Now, an online tool linking varsities to help students
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varsities-to-help-students/219156/

Posted online: Friday , September 21, 2007 at 12:00:00
Updated: Thursday , September 20, 2007 at 11:03:59Print Email To
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Mumbai, September 20 For a fresher, lack of information while
stepping into a new college can be a nightmarish experience. What are
the courses on offer? What is the eligibility? What kind of
competitive examinations are on offer? What about student loan
facilities? Questions are many and answers, most of the time, are
few.
Now, to make the life of students that much easier, the Maharashtra
Knowledge Corporation Limited (MKCL) has in partnership with several
institutions developed a comprehensive software framework for a web-
based network of colleges affiliated to universities.

To be formally inaugurated on Friday in the presence of Union
Minister for Agriculture Sharad Pawar, Chief Minister Vilasrao
Deshmukh and Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil, the digital university
product is a one-stop platform aimed at providing information about
the university, its departments, colleges/institutes and various
courses on offer.

"The digital university will provide eSuvidha to students and cater
to all their requirements enabling them to avail of services and
information without having to go physically to a university or
college. The project is aimed at meeting the growing aspirations of
students," said Aatul P Wadegaonkar, general manager (educational e-
governance), MKCL.

Several MoUs have been signed with prominent universities and
accordingly e-services will be delivered from academic session 2007-
08. These include Mumbai University, S N D T Women's University-
Mumbai, Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University-Nanded,
Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University-Nasik, Dr Babasaheb
Ambedkar Marathwada Board- Aurangabad, Solapur University, North
Maharashtra University-Jalgaon, Shivaji University-Kolhapur and
Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology-Udaipur
(Rajasthan).

Besides admissions and exam-related information, students will be
able to access information on schemes —government as well as other
agencies — for backwards, tribals, economically backward, minority
classes and the physically challenged. Information will also be
available on scholarships and free-ships, concessions, loans,
employment, placement and competitive examinations etc.

An integral aspect of the project will be customised services which
students can access through individual logins. This includes a range
of administrative services like personal profile update, eligibility
form, application for examination, admit card, personalised result,
application for verification, revaluation and convocation as well as
applications for migration certificates and transcript status of
various applications.

Personalised syllabi, planners and timetables, list of recommended
books, alerts, notices and messaging services among students,
teachers and college staff will be fundamental to the
services. "Students will be able to fill forms online and attach
necessary documents without any hassle," said Wadegaonkar.