E-Gurukul: Distance Learning for the Army

New Delhi, Mar 7 (UNI) Seeking to meet the challenge of Armed Forces personnel keeping themselves updated with the latest in technology, the Corps of Signals of the Indian Army has come up with a virtual classroom using commercially available equipment.

One of the greatest challenges of the Armed Forces has been to keep their manpower up-to-date with the latest in technology.

However, commitments in the form of peace time duties, exercises and large-scale deployments in Counter Insurgency operations -- both in the North and North-eastern states -- leave very little time for training.

Besides, training institutes of the Armed Forces are also spread across the country. Soldiers have to physically reach these training institutes to be imparted training. Often due to the various commitments, this is not always possible.

However, with the need to fine tune skills and to keep in touch with the latest, there is a requirement for every soldier to constantly update himself.

E-Gurukul -- a distance learning programme and the Corps of Signals's answer to this problem -- was today inaugurated by the General Officer Commanding of Delhi Area Maj Gen KJS Oberoi here.

For e-Gurukul, the Corps of Signals -- embracing technology and using available commercially available equipment -- has created an interactive video and web-based virtual classroom for the first time in the Army.

Instructors based in a central location can run classes on the backbone communication network of the Indian Army with students being in remote far-flung areas. To add the element of 'human touch', the video images of the instructor will be streamed live to all the students.

The students, in turn, can interact with the instructor either via a chat facility or through an embedded voice application.

Students can now choose their own place and time to fine tune their skills.

An online test feature allows the assessment to be carried out individually.

According to an official spokesperson here, the benefits for the Army with this system would be many.

Movement of manpower from their peace-time locations to the training institutes would reduce -- thereby increasing manpower availability and reducing cost to the exchequer.

Also, updated information would always be available round the clock to the user.

UNI