The Delhi University is considering offering up to 20% of its courses through the online medium on the Swayam portal. A proposal to this effect will be presented to the Academic Council during its meeting on November 30.

As per the proposal, colleges may contemplate providing up to 20% of the total courses in a specific program for a semester in online mode, aiming to complement the teaching-learning process. However, there is expected opposition from a significant majority of Academic Council members who believe that the emphasis on online learning poses a risk to employment generation at the university.

This sentiment is expressed by Maya John, an assistant professor at Jesus Mary College, who states that nearly 90% of Academic Council members may oppose the proposal as it is perceived as anti-student and anti-teacher. The proposal aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020’s objective to achieve a 50% Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education by 2035 through Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) on platforms like Swayam.

In 2019, the Academic Council sought the Executive Council’s approval for adopting the UGC (Credit Framework for Online Learning Courses through SWYAM) Regulations, 2016. Earlier this year, the Department of Commerce expressed a desire to implement MOOCs developed by its teachers, aligning with the university’s curriculum.

A Departmental Council meeting in February decided and approved details related to the MOOC’s title, course coordinator, and assigned credits. Presently, Delhi University does not offer MOOCs through Swayam, a government portal providing free online courses for students.

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