The Human Resources and Development (HRD) ministry at the Center has announced that it plans to launch several free online programs through the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) from 2015.
The move, when implemented, will make a positive impact on tens of thousands of Indian students who will be getting free online lectures from IIT and IIM faculties. HRD minister Smriti Irani also stated that the government plans to introduce online certification courses at minimal fees. For students belonging to the SC, ST and disabled categories, these courses will be offered free of cost.
The IITs and IIMs are planning to launch this Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) in the coming days. The MOOC plan enjoys support from government’s Swayam Bharat program
In fact, the current government’s keen interest in boosting online education in the country has acted as a catalyst to for many institutes.
The central government has already granted INR 100 crore for successfully implementing MOOC and virtual class rooms. MOOC aims to provide adequate training to 500 million people by 2022.
Some of the IITs and IIMs have also started collaborating with overseas institutes, government and the HRD ministry to better deliver MOOC. It is worth mentioning here that MOOCs have emerged as a global phenomenon in the field of higher education virtually everywhere in the world. However, some experts believe that MOOCs are unlikely to contribute much towards developing skills in millions as it is based on a one-way communication channel.
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