The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : `Tap technology to link colleges'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Feb 04, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

`Tap technology to link colleges'

Staff Reporter

Meet gives platform for exchange of ideas on e-governance

GREETING AN ACADEMIC LEADER: S. Jagadeesan, Chairman of the Ethiraj College Trust, welcomes K. Balaveera Reddy (right), Vice Chancellor, Visveswaraya Technological University, to a meet on e-governance on Friday. — Photo: V. Ganesan

CHENNAI: Technology needs to be used to link all colleges at the national level, said K. Balaveera Reddy, Vice-Chancellor, Visvesvaraya Technological University, Karnataka.

Addresing a national seminar on E-governance at the Ethiraj College for Women on Friday, he highlighted the concept of e-learning and said India was the only country to launch an exclusive satellite for higher education but there were not too many takers.

"Besides helping us compete with foreign universities, digital classrooms will also help us address the paucity of teachers in rural colleges," he said, elaborating on how technology facilitated learning at the Visvesvaraya Technological University.

The two-day seminar would feature sessions on different aspects of e-governance, addressed by academicians, policy makers, representatives from the private sector, volunteers from non-governmental organisations and students.

"Effective use of IT service in government services will enhance existing efficiency and increase transparency," said S. Jagadeesan, chairman of Intellectual Property Appellate Board and the Ethiraj College Trust. Asked about the scrapping of CET for State Board students in Tamil Nadu, Mr. Reddy said: "I was very shocked. The Supreme Court clearly says it is mandatory for all state governments to conduct a CET. Also, students in rural areas might not score as high as those in cities. But they might have the aptitude for engineering. This can't be tapped unless there is a common entrance examination."

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