The Centre is working on a 3D technology that will allow parents to have online access to any educational institution for admission of their wards, the human resources development minister Kapil Sibal said.
The Centre is working on a 3D technology that will allow parents to have online access to any educational institution for admission of their wards, human resources development (HRD) minister Kapil Sibal said today.
"One of the technology solutions we are thinking about is why should not parents sitting at home have access to any school within the region where they want to get his child (admitted)...," Sibal said during an address at the Education Summit in Chandigarh.
He said a combination of a host of technologies like geospatial, videography and aerial photography would be put into use to develop the new technology.
"The mapping exercise (of schools) is going on but most of it is on 2D and we want it in 3D," Sibal said.
The minister said parents would be able to have access to all the educational institutions on a particular website and check all the facilities, infrastructure, teachers before choosing best amongst them for their wards, with the proposed new technology.
Stressing that this "student-friendly" technology had "not been introduced anywhere in the world", he said the Centre has carried out a pilot project in Karnataka in this regard.
Sibal, however, said it could take 3-4 years to put education-friendly technology in use as it requires "a lot of investment in mapping exercise".
On another initiative, Sibal said his ministry was working on connecting each college in the country with the National Knowledge Network, whereby students would be able to have access to lectures from professors of other universities or colleges free of cost.
"In the next 2 years, each college will be connected with National Knowledge Network having at least 10 mbps speed for free flow of information between students and teachers," he said.
Emphasising that massive investment was required in education sector, the minister said the Centre was trying to extend free compulsory education from Class VIII to Class X in the 12th five year plan.
Sibal said government was aiming at a Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of 30 per cent by 2020, which is currently at 15 per cent.
On the improvement of quality of teachers, he said teachers' training exercise would be carried out with the support of the private sector.
Sibal said the "cheapest" $35 Tablet would soon be launched in the country.
"The $35 tablet will be launched in next few months. The lot of 10,000 pieces will come in July and it will be given to universities first."
Asked about the status of Education Malpractices Bill, he said it has already been tabled and hopefully will be passed in the next Parliament session.
"I am dead against this profit from education. If I had my way and had enough money I would make education free for all children," Sibal said, in reply to a question by a representative of a private sector educational institution on allowing returns like in other sectors.
".... But the idea is to put the profit back into education. You make profit but invest back in the sector," he said.
However, the minister was in support of the private sector in increasing land cost for setting up educational institutions.
Sibal said Union urban development minister Kamal Nath had agreed to ensure land allotment to private sector for setting up educational institutions at institutional rates.
"Minister Kamal Nath has assured me that land allotment to private sector in urban areas will be done at institutional rates in Delhi," he said.
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