Uttarakhand Open University Sets New Milestone in Online Education,

Pavneet Singh bindra

Haldwani,,, University Operates Maximum Number of MOOCs Among Uttarakhand InstitutionsHaldwani, October 2025 – Uttarakhand Open University (UOU) has once again affirmed its leadership in the field of online education by successfully operating the highest number of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) among universities in Uttarakhand on the Government of India’s SWAYAM platform. In the July 2025 session alone, a record 42,454 learners enrolled across 12 MOOCs offered by the university—the largest enrolment in a single session to date. These courses cover a wide array of subjects including Cyber Security, Digital Forensics, Web Technology, Management, Education, and Life Skills.UOU’s flagship course ‘Introduction to Cyber Security’ remains among the top non-NPTEL MOOCs in India, with a total enrolment of 129,000 learners so far. Similarly, ‘Web Technology’ (26,225), ‘Digital Forensics’ (24,168), and other courses have further cemented the university’s leadership in digital education. To date, a cumulative total of 206,536 learners from over 60 countries have participated in UOU’s MOOCs.This achievement is credited to the university’s visionary leadership, experienced faculty, robust academic framework, and state-of-the-art digital infrastructure. The university continues to innovate by incorporating gamified learning, micro-credentials, and bilingual content, making education more engaging and effective. Recently, the SWAYAM board selected a UOU course for translation into eight Indian languages—an important step towards delivering quality education at the regional level.UOU has also started developing MOOCs in Hindi and is now planning a new Hindi MOOC titled ‘AI for All’ to make artificial intelligence accessible to all. Additionally, the university is upgrading its infrastructure—an ADB-backed proposal for establishing an Educational Multimedia Production Centre (EMPC) is underway, along with plans to strengthen local production facilities and enhance availability of essential hardware and human resources.Vice Chancellor Prof. Naveen Chandra Lohani commented, “Enthusiasm and trust shown by learners towards our MOOCs reflects their faith in the university’s quality. The milestone of over 200,000 enrolments shows how UOU is making higher education more accessible, flexible, and relevant for everyone.”Staying aligned with the objectives of NEP 2020, NCTF, and NSQF, UOU is continually promoting lifelong learning and skill-based education.