Swayam Portal: Ministry of Education’s Swayam Plus Portal is a boon for students! Skill development in every corner of the country

In view of the demand for skill development courses, the Union Education Ministry launched the SWAYAM Plus portal six months ago, which has 320 live courses. A senior official of the ministry says that so far more than 1.10 lakh people have registered on this platform, out of which 78 percent are from non-metro cities. The number of people doing skill courses from non-metro cities is high and they are getting opportunities to do employment-oriented courses on the online portal. Along with doing general degree courses, students are doing skill development courses on this portal. Along with students, more than 22 percent professionals have also registered, who are doing skill development courses. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has directed that the process of adding new courses on the SWAYAM Plus portal should continue and all the courses whose demand is increasing in the industry should be brought on the SWAYAM Plus portal. Through this portal, vocational education is reaching even the students of those cities which lack opportunities.

A senior official of the ministry says that as per the instructions of the Education Minister, new course options are being regularly given on the Swayam Plus portal. Earlier, the ministry had launched the Swayam portal, on which one could do diploma and certificate courses from big institutions. More than 7.5 lakh registrations were done on the Swayam portal in 2023-24, which was 21 percent more than before.

The Ministry of Education and IIT Madras have signed MoUs with 55 companies for the Swayam Plus portal launched on 27 February 2024 under the National Education Policy 2020. The ministry has also prepared a new framework for universities to conduct exams for Swayam courses. 60 courses of the Swayam Plus platform have been brought under the National Credit Framework and those doing these courses also get benefits in their studies. Credits for every skill-based certificate, diploma and degree will continue to be deposited in the Academic Bank.

Among the courses which are in high demand, many students are learning IT, Banking, Digital Technology, Accounting Fundamentals, AEI Engineer, Data Analytics Using Excel, Professional and Communicative English. A student can get up to 40 percent credit from these courses.

The Ministry of Education has roped in companies like L&T, TCS, Microsoft, The Job Plus, Wadhwani Foundation, Bajaj Finserv for the SWAYAM portal. Courses are available in sectors like Information Technology and Services, Banking, Finance Services and Insurance, Media, Communication and Soft Skills, Digital and Emerging Technology, Engineering, Healthcare, Indian Knowledge System.

Along with their studies, college students can get up to 40 percent credit for the courses done through Swayam and Swayam Plus portals. UGC has implemented the credit framework and this is the reason why the number of students registering on these portals is increasing. There are courses from IIT, JNU, IIM Bangalore, DU, BHU, AMU. This portal is also multilingual and students are getting the opportunity to do courses in local languages ​​as well.

Through digital classrooms, students can study from their hostel, home, country or abroad. The ministry says that the enrollment of girl students has been the highest in the last ten years. Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) education has become a priority. The participation of girl students in STEM education is 43 percent, which is the highest number in the world in India.