Governor launches interactive vsat channel of VTU

Bangalore, May 28 (UNI) The Visvesvaraya Technological University of Karnataka today became the first University in the country to have two channels for training and education purposes with the launch of a state-of-the-art interactive VSAT Channel by Karnataka Governor T N Chaturvedi.

After the success story of VTU in demonstrating the efficacy of the satellite system for distance education in Engineering Colleges in Karnataka, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) had given interactive VSAT Channel, which has two-way video and two-way audio feature, to the first batch of 30 selected Colleges.

Currently VTU was using DTH Channel and transmitting live sessions from its studio situated at DSERT Campus in Bangalore. Of the 121 Engineering Colleges, ISRO identified 30 Colleges as Batch-1 Colleges to get the proposed VSAT Channel based on the utilisation of and response to the current DTH Channel by the Colleges and on the location of the Colleges. Principals of these 30 Colleges would sign an MoU with VTU and ISRO to ensure full utlisation of VTU-EDUSAT network (both DTH and VSAT Channels).

ISRO would provide the necessary VSAT, Hub and Teaching end support, while VTU would coordinate with various Engineering Colleges affiliated to it and manage the VSAT network, which was part of the overall VTU-EDUSAT network currently being in full operation.

VTU was into satellite-based and web-based education since August 2003. It was the first University in the country to network all its 121 affiliated Engineering Colleges in the state under ISRO's prestigious EDUSAT project. Realising the growing demand for an interactive satellite-based distance education system for the country through audio-visual medium, ISRO launched EDUSAT, the first exclusive satellite for serving the educational sector, in September 2004.

UNI