IMPHAL, July 13: The state’s Department of University and Higher Education is initiating virtual or E-classrooms in five colleges namely, CI College, Churachandpur College, DM colleges, Pettigrew College and YK College by the end of this month, said C Arthur W, director of higher education while interacting with media persons at DIPR campus here today.
This time it will be a pilot programme and after its success, E-classrooms service will be extended to other colleges, said Arthur.
“In this E-class rooms, students will have the facility to sit in classes conducted by teachers in other colleges through interactive video conferencing, thus sharing classes from specific teachers”, said the director.
He said the department will be opening the E-classrooms once adequate internet facilities are available, the process for which is underway.
Since it will be an interactive session, superior and dependable internet connection is required so that a class taken in a college can be linked to other colleges, he added.
Answering to a query on encroachment inside the campus of DM colleges, he informed that officials of the department have identified the land encroachers there and after acquiring permission from district magistrate, Imphal West an eviction drive was launched.
He stated that the Dhanamanjuri University Bill may be introduced in the ensuing session of the Manipur Legislative Assembly which will pave the way for establishment of a state’s university under the same name by clustering DM colleges along with GP Women College, LMS Law College, etc.
He further said the need has arisen to restructure systems in colleges, to cope up with the fast changing scenario of higher education in India, with introduction of improved teaching-learning environment and modern IT facilities in all colleges.
At present there are 86 higher educational institutions in the state including 28 government, 12 government-aided and 33 private colleges.
Acknowledging that the lack of technical skills among educated youths are decreasing their chances of getting jobs, he said the department is planning to launch a variety of programmes offering skill-oriented training along with their normal courses for improving employment prospects.