Guide | None. The Programme Guide states there is no viva for the dissertation |
| Project evaluation fee | Rs 300 (up to 4 credits) | Rs 500 (above 4 credits) |
MAANY or MAAN: which anthropology project codes are yours?
Your project codes depend on the programme code in your IGNOU admission record. MAANY learners, whose first-year courses run from MAN-101 to MAN-110, do MANE-106 and MANP-101. Learners on the older MAAN programme do MANI-001, MANI-003 and MANP-001, email a different address and follow a different dissertation route.
The two programmes share a name, a School (Social Sciences) and much of their subject matter, so search results mix them constantly. The difference matters in practice: a MAANY learner who follows a MAAN guide will send the synopsis to the wrong inbox, post the dissertation to the wrong office and prepare for a viva that the MAANY Programme Guide says does not exist.
| Item | MAAN (older programme) | MAANY (current programme) |
|---|---|---|
| Project-linked courses | MANI-001, MANI-003, MANP-001 | MANE-106 (elective), MANP-101 (compulsory) |
| Dissertation code | MANP-001 Fieldwork and Dissertation | MANP-101 Dissertation |
| Synopsis sent to | [email protected], one address for all three courses | [email protected] and [email protected], one per course |
| Dissertation submitted to | The learner’s Regional Centre | Registrar, SED, IGNOU headquarters |
| Dissertation viva | Arranged by the Regional Centre | None |
Code check. Some sites title their MAANY page “MANE 006 and MANP 101”. The MAANY course list in the July 2026 Common Prospectus has no MANE-006; the ethnographic project is MANE-106. The MAANY Programme Guide also has one sentence that prints “MANP 001” while describing the new dissertation, which is the old MAAN code. Use MANE-106 and MANP-101 exactly on your synopsis, cover page and upload, matching your approval.
On the older MAAN programme? Your reference sets are in the MAAN categories:
MAAN Project (MANI-001, MANI-003, MANP-001)Not sure which codes apply to you? Ask on WhatsApp
Do you need MANE-106, MANP-101, or both?
Every MAANY learner needs MANP-101, because the dissertation is compulsory in Semester IV. MANE-106 applies only if you chose it as one of your two Group B electives in Semester III. Work through the four questions below to see which synopsis and which report you actually have to prepare.
- Is your programme MAANY? If your first-year courses were MAN-101 to MAN-110, yes. Continue. If your courses carry MANI or MAN-001 style codes, you are on MAAN; use the MAAN category linked above.
- Did you register MANE-106 in Semester III? Group B lists four courses (MANE-105 Ethnography, MANE-106 Ethnographic Training, MANE-107 Urban Anthropology, MANE-108 Visual Anthropology) and you take any two. If MANE-106 is one of yours, you need a MANE-106 synopsis and project report. If not, you have no Semester III project; your two Group B choices are theory courses.
- Have you reached Semester IV? MANP-101 sits in Semester IV with the MANL-101 practical and one interdisciplinary course. Everyone on MAANY prepares a MANP-101 synopsis and dissertation.
- Where are you right now? No approval yet: you need a synopsis reference for that course code. Approval received: you need a report reference in your sub-field. Report written: you need to know the submission route, covered further down this page.
A learner who took MANE-106 therefore carries two independent approvals and two independent reports across the second year. Treat them as two projects from the start, with two files, two email threads and two sets of field notes.
MANE-106 Ethnographic Training: what does the project involve?
MANE-106 Ethnographic Training is a 4-credit, project-only elective in the Social-Cultural Anthropology stream (Group B) of Semester III. There is no assignment and no TEE; IGNOU evaluates it entirely on the project report. The synopsis goes to [email protected], and the study begins only after approval arrives.
The course title tells you what the report is meant to show: that you can do ethnography, as opposed to write about it. The Programme Guide says the specifics of the project and of choosing a mentor are set out in the course manual. That manual was not publicly accessible when this page was reviewed, so this page does not quote a page count, a word limit or a required chapter list for MANE-106. Take those from the manual your Regional Centre or eGyanKosh provides, and treat any website that states them without citing the manual with caution.
What makes a workable MANE-106 topic?
