iLearn

What iLearn is

iLearn is the online learning portal of the e-VidyaBharati and e-ArogyaBharati (e-VBAB) Network Project, an initiative of India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). It is a product for learners, and a specific group of them: through iLearn, nationals of partner African countries apply for and take online degree, diploma and certificate programs from Indian universities, with the fees paid by the Government of India as a scholarship. The site's disclaimer is blunt about cost: "Under the e-VBAB Network Project, the programme fee is being paid as scholarship from Government of India. There is no mandate for anyone to charge any fee from learners."

The About page explains where it came from. At the Third India-Africa Forum Summit in New Delhi in October 2015, India's Prime Minister announced 50,000 scholarships for Africa. An earlier network project was then extended for 5 years with technological upgrades, envisaged to offer 15,000 scholarships, and renamed the e-VBAB Network Project to deliver tele-education and tele-medicine through internet-based portals. External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar formally launched it on 7 October 2019. The home page opens with a line from the Prime Minister's 2018 address to the Parliament of Uganda: "We will harness India's experience with digital revolution to support Africa's development... extend education."

Size

The About page says 27 premier Indian universities and higher education institutions, approved by the University Grants Commission (UGC), have offered online degree, diploma and certificate programs so far, that more may be empaneled, and that MoUs have been signed with 22 African countries. So far, 14,390 scholarships have been awarded to African learners across 4 academic sessions: January 2020, July 2020, January 2021 and July 2022. The home page highlights round these out at 15,000+ scholarships, 25+ partner universities and 300+ programs in total.

What learners can study

The catalog can be browsed by university, by degree type (Masters, Bachelors, PG Diploma, Certificate Program), and by category: Management, Computer Science, Commerce, Science, Humanities and Arts, Health care and Others. Each program is marked as ongoing with enrollment open, or with enrollment closed. On the home page, the category counts are 96 courses in Management, 33 in Commerce, 31 in Arts and Humanities, 29 in Computer Science and 9 in Science, so business subjects dominate.

There are three ways in from the home page: undergraduate and postgraduate programs, diploma and certificate programs, and SWAYAM massive open online courses, where the page invites learners to "Explore 500+ short term and MOOC courses through ilearn." Featured partner universities on the home page include Indira Gandhi National Open University, Kurukshetra University, Andhra University, Mahatma Gandhi University, Anna University and Alagappa University, each shown with its NIRF ranking. Learner testimonials add others, among them Aligarh Muslim University, Amrita University, Amity University, Bharati Vidyapeeth University and JSS Academy.

Program lengths are set out in the FAQ: undergraduate programs run 3 years, postgraduate programs 2 years, diploma programs 1 or 2 years, and certificate courses 6 months. Learners are expected to finish within those periods, with any relaxation strictly as per UGC guidelines. On completion, a learner who fulfills the program requirements set by the Indian university receives that university's degree, diploma or certificate.

How studying works

Everything happens online. The FAQ says there are no fixed class timings: because content and assessments are online, learners can log in and do coursework anytime, anywhere with an internet connection. Some courses offer live sessions at the instructor's discretion, and these may also be available as recorded videos. Questions go to a Discussion Forum, moderated by the instructor, where the instructor or fellow learners respond. The About page adds peer-to-peer sessions with international students and teaching by academics and industry experts.

The medium of instruction is English at every empaneled university, and the FAQ asks that applicants be able to read and write English and follow lessons in it without difficulty. End-semester exams are run by the universities with remote proctoring through Safe Exam Browser, so learners sit them at home on an internet-connected laptop.

Applying and the scholarship

Eligibility follows the scholarship rules. Applicants must be nationals of a partner African country that has signed an MoU for the project; they can live anywhere in the world but need a valid national ID or passport from that country. They must be under 50 on the date enrollment starts for the session, and meet the minimum academic qualification each Indian university sets for its program. The nationality list on the site names 22 African countries along with Afghanistan, which also has its own scholarship section.

The process runs in steps. A learner registers on iLearn with the name exactly as on the national ID, then chooses a university and program and is redirected to that university's portal, which is integrated with iLearn, to complete the application and upload documents. Universities screen for academic eligibility, Indian Missions abroad verify identity, the implementing agency and project monitoring unit review the file, and the MEA approves the scholarships. Only one application per candidate is allowed in an academic session.

The scholarship covers the entire program fee, which the FAQ lists as tuition, e-content charges, examination fees, and other charges such as registration, re-examination and award of the degree, paid directly to the university. Continuing it depends on progress. For the first two semesters, payment requires the university to confirm that the student is active and has submitted a minimum number of assignments. From the third semester on, a semester's scholarship is approved only if the student passed all previous semesters of that type, otherwise it is deferred until the condition is met. Short-term certificate courses work differently: learners enroll and study, then apply for an examination fee exemption when registering for the exam, with approval from the Government of India.

Support

Each partner country has a page listing a local Learning Centre and the Indian Mission contact; for Mali, the Learning Centre is in Bamako. A support page takes queries on scholarships, registration, course details and examinations, and links an escalation matrix for raising academic issues about the LMS, assignments, exams and results with each university. The site also has a user manual, guidelines, an alumni form and screen reader access.

What learners say

The testimonials come from learners in Nigeria, Mozambique, Malawi, Madagascar, Ghana, Uganda, Mauritius, Somalia, Zambia and The Gambia. Aaliyu Alhassan Badamasi, studying for a BBA at Amrita University, writes: "If not for this, I wouldn't have had a chance to study because I didn't have the funds." Abubacarr Gaye, a BBA student at Bharati Vidyapeeth University, says "The online learning is very convenient for working professionals because it allows you to study at your own pace and in your available time to earn your degree."

Who it suits

iLearn suits nationals of the partner African countries, under 50, who want a full degree, diploma or certificate from an Indian university without paying fees, and who can study in English. Working adults are well served by the absence of fixed class times and by exams taken at home, and the MBA and other management programs offer the widest choice.

The scholarship, which is how the fees are paid, is open only to nationals of the partner countries. Learners also need to meet each university's own entry requirements and keep passing their semesters to keep the scholarship.