LUCKNOW, Sept. 28 -- In a major push to digital transformation and flexible education, Lucknow University recently announced a comprehensive upgrade to its 'Learning Management System (LMS)' through integration of the Samarth portal. It aims to seamlessly connect traditional campus study with online learning ecosystems, extending high-quality educational resources to students across the main campus and affiliated colleges. Under the initiative, the university plans to integrate over 1,500 'Massive Open Online Course (MOOC)' modules spanning diverse disciplines, said university officials. Specialised online examination and certification protocols are also being introduced. Additionally, the framework provides digital courseware and learning modules to democratise higher education access. Speaking on the rollout of these digital frameworks, Prof Kiran Lata Dangwal, SWAYAM coordinator and chairperson of MOOCs committee, emphasised the transformative impact of the platform, noting that the university is initially launching its customised MOOCs pipeline directly through the university's LMS for internal campus students and affiliated college networks. "As part of the initial phase, the university is introducing three core proprietary courses coordinated and recorded directly by faculty teams within the university ecosystem. This includes an 8-week pre-PhD course work module titled 'Ethics First: Excellence in Research and Responsible Publishing: carrying 2 credits, which is mandatory for research scholars," she said. "Furthermore, two separate courses designed for 7th-semester (4th year) undergraduate students under the new education policy-namely 'Ethics in Research' and 'Research Methodology'-are being launched, each carrying 4 credits," Dangwal added. She said all assessments and exams for these tracks will be conducted fully online through the centralised digital portals, with credits integrated into student mark sheets. While the platform is currently optimised for internal university and affiliated college students, future expansions to external learners are being evaluated based on the performance and feedback of the initial rollout, Dangwal said. University spokesperson Prof Mukul Srivastava said the incorporation of the Samarth portal into the academic framework reinforces Lucknow University's commitment to transparency, technological integration, and academic excellence, building a future-ready campus where physical boundaries no longer limit a student's pursuit of knowledge. With the new modules and online examination options now operational, students can access courses anytime and anywhere through the university's centralised digital portals. "The certifications like AI for all among others will also be available on the LMS of the university. Besides, if everything goes right, university can think of further expanding the courses for students of other universities and colleges across the country on a nominal fee," he added....