SWAYAM is a programme initiated by Government of India and designed to achieve the three cardinal principles of Education Policy viz., access, equity and quality. The objective of this effort is to take the best teaching learning resources to all, including the most disadvantaged. SWAYAM seeks to bridge the digital divide for students who have hitherto remained untouched by the digital revolution and have not been able to join the mainstream of the knowledge economy.
This is done through a platform that facilitates hosting of all the courses, taught in classrooms from Class 9 till post-graduation to be accessed by anyone, anywhere at any time. All the courses are interactive, prepared by the best teachers in the country and are available, free of cost to any learner. More than 1,000 specially chosen faculty and teachers from across the country have participated in preparing these courses.
The courses hosted on SWAYAM are in 4 quadrants – (1) video lecture, (2) specially prepared reading material that can be downloaded/printed (3) self-assessment tests through tests and quizzes and (4) an online discussion forum for clearing the doubts. Steps have been taken to enrich the learning experience by using audio-video and multi-media and state of the art pedagogy / technology.
To take this initiative forward and to encourage more students across colleges to participate in this initiative, SWAYAM-NPTEL chapters are set up in colleges (with the approval of the management) which will be under the headship of a faculty member of the college, who would be the Single Point of Contact (SPOC). The SPOC has updates about all the latest NPTEL initiatives. It is duty of the SPOC to disseminate any information regarding SWAYAM-NPTEL among students. In addition to regular online courses (which are for both students and faculties) the faculties can contribute as mentors and as translators for specific courses. For more information on this faculties can contact the SPOC.
On June 22, 2023, B P Chaliha College established a local chapter and became a part of the SWAYAM-NPTEL family.