BHU has hired national coordinator on SWAYAM for Institutions of National Importance

The Ministry of Education has informed that Banaras Hindu University (BHU) has been appointed as the national coordinator for Institutions of National Importance (INIs) in the SWAYAM platform.  The decision was ratified in the 26th meeting of the SWAYAM Board. Dr Ashutosh Mohan of Banaras Hindu University's Institute of Management Studies has been appointed as the national coordinator for SWAYAM.

The University will now be monitoring the quality and progress of the online courses developed by over 160 Institutes of National Importance (INIs) in the nation, including Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), National Institutes of Technology (NITs), Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs), Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), and Central Universities.

As per a statement released by the University, Dr Mohan asserted that he will "ensure that online education provided by India's top institutions is of international standards of quality, accessibility, and relevance."

"We are committed to improving the user experience, making academic credit transfers easier, and streamlining the course life cycle in full compliance with the 2024 SWAYAM Guidelines," he added further.

Prof Sanjay Kumar, ad-interim vice-chancellor and rector, Banaras Hindu University, congratulated the BHU SWAYAM team for the success and assured his determination to offer all necessary support and coordination towards establishing BHU as a norm on the platform.

The contribution of BHU will be academic and administrative facilitation to INIs, enabling institutions to fulfill SWAYAM 2024 guidelines, prevent duplication of contents and maintain curriculum relevance.

The varsity will also rationalize examination and certification norms in consultation with the regulatory agencies, and facilitate credit transfer and UGC, NTA-suitable certification on the basis of examinations.

BHU has been very active on the SWAYAM portal, with 37 courses already in the process of being developed and another 63 to be started by July 2025. The institution also has a dedicated digital studio for content development, as per a university release.

With this appointment, BHU joins the list of small group of national coordinators on the SWAYAM platform, which also includes nine other prominent institutions like All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), University Grants Commission (UGC), NPTEL–IIT Madras, NCERT, NIOS, IIM Bangalore, and IGNOU.