Can online education become India’s great equaliser?
This article is authored by Rohit Gupta, COO, College Vidya.
When the National Education Policy (NEP) was launched in 2020, it fundamentally reshaped India’s higher education landscape by signalling, for the first time, that online and hybrid learning modes would be treated on par with traditional, in-person education. In doing so, the policy sought to dismantle long-standing geographical and socio-economic barriers to access, explicitly stating that technology should be leveraged in order to ensure quality learning becomes available to all, no matter where they live or what their circumstances.
In line with the NEP’s push to promote online delivery as an effective and credible avenue for learning, the University Grants Commission (UGC) initially allowed 20% of a degree programme to be offered online; this threshold has since doubled to 40%. Currently, 116 higher education institutions offer more than 1,100 Open & Distance Learning programmes and 102 institutions run 544 fully online programmes together reaching over 19 lakh students.
Taking forward the NEP’s stated objective of increased flexibility, modularity and multiple entry/exit points, mechanisms such as the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) now allow students to accumulate and transfer credits across institutions. Large-scale platforms like SWAYAM, envisaged in the NEP to democratise access to high-quality courses, enable up to 40% of total credits to be earned from approved MOOCs.
Similarly, the proposed National Digital University (NDU) embodies the policy’s call for a digital infrastructure that will enable equitable access to education irrespective of physical location.
Significant progress notwithstanding, implementation gaps persist. The NEP recognises the “digital divide” among learners as a core challenge, a reality still evident in Tier-2 and Tier-3 towns where learners often depend on unstable networks and shared devices. Under these circumstances, the NEP's promise of flexibility can quickly turn into frustration.
Faculty readiness is another bottleneck that is still a reality. Effective online teaching is not simply a matter of uploading lectures; it requires thoughtful instructional design, interactive formats, and timely feedback. Without sustained investment in faculty development, course quality will remain inconsistent across institutions.
Additionally credit mobility, while promising, is still difficult for students to navigate. Without academic counselling, the very freedom it offers can become overwhelming, leading learners to accumulate credits without a clear plan toward a degree or career goal.
Although the NEP established regulatory equivalence between online and offline degrees to foster wider acceptance, industry perception often hinges on institutional prestige rather than demonstrable skills, restricting the full realisation of the policy’s intent.
The NEP’s first five years gave online education the regulatory space to grow; the next five must prove it can deliver meaningful outcomes. This requires a decisive shift from expanding capacity to achieving impact, a principle strongly articulated in the policy’s call for ‘quality, equity, efficiency, and empirical outcome-based monitoring.’
It starts with closing the last-mile gap. Public–private partnerships can make stable broadband and affordable devices available in every district, not just the big cities. Technology may be the delivery vehicle, but without the road, it goes nowhere.
Faculty must move beyond content delivery and become digital learning designers capable of creating personalised, interactive experiences that keep learners motivated. This will require consistent investment in training and instructional design support, echoing the NEP’s call for “rigorous training in learner-centric pedagogy…using online teaching platforms”.
We also have to measure what matters. Enrolment is easy to count; completion rates, skill gains, and employability are harder but far more important. Today, only about 4% of learners who enroll in MOOCs or SWAYAM courses finish them. That’s a reminder that success is still being measured more by sign-ups than by the skills or opportunities learners actually gain.
Clearly, outcome-based metrics will build accountability and strengthen trust, both from employers and from learners, deciding where to invest their time and money.
Finally, online and hybrid programmes must be seen as equal and not second-choice. The NEP urges that online education be promoted as a “choice for excellence,” not a fallback. When students pick a blended pathway because it offers the richest learning experience, not just because it’s the only option available, perceptions will shift. And that’s when online education will truly have arrived.
True transformation will require alignment across regulators, universities, and industry. Regulators must ensure agile frameworks that adapt to innovation. Universities should build robust learner-centric online ecosystems that provide guidance, assessment, and engagement. Employers must validate online learning through hiring practices and partnerships. Emerging technologies such as AI-driven adaptive learning and immersive simulations can make online education not only equivalent but, in many ways, superior to traditional formats. Used effectively, these tools can personalise learning at scale beyond what physical classrooms can match.
If we ensure consistent quality, strong support, and clear career outcomes, online education will not just level the field but will expand it. A student in Buxar should have the same shot at a world-class degree as one in Bengaluru. That is the promise of NEP and one worth keeping.
This article is authored by Rohit Gupta, COO, College Vidya.
When the National Education Policy (NEP) was launched in 2020, it fundamentally reshaped India’s higher education landscape by signalling, for the first time, that online and hybrid learning modes would be treated on par with traditional, in-person education. In doing so, the policy sought to dismantle long-standing geographical and socio-economic barriers to access, explicitly stating that technology should be leveraged in order to ensure quality learning becomes available to all, no matter where they live or what their circumstances.
