BELGAUM: For the first time in India, Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) conducted examinations online and evaluation through digital medium.
To put an end to lapses, the university conducted online examinations across 22 colleges under a pilot project and will introduce the hi-tech system in other colleges. Impressed with this advanced technology, a few varsities and Karnataka Public Service Commission showed interest in it.
Around 30 minutes before the exam, the university will e-mail copies of question papers of different disciplines and semesters to principals of colleges. They will get the printout of the question papers according to the number of students and distribute them at the scheduled time. “This practice avoids maintaining printing secrecy, risk of dispatching and storing in the strong rooms, leakage of papers and other lapses,” said V-C Maheshappa.
He told Express that VTU introduced the system in technological colleges in Belgaum, Dharwad, Haveri, Bijapur, Bagalkot and Karwar districts.
Through ordinary computers, evaluators can correct the answer papers from their homes. The evaluator will be paid `20 for each paper, which earlier was between `250 and `300. With the digital system, VTU saves expenses like TA, DA, stay allowance of the evaluators. VTU till date has saved `24 crore, around `3 crore from each centre. Earlier, answer sheets were evaluated in Belgaum, Davangere, Mangalore, Gulbarga and in three centres in Bangalore. VTU has 28 disciplines, including Computer Science and MBA. r sheets.
Union Human Resources Department has given 10 MBPS network systems at a concession rate of `24,000. With this, VTU established its own Virtual Pvt Network which cannot be hacked.