The University Grants Commission (UGC) has allowed universities to offer around 40 per cent of their courses online through the SWAYAM website. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 had suggested conducting courses online “to expand access and increase GER”. Earlier, the credit limit was at 20 per cent but has now been increased to 40 per cent.
Students studying in any colleges and universities can take up relevant Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) offered by any colleges on the government’s online platform and get their scores transferred for their degree programme as well.
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The colleges and universities will have to work in a blended format. This means students can complete 40 per cent of any course online through the courses offered via SWAYAM and the remaining directly from the institute. The university classes and SWAYAM courses can take place simultaneously and students would get certification for the online course and the credits associated with their course will be calculated for the degree programme they are offered as well, the UGC said.
The UGC had notified that every “higher education institution shall within four weeks from the date of publication of these regulations in the official Gazette make the necessary amendments, as may be required, in their statutes, ordinances, rules, and regulations to adopt and incorporate the provisions of these regulations for seamless integration through SWAYAM based online courses.”
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The commission had also directed the colleges to map their curriculum in a suitable manner and suggest the students to take up courses accordingly. The parent institution, in which the student is registered will have to ensure that the physical infrastructure including computer facilities, library, etc are provided accordingly. Such infrastructure must be made available for free of cost, as per the guidelines.
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 vide online learning credit courses through SWAYAM platform, in the credit plan of the programme, as per UGC.
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