UGC to allow regular universities to offer online courses post-Covid

The University Grants Commission (UGC) decides to allow regular universities across the country to offer online courses through distance learning even post Covid-19 pandemic.

As a part of this, UGC has started 123 different online courses out of which, 40 programmes are for postgraduate (PG) students and 83 for undergraduate (UG) students.

Students from across the country can apply to these courses through the online course platform 'Swayam' or "Study Webs of Active-Learning for Young Aspiring Minds". For complete details of courses and eligibility, students can check the UGC website.

Examinations for courses offered through the online medium of 'Swayam' will also be held. According to UGC, the Vice-Chancellors of various universities will have to ensure that the process of holding these examinations has to be started by the end of August.

The National Testing Agency will conduct these examinations at various examination centres across the country, which will be conducted for various non-technical UG and PG courses of the January-April 2021 semester.

The UGC has also sent notices to all universities and colleges regarding the exams conducted through 'Swayam'.

The 'SWAYAM' platform provides non-technical UG and PG courses to all students, working professionals, lifelong learners and all other people across the country.

Further, the UGC also aims to promote the use of regional languages. The statutory body will remove the language bar by allowing technical courses in various regional languages for which many important steps have been taken by the UGC.

Meanwhile, the UGC in its instructions issued to various universities across the country has said that classes conducted in online, offline and mixed-mode for intermediate semester students should be started as early as possible.

UGC Chairman D.P. Singh has said that several measures have been taken to make the courses available on the digital platform. Singh spoke about 'Swayam', 'Swayam Prabha', National Academic Depository (NAD) and other digital platforms for the purpose. He said that as part of the initiative of the UGC, it has brought learners into the mainstream of online education