Date:08/12/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/12/08/stories/2006120815200200.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Village resource centres launched

Special Correspondent

VRCs set up in 15 places in State by Satyabama University along with ISRO

CHENNAI: With the service sector seeing a worldwide boom, there is a need to review the curriculum content in higher education, according to the University Grants Commission's Secretary, Tilak R. Kem.

The service sector needs skilled professionals in different areas and the curriculum needs to address this requirement, he said. He was speaking after launching village resource centres (VRCs) established by Satyabama University, Chennai, along with the Indian Space Research Organisation. The VRCs have been established in 15 places in the State.

Dr. Kem saw how the system worked, as subject teachers at the expert centre on the private university campus gave lectures to learners at Muttam (Kanyakumari district), Valliyur (Tirunelveli), Manampathi (Vellore) and Puthalam (Kanyakumari district) on how to become lab technicians, nursing assistant, electrician and plumbers, and on floriculture.

Dr. Kem noted that one section of the Veerappa Moily Committee Report had spoken about the need for using information-communication technologies to benefit larger audiences in the face of teacher and teaching infrastructure shortages. "We see now how a good professor's lecture can be taken to a larger audience to other parts of the country or even abroad ... ," he added.

Dr. Kem witnessed a medical expert from Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Centre explain how the VRCs could also be used for telemedicine (consultancy using the satellite - Web connection).

Free programme

Satyabama's Chancellor Jeppiaar said the entire programme would be delivered to the learners free of cost. The VRC sessions would be held from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. every day. The centres would be provided with 20 computers each so that local villagers, especially self-help groups, could learn to use the systems.