SWAYAM Outreach Workshop Held at KISS to Strengthen Digital Learning
Bhubaneswar: The SWAYAM Outreach Workshop, aimed at promoting digital education, was successfully organised by Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) in collaboration with the Government of Odisha. The workshop brought together participants from Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, and West Bengal, with key dignitaries from the Ministry of Education, University Grants Commission (UGC), and leading academic institutions.
In his address, Kaliprasanna Mohapatra, Director, Department of Higher Education, Government of Odisha, underscored the vital role of education in shaping India’s future. “As we evolve under the National Education Policy (NEP), we must ensure that our education system adapts to contemporary needs,” he said. While acknowledging challenges in education, employment, and environmental sustainability, he lauded the SWAYAM initiative, calling it a “brilliant idea” that will make students more employable. He urged all universities and institutions to integrate SWAYAM into their academic frameworks, emphasizing its role as a natural extension of the NEP.
Avichal Raj Kapur, Joint Secretary, UGC, stressed the importance of collective efforts in higher education. “The SWAYAM portal is crucial today because traditional education remains largely individual-based. To maximize its impact, we need to build resource networks and create institutional clusters,” he said. He warned that without such collaborations, institutions would remain constrained by their existing resources. He outlined four key NEP goals: transforming India into a knowledge superpower, ensuring quality higher education, increasing the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER), and embedding digital courses into mainstream curricula. “As academicians, we must understand SWAYAM’s offerings and incorporate them into our courses to create an inclusive education system,” he urged.
Prof. Deepak Behera, Vice Chancellor, KISS DU, emphasized KISS-DU’s commitment to integrating SWAYAM into its educational model. “At KISS, we have already enrolled over 1,200 students in SWAYAM courses. We are embracing the UGC SWAYAM Regulations 2021 and will soon conduct exams on campus for these courses,” he said. He acknowledged the guidance of Professor (Dr.) Achyuta Samanta, Founder of KIIT, KISS, and KIMS, whose leadership has propelled KISS to international recognition.
Prof. Behera highlighted KISS-DU’s unique role as a pioneer in indigenous education, with 65% of its students being female, most from marginalized backgrounds. “We are committed to implementing NEP 2020, fostering research aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and expanding our global collaborations with over 70 institutions worldwide,” he added.
The SWAYAM Outreach Workshop, part of a nationwide initiative by the Ministry of Education and UGC, is designed to encourage student enrollment in SWAYAM courses for credit accumulation and interdisciplinary learning under NEP 2020. As discussions unfolded, participants explored ways to maximize SWAYAM’s impact, ensuring that digital education supplements mainstream academia while enhancing employability and knowledge accessibility across India.
Rohit Tripathi, Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Higher Education, KIIT VC Prof Saranjit Singh and others also spoke.
