BHU appointed national coordinator for INIs on SWAYAM platform

NEW DELHI: The ministry of education (MoE) has designated the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) as the national coordinator for the Institutions of National Importance (INIs) on the SWAYAM platform. BHU has appointed Ashotosh Mohan of BHU’s Institute of Management Studies as national coordinator. The decision was taken during the 26th SWAYAM board meeting.

BHU will now facilitate the administration, academic support, and strategic development of SWAYAM Massive Open Online Courses for all INIs.

According to the BHU official statement, currently India has over 160 INIs, including IITs, NITs, AIIMS, IISERs, IIITs, central universities, and specialized institutions. Except for technology-related courses, the majority of online courses developed by these institutions on SWAYAM will be coordinated and quality-assured by BHU.

“The appointment of BHU as a National Coordinator (INI) inflates the list to 10 national coordinators besides the AICTE, UGC, CEC, NCERT, NIOS, IIM-Bengaluru, IGNOU, NITTR, and NPTEL – IIT Madras,” the official BHU statement read.

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BHU’s role as national coordinator

BHU will now provide academic and administrative support to INIs for SWAYAM course development, delivery, and evaluation. BHU will also guide institutions for the revised SWAYAM 2024 guidelines. The institute will also make sure to prevent duplication and curriculum relevance, and ensure credit transfer and UGC-NTA compliant certification post-exams. Additionally, it will also streamline assessment and certification standards in collaboration with regulatory bodies.

Ashotosh Mohan said: “This responsibility is both recognition and a commitment. BHU has consistently championed digital learning through its high-quality MOOCs, modern infrastructure, and a strong academic foundation. As National Coordinator, we will ensur that online education delivered by India’s most prestigious institutions meets global benchmarks in quality, accessibility, and relevance. We are committed to enhancing the user experience, enabling smoother academic credit transfers, and streamlining the course lifecycle in full alignment with the 2024 SWAYAM Guidelines. We thank the ministry of education for this confidence, and we pledge to take this initiative forward with excellence and accountability.”