Machine learning, blockchain emerge as top online courses in India

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Emerging topics like machine learning, artificial intelligence, computer programming, and deep learning have become the top online courses taken up by Indians, according to a report by online learning platform Coursera.

About 10.6 million Indians have registered on the platform to date, falling behind only the U.S. The findings come at a when time online learning has taken over traditional classroom lessons.

Other popular courses include Javascript, Blockchain, Internet of Things, Web Development and C Programming, the edtech company said in the ‘Global Skills Report 2021’. These courses are also popular in other countries such as Germany, Russia, China, Australia, and Saudi Arabia.

However, India stood in the 67th position among 104 nations in terms of digital skills. It ranked ahead of Myanmar, Uzbekistan, and Bhutan, but could not match countries like Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan, indicating a lack of digital and data skills.

Also Read | Why e-learning isn’t a sustainable solution to the COVID-19 education crisis in India

Digital skills have become important today especially to stay redundant at a time when technology is powering most industries. The pandemic also displaced millions of workers worldwide.

India showed only 38% proficiency in technology and data science, falling behind countries including Republic of Korea, Nepal, Malaysia and Sri Lanka. It showed 13% proficiency in computer programming, 14% in mobile development, and 25% in data analysis.

The pace of skills transformation is slower than the pace of digital transformation in India and learners must invest in soft and technical skills to prepare for jobs of the future, the report added.