Shift to online education system  - promising or troubling 

By Dr.RL Raina, Vice Chancellor, JK Lakshhmipat University, Jaipur
At a time when the rough draft version of the India’s new education policy encouraged Indian institutions to develop their own online programs,  the global coronavirus pandemic has already paved the way for it. Social distancing and self-quarantine measures to cease the spread of novel cornovirus have made, the higher education institutes to suspend their classes and adhere to the online teaching and training process to continue the education. 
Through online learning, both teachers and students can make use of a wide array of resources that are available on the internet for teaching. It’s one of the easiest modes for students, provided they have good internet bandwidth.  One can enjoy it to the fullest and make best use of this form of learning if he/she follows self-discipline, time management skills, determination and a strong motivation like the classroom education. 
Current Scenario 
India has the most number of people using smartphones and other technologies like USA and China.And, the rise in the usage of the internet has changed the way of life in India. People like to do everything online, they shop online, do business online, make friends online, learn online, order food online, book cabs online among others.  Then why not learning online?  Online education and learning also stand right next to the evolving e-commerce industry. Internet is already loaded with ever-increasing information available and the countless number of online courses many people in India prefer to learn online designed by various universities. As a part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Digital India project, many colleges and universities have already started offering online correspondence courses. 
Here are some of the benefits of online teaching/training: 
Managing the poor teacher-student ratio
In India, mostly colleges and universities have less faculty members as compared to the growing number of students and that’s the reason some students can’t utilize their time effectively during classroom learning.  But through online training this gap can be bridged. A teacher can overview all the students through online learning and share guidance to each students separately. Students can even learn on their own and can do extensive research on a particular subject. It has also made the education process instant. 
Curation of robust content
This will also help our education and learning process more advanced. Teacher and students can build out the resources  they would be needing for course topics. This is how through an online format, one can build upon a robust curated libraries of content. To make it easier for future reference, one can tag them and organize them properly. This in a way not only help the students in gaining knowledge but also help them to form a bond with their teachers. 

Online academic learning cannot replace face-to-face teaching.  Besides, our teachers need training to be online tutors. With elite schools turning to ‘online only’ instruction, disparity between privileged schools and affordable schools are bound to widen due to varying contexts in the students’ home environment.