Chennai: The Centre-run Swayam online education platform is offering free courses in emerging areas such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics and animation, aimed at expanding access to quality higher education, officials said.

Operated under the Union Ministry of Education, Swayam seeks to democratise learning by providing online courses to students, working professionals and domain experts, enabling them to upgrade their skills in digital and new-age disciplines.

The courses are taught by subject experts and professors from leading institutions across the country. As part of the current offerings, Banaras Hindu University professors Abhishek Kumar and Achintya Sangal will jointly conduct a 15-week course on animation.

In addition, IIT Bombay professor Kannan Moudgalya will offer a course on the application of artificial intelligence in everyday tasks, while IIT Kanpur professor Ashishtha will teach a course on robotics.

The platform provides structured video lectures, reading material and assessments, allowing learners to study at their own pace. More details about the courses and enrolment are available on the Swayam website, officials said.