The University Grant Commission (UGC), has urged the universities to conduct up to 40% of the courses online, using the SWAYAM website. UGC aims to help students to opt for Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs).
According to the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, conducting online classes has a wider reach, expanding the access of the students from across and anywhere in the country and increasing the GER.
SWAYAM is a programme initiated by the Government of India and it aims to achieve the three cardinal principles of Education Policy that are access, equity and quality.
The objective of this portal is to take the best teaching learning resources to all, including the most disadvantaged parts of our world. SWAYAM seeks to bridge the digital divide for students who still remain untouched by the digital revolution and have not been able to join the stream of the knowledge economy.
According to UGC, students can, simultaneously, attend the SWAYAM courses and their university studies at the same time. The score received on the SWAYAM website will be covered by certification and will be added to their degree programme.
Previously the credit limit was only 20%, and now it has been raised to 40%, making the courses more accessible.
UGC has directed colleges and institutions to set up a curriculum that suits well with the courses offered through the SWAYAM website.
Colleges are to make the necessary amendments within four weeks from the date of publication in the Official Gazette so that there is an integration between the institutions and the courses offered through SWAYAM.
A faculty member must also be designated to the students as a facilitator to guide them throughout all the processes including registration up to the completion of the credit course. The parent institution will give the equivalent credit weightage to the student for the credits earned through online learning credit courses on the SWAYAM platform, in the credit plan of the programme.
The parent institute, in which the student is registered, will have to ensure that the physical infrastructure including computer facilities and library are provided accordingly to the student. The infrastructure must be made available for free of cost.