In line with the NEP’s push to promote online delivery as an effective and credible avenue for learning, the University Grants Commission (UGC) initially allowed 20% of a degree programme to be offered online; this threshold has since doubled to 40%. Currently, 116 higher education institutions offer more than 1,100 Open & Distance Learning programmes and 102 institutions run 544 fully online programmes together reaching over 19 lakh students.
Taking forward the NEP’s stated objective of increased flexibility, modularity and multiple entry/exit points, mechanisms such as the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) now allow students to accumulate and transfer credits across institutions. Large-scale platforms like SWAYAM, envisaged in the NEP to democratise access to high-quality courses, enable up to 40% of total credits to be earned from approved MOOCs.
Similarly, the proposed National Digital University (NDU) embodies the policy’s call for a digital infrastructure that will enable equitable access to education irrespective of physical location.
{{/usCountry}}Similarly, the proposed National Digital University (NDU) embodies the policy’s call for a digital infrastructure that will enable equitable access to education irrespective of physical location.
{{/usCountry}}Significant progress notwithstanding, implementation gaps persist. The NEP recognises the “digital divide” among learners as a core challenge, a reality still evident in Tier-2 and Tier-3 towns where learners often depend on unstable networks and shared devices. Under these circumstances, the NEP's promise of flexibility can quickly turn into frustration.
{{/usCountry}}Significant progress notwithstanding, implementation gaps persist. The NEP recognises the “digital divide” among learners as a core challenge, a reality still evident in Tier-2 and Tier-3 towns where learners often depend on unstable networks and shared devices. Under these circumstances, the NEP's promise of flexibility can quickly turn into frustration.
{{/usCountry}}Faculty readiness is another bottleneck that is still a reality. Effective online teaching is not simply a matter of uploading lectures; it requires thoughtful instructional design, interactive formats, and timely feedback. Without sustained investment in faculty development, course quality will remain inconsistent across institutions.
{{/usCountry}}Faculty readiness is another bottleneck that is still a reality. Effective online teaching is not simply a matter of uploading lectures; it requires thoughtful instructional design, interactive formats, and timely feedback. Without sustained investment in faculty development, course quality will remain inconsistent across institutions.
{{/usCountry}}Additionally credit mobility, while promising, is still difficult for students to navigate. Without academic counselling, the very freedom it offers can become overwhelming, leading learners to accumulate credits without a clear plan toward a degree or career goal.
Although the NEP established regulatory equivalence between online and offline degrees to foster wider acceptance, industry perception often hinges on institutional prestige rather than demonstrable skills, restricting the full realisation of the policy’s intent.
The NEP’s first five years gave online education the regulatory space to grow; the next five must prove it can deliver meaningful outcomes. This requires a decisive shift from expanding capacity to achieving impact, a principle strongly articulated in the policy’s call for ‘quality, equity, efficiency, and empirical outcome-based monitoring.’
It starts with closing the last-mile gap. Public–private partnerships can make stable broadband and affordable devices available in every district, not just the big cities. Technology may be the delivery vehicle, but without the road, it goes nowhere.
Faculty must move beyond content delivery and become digital learning designers capable of creating personalised, interactive experiences that keep learners motivated. This will require consistent investment in training and instructional design support, echoing the NEP’s call for “rigorous training in learner-centric pedagogy…using online teaching platforms”.
We also have to measure what matters. Enrolment is easy to count; completion rates, skill gains, and employability are harder but far more important. Today, only about 4% of learners who enroll in MOOCs or SWAYAM courses finish them. That’s a reminder that success is still being measured more by sign-ups than by the skills or opportunities learners actually gain.
Clearly, outcome-based metrics will build accountability and strengthen trust, both from employers and from learners, deciding where to invest their time and money.
Finally, online and hybrid programmes must be seen as equal and not second-choice. The NEP urges that online education be promoted as a “choice for excellence,” not a fallback. When students pick a blended pathway because it offers the richest learning experience, not just because it’s the only option available, perceptions will shift. And that’s when online education will truly have arrived.
True transformation will require alignment across regulators, universities, and industry. Regulators must ensure agile frameworks that adapt to innovation. Universities should build robust learner-centric online ecosystems that provide guidance, assessment, and engagement. Employers must validate online learning through hiring practices and partnerships. Emerging technologies such as AI-driven adaptive learning and immersive simulations can make online education not only equivalent but, in many ways, superior to traditional formats. Used effectively, these tools can personalise learning at scale beyond what physical classrooms can match.
If we ensure consistent quality, strong support, and clear career outcomes, online education will not just level the field but will expand it. A student in Buxar should have the same shot at a world-class degree as one in Bengaluru. That is the promise of NEP and one worth keeping.
This article is authored by Rohit Gupta, COO, College Vidya.
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