Patna, Nov. 4: Patna University website, www.patnauniversity.ac.in, which is defunct for years, will be updated soon as the varsity administration is trying to breathe life into it as part of National Knowledge Network mission.

Presently, if anyone keys in Patna University at any search engine he/she gets Patna University Computer Centre website as the first search link.

The university website was de-registered for non-payment of fees.

K.P. Singh, the computer in-charge of the university, said: “The varsity website was de-registered for non-payment of fees. Now, the website will start functioning within a couple of months.”

The website will have all information relating to its act and strictures, date of examination and results, tenders and advertisement for teachers’ appointment and others.

Moreover, as part of the National Knowledge Network mission, the much-acclaimed project of the ministry of human resource development department, all colleges under the Patna University will be connected online with the varsity.

The brainchild project of the Union HRD minister Kapil Sibal aims at sharing knowledge-specialised resources and collaborative research among scientists, researchers and students from diverse fields across the country.

Though the Union government announced the National Knowledge Network in 2009, work under the project in Patna University was slow because of various administrative hiccups. However, now the university administration claims that work under the project will gain speed.

Under the National Knowledge Network all colleges under Patna University will be connected through e-network and also with Patna University. All major institutions under the varsity were to be connected through video conferencing with one gigabyte.

Moreover, the Patna University under the National Knowledge Network and National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology (NMEICT) is to get Rs 2 crore for the project. Out of Rs 2 crore, the Union government will provide Rs 1.5 crore, while the state government has to share Rs 50 lakh.

Patna University vice-chancellor Shambhu Nath Singh said under the NMEICT all offices under the varsity will be online and students will not have to wait in long queue for submitting forms.

Singh said: “After all offices are connected online, it will pave way for speedy pace of all official work. Now, most of the varsity official work is done manually.”

The other advantage of e-connectivity will be that students can attend lectures online. A student sitting at BN College can easily listen to the lecture at Patna Science College or Patna College. Moreover, at the same time, the lecture will be saved as data, which can be utilised by respective colleges when required.

As Patna University is functioning without adequate number of employees and teachers, the online lecture will help the varsity administration bridge the gap of inadequate teachers’ strength.

The university administration plans that initially all postgraduate departments will be connected online and later all undergraduate colleges will be connected with the project.

K.P. Singh said: “The work under the National Knowledge Network and NMEICT will start in a couple of months and all postgraduate departments will be connected within one year.”