Tamil Nadu commissions tech-driven project to expedite college exam results
The State Planning Commission has commissioned Alagappa University, Thiruvalluvar University and Anna University to develop a faster evaluation mechanism by turning the semester manuscripts electronic and digitising the evaluation system.
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CHENNAI: The State government has embarked on a pilot project involving three universities to work on a mechanism to address the issue of long delay in publishing exam results.
The State Planning Commission has commissioned Alagappa University, Thiruvalluvar University and Anna University to develop a faster evaluation mechanism by turning the semester manuscripts electronic and digitising the evaluation system.
Sources privy to the pilot project told DT Next that like the Graduation Record Examinations (GRE) in the US, the entire semester evaluation process would be made digital. The answer sheets would be scanned at the university level and electronically transferred to a hub, where they would be embedded and each manuscript would be awarded a system-generated dummy number. The digitised manuscripts would then be electronically sent to the evaluators.
The whole process would save a lot of time and money to the government, while also reducing the carbon footprint by avoiding physically transporting the manuscripts from colleges to universities.
"The universities submitted three separate projects. We have put together a system based on the inputs," said the highly placed official.
Asked as to why the government chose to design in-house systems instead of engaging IT behemoths that provide such services instantly in other states, the official said IT firms prefer to provide service on annual fee (like licence fee) and were unwilling to sell the design to the State.
"The government would incur a huge recurring expenditure if it engages the IT firms' services. That is why we decided to utilise the expertise of our own institutions. The new system will facilitate greater transparency and help track any human interface at any level," the officer said.
The official said universities would be provided giant scanners capable of scanning up to 30,000 pages a day.
Estimating that the new mechanism would facilitate answer sheet evaluation at the State level within 10 days from the date of exams, the source explained that the technology was ready and would be implemented on a trial basis in the current academic year itself.
The working of the systems was presented to Chief Minister MK Stalin in Tuesday's Planning Commission meeting.
