AICTE asks affiliated universities to allow 20% credit transfer from SWAYAM platform

The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has requested all affiliated universities and colleges to allow up to 20 percent credit transfer in every semester through online courses provided by the central government’s SWAYAM platform.

The announcement by the technical education regulator comes after Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman emphasised on the need to focus more on online education.

The finance minister has said for the education sector PM eVIDYA, a programme for multi-mode access to digital/online education, will be launched immediately.

AICTE in its tweet on Sunday said, “AICTE requests VCs (vice chancellors) of all Universities/Affiliating Universities and directors/principals of autonomous colleges to facilitate students and permit credit transfer to the extent of 20 percent in every semester through the online courses provided through SWAYAM platform.”

As per the AICTE notification, “It was mandated that 20 per cent of the courses can be taken online by the students and universities were required to recognise the credits of those 20 percent courses.”

The allotment of 20 percent credit through SWAYAM was issued as per the first amendment of the University Grants Commission (UGC) (Credit Framework for Online Learning Courses through SWAYAM) Regulations, 2016.

The move will enable students to avail 20 percent their total course credits by attending equivalent online courses through SWAYAM.

SWAYAM, an initiative by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), seeks to narrow the digital divide and take the learning resources to all students.