Self-learning through free courses offered by top institutions like IITs and IIMs and earning credits, certificates and diplomas in specialised areas by appearing for an examination for as low as Rs 750 per course is becoming an emerging trend among students and young professionals. An indication of the growing popularity of self learning is that the number of candidates appearing for exams for 390 programmes offered on SWAYAM through the National Testing Agency (NTA) platform has gone up from from 3,807 in 2018 to 1.2 lakh in 2023.
For students who were unable to secure a seat in a premier higher education institution or hampered by their location or socio-economic situation, the flexibility to accumulate credits from top institutions and complete their courses in home institutions has come as a boon.
SWAYAM, the Massive Open Online Courses platform, was launched in July 2017 by the ministry of education (then ministry of human resource development) under Digital India to provide a common platform for free web courses in all advanced education. Currently, as per SWAYAM dashboard there are 3.9 crore candidates registered on the platform of which 39.9 lakh have registered for examinations and 25.2 lakh candidates have been certified on completion of their courses.
Of the 203 partnering institutions offering 11,770 courses, NTA at present conducts exams for 390 courses offered under six national participating institutions as nodal agencies. NTA is streamlining the semester schedule this year to sync with the university and has scheduled the semester exams in December (for July-November session) and May (January-May session).
The number of candidates taking the tests and successfully completing the courses have been increasing manifold.
