AICTE to join hands with ed-tech firms for online education

The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) is looking to set up an e-learning platform with participation from both government institutions and ed-tech startups to offer a wide range of online professional courses to students and mid-career professionals.

AICTE will also streamline e-learning options, delivery and regulations, in sync with the National Education Policy which seeks to adopt technology and offer flexibility in tertiary education. A formal announcement of the plans is expected to be made on Tuesday.

The regulator believes that the move will personalize learning models and prioritize them to meet the needs of every student. AICTE member secretary Rajeev Kumar said the use of technology in education is inevitable, reshaping the way people learn. AICTE members believe the move will be able to provide accurate education technology solutions directly to students and offer a huge choice of courses to suit their requirements, “which will improve the overall learning outcome”.

A government official, seeking anonymity, said an attempt was made in late 2019, but this time, the plans will be firmed up to provide a contemporary touch. The move follows the covid-led disruptions in education, which in turn made online-blended learning options more acceptable to the masses. The official mentioned above said some 25 ed-tech firms will be on board for the initiative.

“The intention of the move is great and it brings private and government players in higher education space together. It also shows that the government is willing to capitalize the momentum gained post-covid outbreak. But we must promote this initiative and ask universities to join in,” said Mayank Kumar, co-founder of upGrad, an ed-tech firm that is providing industry-linked and job-oriented courses in collaboration with several leading universities and institutions.

“We have to bring students and institutions on board in large numbers and make the new platform more useful for credit transfer and driving flexibility,” said Kumar, adding that upGrad is part of the initiative.