INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
NEW DELHI: Students at Delhi University may now be able to take 40% of the semester courses online after the institution listed the
University Grants Commission's online learning platform as an agenda item at its Academic Council meeting scheduled for Thursday.In 2019,
the AC considered and accepted the adoption of the UGC (Credit Framework for Online Learning Courses through SWAYAM) Regulations, 2016, and
recommended its approval to DU's Executive Council, which acceded.The 2016 regulations said that the institution could allow only up to
20% of the total courses being offered in a semester through the online learning courses provided on the SWAYAM platform.The AC agenda
document pointed out that DU received a letter dated August 11, 2023, from the UGC secretary that contained a list of online courses offered
on SWAYAMfor the July 2023 semester
However, UGC (Credit Framework for Online Learning Courses through SWAYAM) Regulations, 2021, states that higher educational institutions
"may allow only up to40 % of the total courses being offered in a particular programme in a semester through the online credit course
through the SWAYAM platform.UGC also asked the higher educational institutions to devise a framework for credit transfer and integration
In this process, DU's commerce department may be the first to implement the SWAYAM online courses for the semester.Teachers aren't too
sure about this notification and sounded a caution about DU allowing online courses as part of the semester curriculum
"If the topic has been mentioned as part of the agenda for the AC meeting,it is clear that the university wants to permit studentsto take
online courses," noted Pankaj Garg, who teaches mathematics at Rajdhani College
"But we already saw during the pandemic thatonline courses are not very helpful
Such courses adversely affect the quality ofteaching too.Garg added, "The other aspect of online courses is the reduction of workload for
teachers and no creation of newer teaching jobs."Another teacher, who did not want to be identified,was also critical and said, "With the
academic bank of credits, there are also provisions that make it possible to study online after leaving the core courses
The standard of the online courses is also questionable."
