COMPUTER
The Computer Service Centre has come a long way since it made a small beginning with only two personal computers in 1989. The Computer Centre is now equipped with Local Area Network Operating System with 486 File server and 20 nodes. With the networking, the retrieval and updation of data is possible from any system connected to the network.
Equipped with the latest technology in terms of hardwares and softwares, the Computer Service Centre was able to achieve high functional efficiency and maintain a tight schedule of several admission and examination sessions both in the academic and vocational streams with a great degree of accuracy.
Vocational examinations were conducted for the first time during the year in 17 different courses spread all over India and their results processed in-house.
During the year, steps were taken for computerising the library Management. 2 PC(AT) 386 machines were installed in the library with application software package CD-ISIS for library management and for its day-to-day record management.
A decision was taken during the year and order placed to install multimedia system on Dell machine and Electronic-Mad service in NOS. The installation of these facilities in NOS would be a landmark in the field of communication network and information technology and would enable NOS to play its role in the international arena.
About the Set-up
File Server HALLMARK 486 Super Mini EISA system from PCL with following configuration :
80486 cpu,33 MHz,8 MB RAM,76OX2 MB SCSI HDD,1.2 MB FDD,
150 MB CTD for back-up,2 MB cacheon board, VGA mono Monitor
Nodes There are nine PC(ATs) 286 connected to file server in the network as nodes.
Line Printer In order to cope up with the large volume of printing, the Computer Centre is equipped with 2 Line Printers. One is ICIM line writer 400/ 800 with the capacity of printing 800 fines per minute and the second is Lipi data products B-600 fine printer with the capacity of printing 600 lines per minute.
Optical Mark Reader For evaluation of Computer Marked Assessment, there is an Optical Mark Reader (OMR) Markscan which captures the data from the filled in response sheet by the student and creates a database for further processing.
DTP Unit The DTP unit consists of the following hardware equipments :
- Three PC(AT) 386 with 40 MHz,8 MB RAM,120 MB HDD,1.2 MB FDD and VGA mono monitor,101 kes keyboard and a mouse.
- Two PC(AT) 286 with 1 MB RAM, 40 MB HDD,1.2 MB FDD
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for data-entry. - One 132 col. Dot Matrix Printer.
- HP Laser Series HI with 300 dpi and 8 pages per minute, upgraded to post-script.
- HP Laser Series IV with 600 dpi,in-built post script and 8 pages per minute.
- A Laser Printer HP Series IV M+ with 600 dpi,in built post script and 12 pages per minute was also purchased during the year for DTP jobs.
Softwares Advance Novell Netware version 3.11 for 20 users as Basic Operating System with disk mirroring. This version of Netware makes the file server as dedicated file server which means server can not work as a node besides being server.
LAN based system softwares for database,word processor and spreadsheet.
D T P softwares Ventura, Pagemaker and Prakashak. During the year, a new Hindi DTP package INDICA was installed with a new font called Chanakya.
Other Systems Installations In addition to main computer centre and DTP unit, desk computers were provided to senior officers and other functionaries for their smooth functioning and promoting greater efficiency.
Services Following major services were delivered during the year :
Admission July-1993
Academic Stream This was the first admission session when back-ground information of each candidate was captured by the computer. This proved to be very useful in making strategic decisions about planning, programming and use of media etc. in NOS courses;
Off-load data-entry of approximately 66,000 students data of 320 characters record length representing an increase of 40 characters in the record length from the last year due to the back-ground information;
In-house Verification and updation of data;
Checklist and other status reports like medium-wise, sex- wise, agewise, state-wise enrolment of students;
State-wise reports based on background information like family members,family annual income, parent's education, living environment,house-hold items; and
Identity cards for each student.
Vocational Stream In-house data-entry of approximately 2,700 students data of 300 characters record length;
In-house verification and updation of data;
Checklist and other status reports like medium-wise, sex- wise, agewise, state-wise enrolment of students;
Identity cards for each student
Examinations Computer Marked Assessment June, 93 & Jan-94
Approximately 9,000 and 56,000 candidates appeared in Jun-93 and Jan- 94 CMA tests respectively.
Pre-examinations May/November, 1993 Following pre-exam services were rendered for approximately 88,000 students for May/November, 1993 Examinations:
Data-entry for examination with in-built self-check;
Verification and updation of data;
Reports;
Centre/A.I. wise number of candidates with centre total (new report included);
A.I. wise fist of candidates and edit list;
Roll number-wise list of candidates;
Centre/Roll number-wise list;
Cumulative Question Paper statement,
Centre-wise Question Paper statement;
Numerical Return Statement;
Intimation Letter to individual students;
Question Paper Receipts; and
Statement for centre advances (new report included).
Post-examinations May/November, 1993 Processing of Result Later(RL) cases & Result Withheld (RW) cases.
Printing of gazette, mark-sheet, certificate and migration certificates, for RL/RW cases and for duplicate cases.
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Vocational Examinations For the first time, the result processing was done in-house through vocpost software package developed by an outside agency. The package covered all aspects of result processing beginning from punching of awardlist to printing of certificates.
Pre-exam packages were developed in-house and reports taken out as in the academic stream.
The following major activities are involved in post exam processing:
- Punching of awardlist both computerised & printing;
- strips breaking;
- Missing list generation & printing;
- Edit list generation and its updation;
- Result processing.
Reports - Tabulation
- Roll number-wise Gazette
- Centre/Roll number-wise Gazette
- Mark Sheets
- Certificates
DTP Jobs During the year, complete new curriculum was introduced for secondary course. The complete Desk Top Publishing jobs for the new secondary course were done in-house. Approximately, 125 titles both in Hindi and English were composed in-house in a record time which was a major achievement.
Apart from the new curriculum, the composition of all small books, journals, magazines and reports were composed. Guidelines for external examinations, provisional certificates and other reports were composed during the year.
Administrative Services A separate workstation was provided to Administration to cover their own jobs.
Mass Production of Letters During the year, mass printing of following letters was done using two fast line printers:
92,000 intimation letters for May-93/Nov-93 examinations;
60,000 intimation letters for Dec-92 CMA/June-93 CMA;
Mail-merging a number of letters to all Accredited Institutions/examination centres.
System Maintenance System maintenance includes running of all the existing systems smoothly and keeping proper back-up of all systems, applications and the valuable data. This is most crucial for effective functioning of the Computer Centre and is, therefore, accorded highest priority and importance. The systems are under the maintenance contract of manufacturing company. For proper back-up, three tiers of three levels of back-up of application packages and data have been adopted - one in the hard disk, one in the floppy disk kept in the office and one in the floppy disk kept out side of the actual site.
Perspective Plan A committee was constituted by the Chairman, NOS to develop a perspective plan for information technology and computerisation of NOS Management. In its report, the committee has identified three major areas of applications in NOS p Academic, Student Support Services and Administration and Finance. The major recommendations of the committee are :
Use of OMR for capturing data from admission forms or decentralising the feeding of admission forms and examination forms at A.I level;
Acquiring two to three Laser Printers with the capacity of 600 dpi;
Provision of 386 desk systems to all officers during next 4 to 5 years.
Provision of Computer Note-Books to Chairman/HODs;
Development of Question Banking;
Computerisation of Library, personnel record and inventory.
In implementations of the above recommendations, following steps have been taken:
i) Orders have been placed for installation of multi-media work station;
ii) a project on Question Bank has been started;
iii) two laser printers were acquired; and
iv) hardwares and softwares have been acquired for computerisation of library management.
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