Patna University Colleges connect with networking

                            
PATNA: Patna University (PU) is all set to become a Wi-Fi campus in the next academic session commencing in July. All its constituent colleges and postgraduate (PG) departments are being provided with the Internet connectivity so that they may get closely linked with each other and also with the outside institutions of higher education.
PU computer centre in charge K P Singh said that as part of the National Knowledge Network Mission, the much-acclaimed project of the Union ministry of human resource development department, all colleges under the PU would be connected online with the university. A comprehensive survey of the proposed networking in all the postgraduate departments located at Patna College, Patna Science College and Darbhanga House complex has already been completed and report submitted to the state higher education department. The survey report has reportedly been sent to the state information technology department for verification.
Singh said as soon as the verification work is completed, the work of laying optical fibre cables in and around the PU campus would be started by the BSNL, the government-authorized agency for laying the cable and providing Internet connectivity. The entire work is likely to be completed in a couple of months, he said.
Once the process of networking is completed, PU would also think of introducing virtual classes. A student of B N College or Magadh Mahila College can attend the lecture delivered by a teacher of Patna Science College through networking.
The postgraduate departments of PU would be provided 400 nodes (Internet connections). The cost incurred on networking would be borne by the central government (75%) and the state government (25%). The state government has also been approached for providing sufficient number of computers to the university for ensuring optimum utilization of networking.
Meanwhile, the work for computerized evaluation of answer-books of degree examinations and preparation of examination results is also in progress. PU has already signed an MoU with a Bangalore-based firm for the purpose. The company would install large scanners and sufficient number of computers to facilitate scanning and evaluation of answer-books, said Singh.