Varsity to develop satellite to streamline VRC programme

Chennai, Jun 22 (UNI) Sathyabama University, the premier deemed university, which had launched the space technology enabled Village Resource Centre (VRC) programme for societal development, will build its own satellite by tying up with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

Announcing this at a function organised in connection with the visit of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology and Space, University Chancellor Jeppiaar said the satellite would be built on the lines of Anna University's ''Edusat'' for imparting tele-education.

He said the university, which is presently running 15 VRCs in Tamil Nadu, has drawn up plans to open 300 more centres throughout the country in the coming years to impart vocational courses to the rural students, especially girls, who get struck after completing their school education.

''Our vision is to create 300 VRCs in the country to train nurses, Lab technicians, electricians and plumbers through tele education,'' he said.

''Like the Green revolution and the White revolution, VRCs would be a revolution for manpower development'' he said and added that 15 VRCs would come up immediately in Gujarat and other centres.

He said the university had also tied up with Sri Ramachandra Medical College University for providing practical training to nurses and lab technicians.

After one year, the more than 3,000 students attached to the 15 VRCs in the state, would be given diploma certificates by the university and they would be eligiable for services at nominal rates, Mr Jeppiaar said, explaining the purpose of setting up the VRCs.

Members of departments related to Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology and Space visited the University to study the functioning of VRCs and recommended the ministry concerned to render all assistance to the programme.

Speaking on the occasion, Department of Space Additional Secretary S P Renganath said the department was much impressed with VRCs run by the university and assured all facilities and assistance to replicate it in other parts of the country.

He said the department, which was supporting Tele Education, Tele Medicine and application programmes, would offer full support to VRCs and proposed to set up 4,000 centres during the 11th Plan period.

UNI