Saturday, November 12, 2011

Unupdated Assam University website, giving incorrect impression


These days, the official website of an institute or organisation is often the first window of information that an outsider accesses when he intends to know about the activities or credentials of that particular organisation. 

This is even more true for educational institutions especially those related to higher or professional courses. For example, the students from the north east often judge the quality of educational institutions in Bengaluru or the National Capital Region by going through their websites. Many private institutes often dupe students also by putting up glamorous websites which promise much more than they actually offer.

Some new academic buildings of the University
However, Silchar’s Assam University seems to be doing exactly the opposite. It does not even update the positive developments that take place in the institution. Therefore, if an outsider having no idea about the university, visits the its official website “www.aus.ac.in” , he would be fed with basic information which are at least stale by a couple of years. 

When the rest of the academic world is busy designing professional websites to lure the best students, teachers and researchers, Assam University does not even bother to update details which are absolutely basic in nature.

For example, the website still maintains that, “the Library now operates from a semi-permanent building and the new building of the library is under construction”.  Actually, the library was shifted to its permanent building way back in 2004-05.

The library of an educational institute is one of its most important sections. Just imagine what a prospective student trying to gather information about the credentials of the university would think when the website would tell him that even after 17 years of its establishment, the university has failed to construct a permanent library building.

When one visits the ‘facilities’ link of the website, he is informed that, “hostel facilities for the students or research scholars are available from this year. Accommodations in one Gents Hostel and one Ladies Hostel are being provided to the deserving students.”

However the truth is that, hostel facilities have been available for the students since 2003-04. Moreover, the number of hostels for students is also more than two, contrary to what the website claims.

These are just a couple of examples that we have highlighted. Probably, a university insider would be able to point out many more such instances.

Overall, the look of the website is pretty impressive. Online declaration of results and uploading of admission and employment notices are few positives that the site is offering on a regular basis now. The mistakes pointed out may not be intentional and can be corrected immediately. It is absolutely incomprehensible as to why the university should not upload the good things that it has done over the years?

Concern For Silchar hopes that the university authorities will take immediate notice of these faults and take corrective measures. This article is not an attempt to malign the image of the university. Assam University is the result of years of constant struggle and toil of the people of the valley and therefore, all of us would want to see the university at the top of the academic ladder in the country.

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Silchar through the Lense