Fund crunch hits digitisation project
Even as the Utkal University is positive about going ahead with Higher Education Department’s University Digitisation project, fund crunch has come as a major stumbling block.
Although the University is ready to sign MoU with the Odisha Knowledge Corporation Limited (OKCL) for digitisation of its administrative and academic activities from next academic session, it reportedly does not have the fund to begin the work.
Under the digitisation project, from admission to publication of results, everything will become online, paperless and information regarding students’ enrolment and examination dates among other things would be available at the click of the mouse. When the matter was placed before the University Syndicate this week, its members agreed to the proposal provided Government comes forward to help it financially.
Although OKCL would implement the digitisation software for free in the first year, Syndicate members said the University will not be able to contribute towards its maintenance.
A member of the Syndicate said when the University does not even have funds to take up repair works of broken classrooms, earmarking money for any other development work is impossible.
The block grant that State Government provides is just sufficient for payment of staff salary, he added.
At present, the Utkal University is implementing a high-end campus project under the National Mission on Education Through Information and Communication Technology of the Human Resources Development (HRD) Ministry.
It focuses on e-classrooms and high speed internet connectivity on the campus. Majority of works under the project, being implemented in collaboration with BSNL, have already been completed.
The HRD Ministry had sanctioned ` 35 lakh for the purpose.