Bangalore: Bangalore University has acquired III-Way. It is the acronym for newly developed software and stands for Information, Internet and Integration.

Vice-Chancellor M.S. Thimmappa said on Friday that the new software, integrated with the earlier systems, will help build a database on students in all affiliated colleges and speed up the evaluation of examination papers and the declaration of results.

"From the last date of an exam, it takes about three months for results to be announced and for mark sheets to be given. This can now be cut to just one month, and along with other initiatives, the room for human error and malpractice will also be considerably reduced," Dr. Thimmappa told presspersons here.

The task before the university was formidable: 481 affiliated colleges with 3 lakh students and only 1,500 staff for evaluation. On top of this, following a Supreme Court directive, two new subjects — Indian Constitution and Environmental Sciences — have been added as compulsory papers for all undergraduate courses.

The university then turned to upgrading its software and adopted new digital technologies. At the physical level, since Central College is cramped for space, five new evaluation centres have been added: National College and NMKRV College in Jayanagar; MLA College for Women, Malleswaram; RC College of Commerce and KLE College, Rajajinagar.

"Till now answer papers had to be coded and later decoded and this process took weeks. The personnel doing this work made errors or gave room for malpractice. Now a new system of `packing' answer papers will be followed with independent custodians. The Syndicate approved it in November," the Vice-Chancellor said. Instead of daily-wage workers, Home Guards will assist the custodians.

Data collection

A new digital data collection system has been introduced and each college has to transmit exam-related data through specially designed software. Colleges will transmit to the university data related to student admission, nationality, college/course, exam fees paid and other details. Provision is made to have a digital photograph of all students on the database. Information downloaded on a CD can be used by colleges to issue register numbers and exam hall tickets and avoid delays.

"Malpractices in issuing hall tickets, internal assessment and practicals can be eliminated with security measures like encryption of marks entered at the colleges, physical verification by tabulators or the computer centre at the university and de-encryption only before the results are announced," Dr. Thimmappa said.

Other reforms

Other reforms include dividing the university's jurisdiction into about ten zones, each covering 50 to 60 colleges monitored by a zonal officer. They will coordinate data transmission to the examination branch of the university. BSNL has been invited to establish direct connectivity between the Jnanabharati campus and the computer centre at Central College. Two senior professors have been deputed to the examination branch to assist the Registrar (Evaluation) in streamlining the evaluation process.

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