With the world laying back because of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, so is the education system. Exams have been cancelled for high schoolers and graduation students after being postponed for so long.
Also, some of the exams have been postponed until the decision can be pondered upon, considering the situation of the dreadful pandemic in the country. Graduation students had been sent back home around the middle of their last semesters.
The students completed their classes through online portals, and the next academic year would begin soon, through the same process. The online alternative to physical teaching has been mostly a success for the students and the faculty to provide the best that they can.
But, what about the new students who had been waiting for their graduation years to start? Well, the good news is that soon, online degree courses can be expected at over 200 renowned universities in India. Let us get in the details of the issue.
Higher education through the internet
In an attempt to make higher education experience better for aspiring students, the government of India has decided that the universities in India will start offering online degrees in various fields.
The number of universities to offer this opportunity to the students is estimated to be around more than 200. Although this is a bold step which is taken by the University Grants Commission to change the eligibility criteria for the same issue, it is a vision towards success.
Distance education from the comfort of the home, staying away from the crowds, and keeping up with the studies is the first move towards fulfilling dreams.
University Grants Commission Finalizes The Proposal
According to sources, the University Grants Commission of India has been finalizing their proposal about the universities who are eligible for offering online degree courses to the students. It has been said that the universities have to meet two criteria:
1. National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) grade should be 3.01 and above.
2) CGPA GRADE A or the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) rank of the university should be in the top 100 universities of India. This criterion makes it possible for about 200-230 universities to qualify for the e-education program of the government.
As per the previous reports, the number of universities allowed to be a part of the program was about 100, but the Ministry of Human Resources and Development (MHRD) urged the University Grants Commission to reconsider their decision to review the rules they had put out.
Ministry of Human Resources and Development’s views
The availability of online education and the ease to study at the tip of a smartphone or a laptop may do the whole nation food. But, India is a country with a large number of young people who want to educate themselves for the better, and due to this pandemic in the country, the exams are getting postponed and so are their dreams.
With the e-Vidya program comes a lot of hope and determination of the people behind the scenes and the people waiting for the online degree courses to begin. The first proposal that had been put forth to the Ministry of Human Resources and Development by the University Grants Commission had estimated that only 67 universities were eligible to offer online degree courses.
With over a hundred and hundreds of universities in India, many great universities would miss out the opportunity to offer online degree courses for the upcoming year and so would a lot of students who would not be able to clear the eligibility for specifically selected universities.
Considering this aspect of the education system, the Ministry of Human Resources and Management promptly asked the University Grants Commission to review their rules so that more universities get eligible for the online degree program, without degrading the quality of the education.
100 Universities to Roll Out Online Degree Programs Soon
The forthcoming academic year is about to start soon, in a few months’ time. Every single student in the country is awaiting the news of the online degree programs to start soon.
According to the National Assessment and Accreditation Council’s (NAAC) director and other ministry sources, about 100 universities are going to roll out online degree programs soon, for the next academic year.
The director of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) has also put out his views about the importance of the program. He emphasized on the issue of equity and availability, while also maintaining the quality of education.
NAAC’s director also mentioned that the increase in the gross enrolment for the new academic year should also be one of the key aspects of the introduction of online degree courses in universities.
He talked about how the universities that are aspiring to be a part of the program and want to introduce online degree courses in their university in the mere future would be motivated by the e-Vidya program.
The universities who want to get on the wagon would have to work towards improving their student-faculty ratio, the university’s infrastructure, student environment to reach the 3.01 CGPA / NAAC Grade A or rank among the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 100 rank.
India’s views on the e-Vidya program
With the world coming to a sudden halt because of the infamous coronavirus, every student’s dream of experiencing the college’s campus life has come to a dead-end of halts, too.
There have been a lot of mixed opinions about the e-Vidya program, but when it is viewed from a rational and a positive spot, the e-Vidya program is set to bring the degree courses home to every student, almost literally.
The majority of students who have the resources to study online can enrol for their choice of courses when the proposal has been finalized by the MHRD. The availability of online degree courses is a safe way to continue education from within the safe walls of everybody’s rooms.
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Source: The Times of India.