JNU puts its digital future on fast track with 11cr e-learning centre

Time of India

2 days ago

New Delhi: What began in a small, soundproof room equipped with basic audio-visual tools for online lessons is now set to become a full-fledged Special Centre for E-Learning at
Jawaharlal Nehru University
. The university has earmarked nearly 11 crore to develop the new infrastructure.
After years of deliberation, the project is finally taking shape.
The plan to set up this centre was approved by JNU's executive council several years ago, but it was only in 2024 that the university established a makeshift recording facility to begin offering MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses). With formal infrastructure now in the pipeline, the university is preparing to scale up its capacity for digital education in a more structured and sustainable manner.
Once operational, the centre is expected to enable JNU to offer some of its regular courses online—an expansion that could benefit students from distant regions of the country and abroad. As per current University Grants Commission (UGC) norms, universities can allow their students to obtain up to 40% of their credits through online mode. Currently, Jamia Millia Islamia is the only central university in Delhi that has made it compulsory for their students to obtain up to 40 % credit from online courses offered by SWAYAM platform.
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According to officials, the upcoming facility at JNU will include content creation studios, support for learning management systems (LMS) and virtual classrooms to facilitate the production and delivery of online courses.
The Special Centre for E-Learning will be spread over 2,500 square metres.
In a move to balance infrastructure expansion with ecological concerns, JNU is also exploring a vertical space-sharing model—an approach that involves housing multiple university centres within the same building.
The idea is to reduce land use and limit tree felling during construction. The university is currently considering clubbing the Special Centre for E-Learning with the proposed Incubation Centre under one roof.
"The Supreme Court's Central Empowered Committee's clearance has helped us proceed with the plan. To minimise tree felling, we are working on clubbing several centres together. The e-learning centre could be built along with the incubation centre," said B S Balaji, chairperson, Special Centre for E-Learning.
The Incubation Centre, estimated at 17.7 crore and planned across 4,000 square metres, aims to support start-ups and innovation on campus through co-working spaces, prototype labs, investor engagement cells, and mentoring support. Officials said that co-locating the two centres is both a spatial and strategic choice, allowing the university to maximise limited construction space while minimising ecological disturbance.
This development comes in the wake of a recent clearance by the Supreme Court's Central Empowered Committee, which granted permission to Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) to construct hostels and academic facilities in a designated green zone on the South Central Ridge, subject to strict environmental safeguards. The committee recommended the use of 2.1 hectares of forested land for the project. According to the approved plan, 27 trees will be felled, and 19 others will be transplanted.
As part of the compensatory measures, JNU is required to plant 500 saplings and contribute 5% of the project cost to the Ridge Management Board.
Earlier, construction for both centres was expected to begin in July 2025. However, the university now expects to start work by the end of this year, according to chairperson Balaji.