The state of Maharashtra is holding online tests for class 11 (Junior college). This is the first time that it is being done. The invigilators are tense as they gear up after a training session to handle the pressures of an online test. This test is expected to iron out the teething problems and make the system ready to enable class 12 students take up the online test next year.
p____p The schools, which are participating in the test, have peculiar problems of their own. Some have a disproportionately high ratio of children to computers. Some have the permissions still pending. In these circumstances, it seems that fear of things going wrong at the last minute may not be unfounded. Fingers crossed, the schools take the online test.And if the electric supply goes off, the students may end up taking the test again on a different date fixed by the authorities.
p____p In Goa, as we have read in the last week, the government has decided to subsidize computers, making them available to students at a very nominal cost. However, there are fears that they may not be aptly used. This is because it is not sure how the whole scheme is going to be monitored.
p____p These are two instances of state governments taking bold initiatives to popularize computing among the citizens of tomorrow. Despite the skeptics and despite the gray areas, by and large these represent rays of hope. The biggest positive feature from such initiatives as I see is that the country is definitely headed towards a boom in the penetration of computers.
p____p As the installed base grows, there is every reason for the industry to celebrate. This is so because the role of the service providers will definitely increase. A boom for upgrades can also be foreseen, as students who have basic PC configurations may like to add more capacity or features. The channel, of course is likely to get all that business.
p____p And it is likely that more state governments, sitting on the fence, may kick off similar initiatives. So let us hope that everything falls into place as the two projects kick off. A revolution is beginning!