Online education is not only a means to access continuing education at any time but also provides affordable learning opportunities. Technology assisted and internet-enabled education requires the availability of good quality internet at the learners’ end and at the universities end. Familiarity of the learners with the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools, competency of teachers in using ICT for interactive teaching-learning and designing of technologies for “e-engaging” learning content is crucial.

While online education opens doors to higher education for a vast number of learners spread geographically throughout the world, it is also important to have strict quality control measures for the maintenance of standards. The need is to create interactive e-material to keep learners engaged in synchronous-cum-asynchronous modes of communication and to provide good learning experiences:

• Regulation on credit framework through SWAYAM – 40 per cent online credits acceptable now against 20 per cent earlier,
• MOOCs in Indian languages,
• Translation Automation (1000 courses in more than one language), and
• 1st (22 Subjects) and 2nd year (88 Subjects) Technical Course Textbooks in 10 Indian Languages.

Realizing the importance of technology and digitization in HE, the NEP-2020 has proposed the National Educational Technology Forum (NETF), for the free exchange of ideas on various dimensions of digitization and online education, with emphasis on aspects such as assessment, planning and administration. Essentially, we need to acknowledge, factor-in and utilize the disruptive nature of technology in higher education.

The NEP-2020 emphasizes that digitalization can play a crucial role in providing new and innovative forms of support to teachers, students, and the learning processes. It calls for the optimization of existing digital platforms and ongoing ICT-based educational initiatives to meet the current and future challenges in higher education.

The digital technologies have also greatly impacted the managing and governing of institutions. The session brainstormed on creating better learning opportunities using digital resources for a wider audience, on affordable and equitable base with lifelong learning orientation.