The following is our editorial guidance, based on how ethnographic training exercises are usually framed, and it is not an IGNOU rule. A topic that suits a 4-credit ethnographic project is small, local and observable: one setting, one group, one recurring activity that you can watch, take part in and record over repeated visits. Broad themes such as “globalisation and tribes” are hard to finish at this credit level, because they cannot be observed directly from a single field site.
- A weekly haat as a social space: who sells, who buys, how bargaining and credit work
- Preparation for one annual festival in a single mohalla or village ward
- Division of work within families running roadside eateries on one stretch of highway
- Everyday routines of domestic workers commuting into one residential colony
Each of these is a direction, not a finished title. Your guide will help you narrow it to a population and place, and your field diary, informed consent and respect for what informants choose not to share should shape the report from the first visit.
How is MANE-106 different from MANE-105 Ethnography?
MANE-105 Ethnography is a theory course with an assignment and a term-end examination. MANE-106 Ethnographic Training is the applied counterpart and is assessed only through the project report. Both sit in Group B, so a learner can choose both. The pairing can help, because MANE-105 supplies the reading and vocabulary a MANE-106 report draws on, though the Programme Guide does not require the two to be taken together.
MANP-101 Dissertation: what does the 8-credit course expect?
MANP-101 Dissertation carries 8 credits and 100 marks, has no assignment or term-end examination, and is evaluated entirely on the dissertation. You may research any sub-field of anthropology. You choose a mentor, supervisor or guide, send the synopsis to [email protected], and begin the study once approval arrives. There is no viva.
That “any sub-field” clause is broader than it looks. MAANY covers physical and biological, social and cultural, and archaeological anthropology, plus applied, environmental and public health strands. A MANP-101 dissertation does not have to be an ethnography; a growth study, a health-seeking behaviour survey or a heritage documentation project are all within scope, provided your guide works in that area and your methods suit the question.
MANP-101 runs in Semester IV alongside MANL-101, the 8-credit practical in physical and biological anthropology, and one interdisciplinary course (MGS-109 or MED-002). MANL-101 is a separate practical course with its own examination. It is not part of the dissertation, and this page does not cover it.
MANP-101 dissertation topics, mapped to the MAANY courses you studied
The directions below are editorial suggestions tied to the MAANY course list, so that your dissertation builds on reading you have already done. They are not an IGNOU topic list.
| Sub-field | MAANY courses it builds on | Example topic direction | Field consideration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social and cultural | MAN-103, MAN-105, MANE-105, MANE-107 | Changing marriage practices among migrant families in one urban resettlement colony | Interview and observation access to households over several visits |
| Physical and biological | MAN-102, MANE-101, MANE-102, MANE-103 | Growth and nutritional status of school children in one rural block, using anthropometry | Permission from the school and consent from parents before any measurement |
| Forensic | MANE-104 | Stature estimation from hand or foot dimensions in an adult sample from one district | A guide with forensic or biological training, and standard instruments |
| Archaeological | MAN-104 | Documenting a local heritage site and the community memory attached to it | Photographic records and oral accounts; no excavation |
| Applied, environment and health | MAN-106, MAN-107, MAN-110 | Health-seeking behaviour for childhood fever in one tribal or rural hamlet | Sensitive health questions; plan consent and privacy carefully |
| Visual | MANE-108 | Photo-elicitation study of household shrines in one neighbourhood | Consent for images and for their use in the report |
Pick the sub-field first and the place second. A strong MANP-101 topic names a group, a location and one question, and the methods you list in the synopsis should be the ones your guide can actually supervise.
Discuss a MANP-101 topic and method on WhatsApp
How does MAANY synopsis approval work?
MAANY synopsis approval runs by email, one address per course. You choose a mentor, supervisor or guide, prepare the synopsis as the course manual describes, and send it to [email protected] for MANE-106 or [email protected] for MANP-101. Only after approval do you carry out the study, and a copy of that approval must be attached to the final report.
- Choose your guide. The Programme Guide leaves the choice to the learner and refers to the course manual for eligibility. Ask your Regional Centre or Learner Support Centre for the manual before you approach anyone, so the guide you pick meets its criteria.
