Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan during the launch of SWAYAM Plus platform on Tuesday.

New Delhi:

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan unveiled the SWAYAM Plus platform on Tuesday. It is designed to offer programmes focused on enhancing employability and professional development through partnerships with prominent industry players like L&T, Microsoft, and Cisco.

Operated by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Madras, this platform aims to extend educational opportunities to both traditional students and working professionals, aligning with the provisions of the NEP 2020 for flexible entry and exit points in education. 

By enabling individuals to balance work and studies through online courses, SWAYAM Plus empowers them to enhance their skills and career prospects, thus contributing to India’s knowledge economy. 

Objectives and features

Enhanced employability: SWAYAM Plus empowers individuals to balance work and studies through online courses, enhancing skills and career prospects.

Industry partnerships: Courses are tailored to industry requirements in collaboration with industry leaders.

Key features: Multilingual content, AI-guidance, credit recognition, and pathways to employment are prominent features.

Implementation and reach

SWAYAM Plus aims to offer high-quality courses with credit recognition, reaching learners nationwide, especially from tier 2 and 3 towns and rural areas.

Value-added services

Value-added services like mentorship, scholarships, and job placements will be provided, creating a digital ecosystem for upskilling and reskilling at all education levels.

SWAYAM, launched in 2017, had enrolled 72 lakh learners by 2023. Now, in line with the NEP 2020, SWAYAM Plus will incorporate courses tailored to industry requirements, developed in collaboration with industry leaders like L&T, Microsoft, and CISCO. 

The minister highlighted its focus on building an ecosystem for professional and career development involving various stakeholders such as learners, course providers, industry, academia, and strategic partners. 

“Higher education is no longer confined to conventional students but is now open to working individuals too. The NEP 2020’s allowance for flexible entry and exit points enables people to pursue education at their own pace. This idea is reflected in SWAYAM Plus, a platform enabling working professionals to manage their work-study balance through a wide array of online courses,” he said.

Taking a step forward towards implementing NEP 2020 in letter and spirit and fulfilling Hon. PM @narendramodi‘s guarantee of making India’s population future-ready, launched SWAYAM Plus.

A collaboration between all stakeholders of the academia—@ugc_india, @AICTE_INDIA, @ncert,… pic.twitter.com/OrKgz6Z4AA

— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) February 27, 2024

Higher Education Secretary K Sanjay Murthy emphasised the need for contributions from industry leaders and subject matter experts to offer certified courses across different verticals, with content available in 12 major Indian languages.