Mysore/Mysuru: SWAYAM and MOOCs are the world’s largest online free e-Learning platform portals designed by Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) to achieve the three cardinal principles of education policy — Access, Equity and Quality.

SWAYAM refers to “Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds” and MOOCs  meaning “Massive Open Online Courses” of Government of India which was formally launched on 9th July 2017 by the then President of India Pranab Mukherjee on Guru Purnima Day when the preceptor or teacher is worshipped throughout the country.  

SWAYAM programme offers a digital classroom with the help of internet and satellite connectivity to the remotest corners in the country. This is best suited for teaching online classes in the contemporary context of COVID-19.

SWAYAM Prabha is a group of 32 DTH (Direct To Home) Channel devoted to telecasting of high-quality educational programmes on a 24×7 basis using the  GSAT-15 satellite.

The SWAYAM and MOOCs provide an affordable and flexible way to learn new skills to advance the career and to get a quality education programme from 9th Class onwards up to Under Graduate (UG) and Post-Graduate (PG), Law, Medicine, Agriculture, Commerce, Management, Social Sciences, Humanities, inter-disciplinary courses,  Engineering and other professional courses. MOOCs is an extension of edx.org, a leader in online courses. 

Professors from IIT, IIM, University of Delhi, Jawaharlal Nehru University,  IGNOU, Banaras Hindu University, the Central University of Haryana and some foreign Universities are extending academic support to run the SWAYAM and MOOCs. 

The online classes  are  becoming  more popular in the COVID-19 context now  compared to offline classes. 

 The other two digital initiatives are National Academic Depository (NAD)  and the National Digital Library (NDL).

NAD is a digital depository of academic awards for authenticating all certificates issued by Institutions. NAD will directly integrate with Boards and Universities which issue certificates which will be verified, authenticated, assessed and retrieved in a digital depository for the purpose of employment, higher education and loans.  

NDL is a large online library containing 6.5 million books. It provides free access to many books in English and other Indian languages.

Suggestion

In a press release, Dr. N.N. Prahallada, former  Professor in Education,  Regional Institute of Education, Mysuru, has suggested that at State and National-levels, School teachers and Universities should utilise these SWAYAM and MOOCs portals to teach  students which will be of very high value and benefits the student community at all levels  in the present COVID-19 context.