Ranchi, Feb. 8: Higher and technical education in Jharkhand has started taking baby steps towards the big digital leap to ensure that every student across colleges, polytechnics and varsities can access academic facilities - right from applying for a course to accessing libraries and taking internal tests - online through personal logins.

While this renaissance - as and when it takes place in totality - will help reduce the load of campus administration on varsities and colleges, it is also likely to increase student enrolment and boost image for national accreditations.

Maharashtra Knowledge Corporation Limited (MKCL), a public company engineering paradigm shift from conventional education in India and abroad, hosted a daylong workshop on digitisation of varsities at Sri Krishna Institute of Public Administration (Skipa) here today. The event was inaugurated by director-general of Skipa Sudhir Prasad.

Officer on special duty (higher and technical education) G.S.P. Gupta said the department aimed to digitise all the five university headquarters, the 55-odd constituent colleges, the 13 government polytechnics and reputable engineering college BIT-Sindri.

Speaking on the sidelines of the workshop, general manager of MKCL Abhijeet Kulkarni said currently, many Jharkhand colleges offered online admissions, but the examination process was still archaic.

"Issuance of academic credentials such as mark sheets, certificates and transfer/migration documents is also manual. We aim to offer online access to application forms, library books, fee payment/receipts, et al, to students who are already equipped with computers or smartphones. In Jharkhand, we are yet to begin work, but this workshop will ensure that institutes take interest," Kulkarni said.

MKCL, promoted by the Maharashtra government, was incorporated under the Companies Act (1956) in 2001. The state has invited the firm to hold the workshop and it may act as a resource agency for digitisation of colleges and varsities in Jharkhand.

Gupta said that though no digitisation time frame had been decided, the higher and technical education department would help every institution that came forward.

Aatul Wadegaonkar, senior general manager of MKCL, said they were already working with the governments of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Haryana and Odisha, as well as in other countries.

The digitisation process, as suggested by the knowledge firm, will include an information services module (a sort of an online admission portal with basic details of the varsity concerned like courses offered and entry regulations), an online application module (for students to click, pay and apply for admission), a payment module (for fee transfer through netbanking and card options) and a customer relationship management module (a short messaging service for important informations).

At present, autonomous St Xavier's College, Marwari College and Ranchi College, which is the oldest constituent of Ranchi University, have achieved partial digitisation like having their own website with links to download forms, but a lot more is desired at varsity level.

"RU has its website, but it needs to be more interactive. There is no facility to download exam hall tickets or for that matter bona fide certificates. Digitisation is complete when every student has a personalised login," Kulkarni said.

Tuesday will see a daylong awareness workshop on NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council) and NBA (National Board of Accreditation) at the same venue.