The Business Bytes
THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU
BHUBANESWAR, FEBRUARY 8, 2025
The Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), in collaboration with the Government of Odisha, successfully hosted the SWAYAM Outreach Workshop to promote digital education and foster academic excellence. The workshop brought together key stakeholders from Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, and West Bengal, including distinguished representatives from the Ministry of Education, University Grants Commission (UGC), and premier academic institutions.
Kaliprasanna Mohapatra, Director of the Department of Higher Education, Government of Odisha, emphasized the critical role of education in shaping India’s future. “As we progress under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, it is essential that our academic system evolves to meet contemporary demands,” he stated. Acknowledging the challenges in education, employment, and environmental sustainability, he praised the SWAYAM initiative as a game-changer in enhancing students’ employability. He urged universities and institutions to integrate SWAYAM into their academic frameworks, calling it a natural extension of NEP’s vision.
Avichal Raj Kapur, Joint Secretary, UGC, highlighted the need for collaborative efforts in higher education. “Traditional education remains largely individual-centric, whereas SWAYAM fosters an interconnected learning ecosystem. To fully harness its potential, institutions must build resource-sharing networks and establish academic clusters,” he said. He outlined four core NEP objectives: positioning India as a global knowledge leader, ensuring quality education, increasing the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER), and embedding digital learning into mainstream curricula. Stressing the importance of SWAYAM, he urged academicians to integrate its courses to build a more inclusive education system.
Prof. Deepak Behera, Vice Chancellor of KISS Deemed University, reaffirmed KISS-DU’s commitment to digital learning. “With over 1,200 students already enrolled in SWAYAM courses, we are fully embracing the UGC SWAYAM Regulations 2021 and will soon conduct examinations on campus for these courses,” he announced. He credited Professor (Dr.) Achyuta Samanta, Founder of KIIT, KISS, and KIMS, for his visionary leadership in elevating KISS to international prominence.
Prof. Behera also underscored KISS-DU’s unique role as a frontrunner in indigenous education, with 65% of its students being female, primarily from marginalized backgrounds. “We are dedicated to implementing NEP 2020, fostering research aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and expanding global collaborations with over 70 institutions worldwide,” he added.
The SWAYAM Outreach Workshop, a nationwide initiative by the Ministry of Education and UGC, is designed to enhance student enrollment in SWAYAM courses for credit accumulation and interdisciplinary learning under NEP 2020. Participants explored strategies to maximize SWAYAM’s impact, ensuring digital education complements traditional academia while bolstering employability and knowledge accessibility across India.
Rohit Tripathi, Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Higher Education, along with KIIT Vice Chancellor Prof. Saranjit Singh and other distinguished speakers, also shared their insights, reinforcing the significance of digital learning in shaping India’s academic future.
