The Hindu : `Takshila' can speed up university evaluation

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Sep 13, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka-Bangalore

`Takshila' can speed up university evaluation

By K.Satyamurty

Bangalore Sept. 12. Following the scandal that surfaced in Bangalore University earlier this year, revealing gross irregularities in issuing marks card, a more foolproof system of evaluation has become necessary, many feel. Students with brilliant academic records, after months of hard work, feel disappointed when results are announced. Instead of the first class they dreamt of, they barely pass the examination. Or even find their numbers missing from the list of successful candidates.

After endless paperwork for re-evaluation or re-totalling, some of them may end up with better grades. Much of the university-level exam evaluation work in Bangalore is still at the mercy of evaluators, doing the work of correcting and entering marks on the answer sheets of students. Only the final tabulation of marks and grading has been computerised to some extent. Even here, human errors in data entry have become common.

Computerisation of university examination system, was made possible by the City-based Lyrix Infosystems Pvt. Ltd., a decade ago. "Takshila", a software developed by the company has been successfully implemented by several universities other than Bangalore. The Gulbarga University, Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Kuvempu University, Shimoga and Mysore University are among them. Among them, these universities have declared more than 5,000 results of undergraduate, post-graduate and super speciality courses using this software. The general features of "Takshila" include provision to limit access to different users with various security levels and the facility to capture backlog information of earlier examination. There is online provision to verify absentees or those barred for malpractices. These alone will help identify any irregularities such as abnormally high passes/failures or absentee candidates being issued marks cards as happened in Bangalore University.

According to H.N.Ramesh, the software provides foolproof coding and decoding of answer papers and makes it possible to declare results within a day from the date of completion of evaluation. Manual tabulation and preparing of marks card and degree certificates can be eliminated. It has features to freeze the results once they are announced and the marks cards are printed, preventing deliberate tampering with results or marks.

At the pre-examination stage, the software is programmed to limit the number of question papers to be printed and in their despatch, avoiding "leaks". A number of personnel can be trained to handle the software; the university does not have to depend on a few individuals to declare results.

Mr. Ramesh said experience showed that the investment on hardware, software, and other infrastructure could be recovered within a year. Recurring costs could be saved up to 80 per cent annually. Kuvempu University, Shimoga, was spending more than Rs. one crore to conduct two examinations a year, before computerising. After installing the software, the university spent less than Rs. 20 lakh on evaluation.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

Stories in this Section

Kannada bodies threaten to organise State bandh

For them, it was the worst day

KSRTC, BMTC incur Rs. 1 cr. loss

`Reality 2002' in City from tomorrow

`Takshila' can speed up university evaluation