Online Education Catching On In India
By Uday Lal Pai
India Correspondent, asia.internet.com
[September 21, 1999--MUMBAI] Online training fever grips India. While major software training institute NIIT has already commenced online courses, Aptech is launching its online training soon. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bangalore is starting virtual classes.
Global majors also join the fray. Lotus Development Corporation announced its plan to set up centres for training via the Net. Sun/Netscape is scouting for alliance to impart training online to its corporate customers in India.
While a normal MCSD (Microsoft Certified Solution Developer) course would need around $712 (Rs 30,000), the online version of the same course is available at a price tag of $302 (Rs 12,800) at NIIT's `niitnetuniversity.com.' Other courses like MCSE (Microsoft Certified System Engineering), and 40 other skillets like Java Programming, HTML Programming, Advanced Browsing is available on the Net.
NIIT will offer Net-based Leda Cybersmart programmes for school children in India soon. The programme is designed to provide rich learning experience for children using Internet. "We have taken an initiative in this regard in order to equip school children to function successful in the radically new environment being developed around the Internet" Says P Rajendran, chief operating officer, NIIT.
Aptech's online training modules are also priced at around 80 % of a normal classroom based coaching. This education giant will be launching its online modules on Rediff-On-The-Net site soon. Unlike the NIIT's certified courses, Aptech's online course is skillet based.
Meanwhile IIT-Bangalore, India's premier educational institution goes for virtual classes. "We will have the first batch starting in three month's time," says Prof.S.Sadagopan, Director. The idea is inspired by a similar practice at universities in the US. The difference is that, to save on costs, IIT-B will use a human to operate the camera while it is common in the US to see a robotic arm doing the work.
IIT-B has a 2Mbps link to the Net and 100 mbps bandwidth for its internal network. IIT-B is also planning to have a wireless network in time for its cultural festival.
In a major move, Zee Education, the subsidiary of Zee TV, is refocusing its strategy from being just a computer-learning centre to a virtual reality centre. Zee has already launched ZED Privilege Membership (ZPM) card, which will offer the customer various benefits, freebies and discounts at various ZED Points across the country.
On the other hand, Lotus Development Corporation, an IBM company, will focus on support, education and consulting to increase its presence in India. It is seeking to promote a Lotus Developer community by imparting education in key Lotus platforms in association with leading computer education companies in the country - Internet will be the medium.
"With advantages such as global presence and real-time experience, distant learning and classes hosted on the Net have become the natural choice among corporates to impart education on their wares. We are looking at corporate training and will make the required investment in due course." says Vincent Lee, Asean and India managing director, Lotus.
Meanwhile Sun/Netscape Alliance is in talks with NIIT and Aptech to offer training in Internet and e-commerce infrastructure through latter's institutes spread across the country. The alliance is also looking at imparting training online to its corporate customers in India. |
