PRESS RELEASE (English)
*IIT Kharagpur Hosts SWAYAM–NPTEL SPOC Workshop (East Zone) to Strengthen Digital Learning Ecosystem*
Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur successfully organized the SWAYAM–NPTEL SPOC Workshop (East Zone) to interact with and felicitate the Single Point of Contact (SPOC) representatives from NPTEL Local Chapter institutions across the eastern region of India. IIT Kharagpur serves as the coordinating institute for the NPTEL Local Chapters in the East Zone.
The workshop brought together 310 participants, including Heads of Institutions, SPOCs, keynote faculty members from IIT Kharagpur, NPTEL Star Awardees, and invited academicians. The event was held in Kolkata.
The inaugural session was graced by Prof Suman Chakraborty, Director of IIT Kharagpur. In his address, he shared his vision for the future of online education in India and highlighted the importance of making high-quality technical education accessible in vernacular languages. He also introduced the concept of “Concept Capsules,” an innovative approach that proposes delivering fundamental concepts through short, focused 15-minute learning videos to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes.
A detailed presentation on NPTEL’s ongoing and upcoming initiatives was delivered by Prof Haimanti Banerji, Associate Dean (CE&T) and NPTEL Coordinator at IIT Kharagpur. This was followed by an interactive question-and-answer session conducted by Prof Janakiraman Viraraghavan, NPTEL Coordinator from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras.
The gathering was also addressed by Prof. D. Ganadurai, Vice-Chancellor of St. Joseph University, Nagaland, and Prof Sumita Dave, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Amity University, Chhattisgarh. They appreciated the impact of the NPTEL initiative and emphasised the importance of expanding access to quality education for students in remote and underprivileged regions across the country.
The workshop concluded with a felicitation ceremony recognising high-performing NPTEL Local Chapters for their achievements during the July–October 2025 semester. In addition, 162 top performers in NPTEL courses were awarded for their outstanding academic achievements. The workshop reaffirmed NPTEL’s commitment to expanding high-quality online education and promoting flexible learning opportunities aligned with the Academic Credit Transfer policy, a key initiative of the Government of India aimed at democratizing access to education across the country.
