KEA launches three student-friendly digital platforms
In a student-friendly move, the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) launched three digital initiatives on Monday. These include a portal that gives all relevant information of colleges in the State, a mobile app that provides all services, and an Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered chatbot.
Speaking at an event launching the three services, Higher Education Minister M.C. Sudhakar said the KEA was consistently adopting modern technology to streamline examination processes and make them more candidate-centric. 'Such advancements ensure timely and accurate information, eliminate confusion, and reduce the dependency on intermediaries,' he said.
UGCET college portal
A crucial stage before option entry is selecting the right college. Previously, students had to rely on scattered sources for information. The new UGCET college portal consolidates all relevant information about colleges in one place. Colleges have themselves uploaded their prospectuses on the portal.
The portal provides detailed insights into each college's infrastructure, academic environment, labs, libraries, classrooms, hostels, course-wise fee structure, and details about both guest and permanent faculty. 'Many students, unaware of college conditions, make choices blindly and later request changes. This portal will help avoid such issues by enabling informed decision making,' the Minister explained.
The portal will also include a feature to report any colleges charging excess fees. Complaints filed here will be directly forwarded to the fee regulation committee, KEA sources said.
KEA mobile app
The mobile application will provide access to all services available on the KEA website, including application submission, option entry, choice selection, and fee payment. It also features push notifications to keep candidates updated. The app is particularly beneficial for students from rural areas who previously depended on cyber centres and often made errors during online application and seat allocation processes.
'Now, with the app, most procedures can be handled directly by the candidates themselves on their mobile phones,' Dr. Sudhakar noted.
KEA chatbot
The chatbot will allow candidates to receive instant answers to their queries. It was launched a few days ago and since then, over 1.35 lakh students have used it to seek information, KEA sources said.
All official KEA information is uploaded to the chatbot system. Candidates can simply type their questions and receive accurate responses based on the available data. This eliminates the need for visiting KEA offices or contacting external centers for information. Currently, the chatbot responds only in English, but a Kannada version is in the works and expected to be launched within a month. The system is being managed by BSNL, KEA sources added.
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