# NPTEL offers 3,200+ free online courses from IITs and IISc 2026-10-04T20:46:33+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Students of engineering, science, management and humanities can study online for free through NPTEL (National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning). The courses are taught by professors from IITs and IISc. Studying the courses is free, but students who want a certificate have to take an exam. The exam fee is ₹1,000 per course, and exams are held in more than 170 cities across India. The portal is run by seven IITs and IISc Bengaluru. There is no age or degree requirement to study these courses. Under UGC and AICTE rules, institutions can also allow students to earn up to 40% of their credits through these courses. Most courses run for 4, 8 or 12 weeks. Students get weekly video lectures, study material, assignments and quizzes. Top-performing students may get opportunities for research internships at IITs, IISc, IISERs and IIITs. Some courses can also help students prepare for GATE. ## Indian Opinion Analysis NPTEL's open-access model removes cost and entry barriers for higher education, but the ₹1,000 certification exam fee and the need for university credit acceptance may limit how many students actually convert free study into formal credentials. The portal does not name which institutions currently allow the 40% credit transfer, leaving students to verify acceptance on their own. The next step for a prospective learner is to check whether their university recognises NPTEL credits before enrolling. ## Coverage - bhaskarenglish.in Straightforward listing of course features, fees and rules with no editorial slant. This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: AICTE, GATE, IISc, IIT, NPTEL, UGC Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/nptel-offers-3200-free-online-courses-from-iits-and-iisc/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/nptel-offers-3200-free-online-courses-from-iits-and-iisc/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/