New Delhi: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has created a server that can be utilized by the students to download top academic material free of cost without any major problem. The server will assist National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL), a joint programme of IITs and IIScs, funded by the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry.
The NPTEL programme was initiated with the objective of increasing the quality of engineering and sciences education to lead India towards a strong and vibrant knowledge economy. While inaugurating the National Video Server, Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal called the server as a ''pathbreaking innovation'' because before that students tend to use Google or Amazons for study materials but now they can use India’s own server to communicate with universities. Besides it, he also insisted that we should make contents more useful to keep students’ interest alive.
On the occasion, IIT Madras Director Prof M S Ananth revealed that under NPTEL phase-1, 125 courses in web format and 135 courses in video format in the disciplines of technology, engineering and sciences had been initiated, which also includes corresponding syllabi laid down by AICTE-approved institutions and programmes. In Phase 2, more than 1000 UG and PG courses have been proposed in various fields like engineering, technology, sciences and humanities. These programmes are expected to be completed by 2012 and students can be benefited by them at free of cost.
Furthermore, he said the same server will be used to cover syllabi of all universities and their courses. The universities and colleges in India, who have got connectivity under National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology (NMEICT), can download e-content with this Video Server located at IIT Madras. NMEICT consists of 1 Gbps link of National Knowledge Network (NKN) and 155 Mbps link to the Colleges' Virtual Private Network (VPN). Currently, more than 250 Universities and almost 11000 colleges are already using NKN and College VPN.
