BHU rolls out 121 credit-ready INI-SWAYAM courses for January–April session

Banaras Hindu University (BHU) has unveiled an expansive slate of 121 credit-ready courses on the INI-SWAYAM platform for the January–April 2026 academic session, marking a notable expansion of India’s online higher education ecosystem. The announcement comes as BHU assumes the role of national coordinator for the Institutes of National Importance (INI) domain of the SWAYAM initiative under the Ministry of Education, an appointment that positions the university at the centre of efforts to mainstream credit-bearing online learning. 

The consolidated course catalogue brings together offerings from three universities: BHU itself, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), and Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU). Of the total, BHU is responsible for 71 programmes spanning disciplines such as science, engineering, management, medicine, education, humanities, social sciences, law and other interdisciplinary areas. These courses are scheduled to begin in two phases, on January 26 and February 16, 2026.

Prospective learners can enrol through the SWAYAM portal (via swayam.gov.in/INI) until February 28, 2026. The platform’s design emphasises structured learner support, weekly progress analytics, and seamless pathways for students to earn university credits, a feature that aligns with the broader objective of integrating online learning with formal academic records.

In an official statement, Dr. Ashutosh Mohan, National Coordinator for INI-SWAYAM and a faculty member at BHU’s Institute of Management Studies, described the initiative as a “significant step forward in terms of access, flexibility and quality.” He underscored that the courses would be developed in keeping with the interdisciplinary spirit envisaged in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, with the aim of equipping learners with relevant skills while remaining accessible to motivated students across contexts. 

The catalogue also features two internationally co-developed courses, created in collaboration with the SEPT Competence Centre at the University of Leipzig, Germany. These offerings focus on digital marketing and branding for start-ups, as well as digital entrepreneurship, covering topics such as idea validation, product development fundamentals, regulatory compliance, and go-to-market strategies for first-time founders.

The expansion of credit-ready courses through INI-SWAYAM reflects ongoing efforts to democratise access to higher education while promoting academic mobility and skill enhancement. As universities across India grapple with implementing flexible credit frameworks under NEP 2020, the collaboration between multiple institutions on a unified digital platform signals a concerted push towards bridging physical and online academic environments.