- Prepare one synopsis per course. MANE-106 and MANP-101 are approved separately, so a combined document does not fit the process.
- Email it to the course address. Keep the sent mail. The programme coordinator’s general address, [email protected], is for programme queries; the Programme Guide names the two course addresses for approvals.
- Wait for approval before fieldwork. The Programme Guide says the learner undertakes the study on receipt of approval.
- File the approval. A copy goes into the final report or upload.
What should a MAANY synopsis contain?
The Programme Guide does not list synopsis sections; the course manual does, and the manual takes precedence over anything written here. In general research practice, the elements an anthropology proposal is expected to show are a clear title, the background and reason for the study, objectives phrased without assuming the result, the study area and population, the methods and tools (observation, interview schedule, genealogy, anthropometry and so on), the ethical steps you will take, and a realistic timeline. Match the manual’s headings and order where they differ from this list.
Common MAANY project mistakes: symptom, cause and fix
Most MAANY project delays trace back to one habit: following instructions written for the older MAAN programme. The table matches the symptom a learner notices to its usual cause and the fix, with each fix taken from the MAANY Programme Guide, the Common Prospectus or IGNOU’s project upload instructions.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| No response on synopsis approval | Sent to [email protected] (the MAAN address) or to the general maany@ address | Resend to [email protected] or [email protected], depending on the course |
| One approval received, but for which course? | A single synopsis sent for both courses | Separate synopses, each to its own course address |
| Cover page shows MANP-001 or MANE-006 | Template copied from a MAAN guide or a site with the wrong code | Print MANP-101 or MANE-106 exactly, matching the approval |
| Dissertation posted to the Regional Centre | The MAAN rule for MANP-001 | MAANY reports go to the Registrar, SED, IGNOU, Maidan Garhi, or to the upload link when notified |
| Waiting for a viva date that never comes | MAAN dissertations had a Regional Centre viva; several sites still say so | The MAANY Programme Guide states there is no viva for the dissertation |
| Report returned or not evaluated | Approval copy missing, or upload incomplete | Attach the approval; on the upload portal include every document the notice lists before the last date |
| Report sent to SED by email | Assuming email counts as submission | IGNOU’s upload instructions say reports received by email are not considered |
| Rs 300 paid for MANP-101 | Using the rate for projects up to 4 credits | MANP-101 is 8 credits, so the project evaluation fee is Rs 500 |
Where do you submit the MAANY project report and dissertation?
Both the MANE-106 project report and the MANP-101 dissertation are submitted to the Registrar, Student Evaluation Division (SED), IGNOU, Maidan Garhi, New Delhi 110068. If IGNOU provides an upload link, the Programme Guide says to upload on that link only, with no hard copy. A copy of your approval must accompany each report.
This is the single biggest change from the older programme, where the MANP-001 dissertation went to the Regional Centre and the Centre arranged a viva. For MAANY there is no dissertation viva, so the dissertation itself carries the whole assessment. Proofread the approved title, the course code and the enrolment number on the cover before you post or upload, because a mismatch with the approval is the kind of error that is hard to explain afterwards.
What fee does IGNOU charge for MANE-106 and MANP-101?
Under the project fee rules in force from the January 2023 admission cycle, printed in the July 2026 Common Prospectus, the project evaluation fee is Rs 300 for project work up to 4 credits and Rs 500 above 4 credits. That makes it Rs 300 for MANE-106 and Rs 500 for MANP-101. The fee is paid with the Term-End Examination form, and the prospectus states that examination fees once paid are not refundable or adjustable. When this page was reviewed, IGNOU’s announcements page listed 30 November 2026 as the last date for the project, internship and practical course fee for the December 2026 cycle; confirm the current notice before paying.
What does IGNOU require if you upload the report online?
IGNOU’s online project upload instructions state that incomplete submissions are not evaluated and are removed after the last date, that reports sent by email are not considered, and that the approved proforma, synopsis, guide bio-data and originality certificate signed and dated by student and guide should be included wherever applicable. The portal address changes each cycle, so open it from the current notice on ignou.ac.in rather than from a saved link.
