September 27, 2011
Amritapuri Campus
 

It’s the exchange of information and ideas facilitated by a global system of networks. All you have to do to gain access is simply switch on the computer and sign in to the net.
 

When you do, you are one of India’s 100 million (and growing) internet users. Google projects that this number will jump to 300 million in just 3 years.
 

Now Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham will use this popular mainstream educational tool to reach out to India’s youth.
 

At the 58th birthday celebrations for Chancellor Amma, a free online tuition program was launched for all college students across the nation.
 

Sri. Vilasrao Deshmukh, the Honorable Union Minister for Science and Technology, inaugurated the program supported by the Government of India’s National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology.
 

The online program will first initiate a pilot in Kerala on career opportunities. A market survey conducted at colleges in Kerala found that students were interested in learning more about careers in their respective fields and enhancing their soft skills.
 

The program will commence in a few weeks. It will be supported by the award-winning A-VIEW platform developed by the E-Learning Research Lab on campus.
 

Early registrants with limited resources will be provided with webcams and other equipment to access the online classes. Later more subjects including mathematics and languages will be taught by experts depending on requirements of the student community.
 

The Amrita e-learning team has already been flooded with calls and emails from students and institutions interested in accessing the pioneering endeavor.
 

“It was Amma’s sankalpa that paved the way for setting up our lab,” shared Kamal Bijlani, Director of the Amrita E-Learning Research Lab.
 

“Amma encouraged our continued efforts in utilizing the online medium to benefit students. Through the online tuition program, we’re getting a chance to enhance student skills and with the growth of the internet in India, we hope to cover even remote areas,” he added.
 

The new free online educational initiative is yet another example of how Amma is changing lives and reshaping society at the same time. Love is her message and true knowledge is her tool. For online learning, A-VIEW is the way.
 

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