REVIVING THE SYSTEM: (From left) Secretary of Health and Family Welfare Department M.N. Vidyashankar, Vice- Chancellor of Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences P.S. Prabhakaran and Director (Research) AIU R.D. Anand at the national seminar on ` Examination reforms in higher education,' in Bangalore on Wednesday. — Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.

Bangalore: Secretary for Medical Education M.N. Vidyashankar has said that the project to electronically link the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) with all colleges affiliated to it is under way and will be completed by June next year.

Speaking after inaugurating a national seminar on `Examination reforms in higher education' organised by the Association of Indian Universities, New Delhi, jointly with the RGUHS here on Wednesday, Mr. Vidyashankar said once the connectivity is established, information on all colleges, student information, including attendance and marks obtained in examinations, and information about teaching staff would be available on the Internet.

"Any student from any part of the country interested in studying in Karnataka should be able to access information about particular colleges and the professors there online, without having to travel out of his hometown. This will also ensure transparency and accountability and bring down the chances of corruption in these institutes," he said.

To facilitate educational reforms, there should be a thrust on having more autonomous and deemed universities and institutions, he said.

In the first phase, the Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, the Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology, the Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health and the upcoming Nephro-Urology Institute on the Victoria Hospital premises will be connected. Tenders for this will be called next week.

"The relationship between higher education and economic growth is undergoing tremendous changes, and the same holds for the relationship between the Government and educational institutions. In this background, sufficient mechanisms have to be in place to ensure transparency," he said.

R.D. Anand, director (Research), Association of Indian Universities, said introduction of non-resident Indian (NRI) quota for professional courses had given scope for corruption.

P.S. Prabhakaran, Vice-Chancellor, and T.K. Nagabhushana, Registrar (Evaluation), RGUHS, were present.

Controllers of examinations, deputy controllers, registrars and academics from various parts of the State are participating in the seminar, which will focus on the examination system in higher education, paperless examinations, evaluation system and so on.

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