Which MAANY reference set fits your stage?
Choose a MAANY reference set by course code first, then by stage and format. A MANE-106 learner needs ethnographic training material, a MANP-101 learner needs dissertation material in the right sub-field, and either can take it as a PDF soft copy or a printed hard copy.
| Your stage | What to look for in this category |
|---|---|
| Choosing a topic, no synopsis yet | A synopsis reference carrying your exact course code, MANE-106 or MANP-101 |
| Synopsis approved, fieldwork under way | A report or dissertation reference in the same sub-field as your approved topic |
| Writing up, want to see structure on paper | The printed hard copy, produced at our own press |
| Working on screen or on a phone | The PDF soft copy |
A reference set shows how a MAANY synopsis or report is organised, how field data are presented and how an anthropology argument is built from observation. Your own submission must rest on your own approved topic and your own fieldwork, because the approval, the cover page and the evaluation are all tied to you. Shri Chakradhar Publication has served IGNOU distance learners since 2010, with its own printing press and writing team, and the product list on this page is limited to MAANY course codes.
Ask about MANE-106 or MANP-101 soft and hard copy
All IGNOU project soft copiesAll IGNOU project hard copies
MAANY project questions students ask
Can I write my MAANY project or dissertation in Hindi?
The July 2026 Common Prospectus lists English and Hindi as the medium of instruction for MAANY, while the MAANY programme page on ignou.ac.in shows English. Neither source we could read says which language the MANE-106 report or MANP-101 dissertation must be written in. Ask your Regional Centre or check the course manual before you write, and keep the synopsis and the report in the same language.
Is there an official MAANY dissertation sample PDF?
The MAANY Programme Guide does not include a sample synopsis or a sample dissertation, and we did not find one published by IGNOU for MANE-106 or MANP-101. Files circulating as “MAANY sample PDF” are usually older MAAN material. If you use a sample, confirm that its course code and submission details are MAANY, not MAAN.
Can I use the same topic for MANE-106 and MANP-101?
The Programme Guide does not address this directly. Because the two courses are approved and evaluated separately, a MANP-101 dissertation that repeats a MANE-106 report invites questions. A safer path, if you want continuity, is to use the MANE-106 field site as groundwork and frame a different research question for MANP-101, then explain that link to your guide.
When can I start the MANP-101 dissertation, and how long do I have?
MANP-101 is a Semester IV course, so plan the synopsis around your fourth-semester registration. MAANY has a minimum duration of 24 months and a maximum of 48 months, according to the programme page and the Common Prospectus, so a delayed dissertation can still be completed within the maximum period, subject to re-registration and fee rules for your session.
Who do I contact for a MAANY programme query?
The Common Prospectus names Dr. Palla Venkatramana as MAANY Programme Coordinator, at [email protected] and 011-29572729. Synopsis approvals go to the course addresses instead, [email protected] and [email protected]. Submission and result queries belong with the Student Evaluation Division.
Sources, author and review
Every procedural statement on this page was checked against these IGNOU documents:
- MAANY Programme Guide, Master of Arts (Anthropology), on eGyanKosh
- IGNOU Common Prospectus, July 2026 (MAANY structure, fee rules, coordinator)
- MAANY programme page, ignou.ac.in
- eGyanKosh collection, Master of Arts (Anthropology) (MAANY)
- MAAN Programme Guide, for the older-programme comparison
- IGNOU announcements, for current submission and fee notices
Research note. The MANE-106 and MANP-101 course manuals, which the Programme Guide cites for mentor eligibility and report structure, were not publicly accessible at review. Nothing on this page states a page count, word limit, font or chapter list for either course for that reason. Where your manual or a newer IGNOU notice differs from this page, follow the manual or notice.
Written and reviewed by BK Sahni, Shri Chakradhar Publication Private Limited, New Delhi. Last reviewed: 21 September 2026.
Shri Chakradhar Publication is an independent publisher of reference material for IGNOU learners. It is not affiliated with, approved by or acting for Indira Gandhi National Open University. Synopsis approval and evaluation decisions rest with IGNOU alone. For a project built to your own approved topic, see our customised project service.
