With the advent of technology, our lives have become simpler. It has given us the desired comfort which we have been seeking since time immemorial. At the same time, technological innovation plays a lucrative role in the present democratic political system. In India, we have started using EVM in order to curb booth capturing and other kinds of electoral crime. EVM has changed our perception and brought a much needed electoral transparency which we were expecting for a long time. After serving almost one-and-half-decades, now EVM is also facing some discrepancies. But, the influx of VVPAT gave a much-needed respite in the current system.
Online forms, online banking, online certificates have changed the working and lifestyle of the middle class and upper class. DBT and other banking facilities have an enormous impact on the lives of working-class positively as well as negatively. Some people have experienced that technology paved the way for a simpler life while others are claiming that these technological advancements have made their lives more difficult.
In academia also, technology has brought many changes. Now we can fill online form, we can see our result online, we can download our result easily and even we can learn many things online. All of which have changed the lives of students. The recent news of a coolie in Kerala who has qualified the Kerala civil services exam by studying with the help of Wi-Fi facility at a railway station also illustrates how life is changing through technology. Besides, technology cuts down the cost of paper and saves time to a large extent. It decreases the use of paper and photocopying costs thus promoting the concept of “green revolution” in the world.
I am not saying that technology has always yielded right things. Everything in this world has its pros and cons and so does the technology. There are many illustrations which show that technology has played a villainous role in the lives of many laymen. With the use of technology, people are able to cheat smartly, people indulge in criminal activities by watching online videos. The effective implementation of technologies in the day to day life has become a farce for many. In the recent times, we have witnessed several instances of mismanagement by examination committees which organise different exams. For example, when SCC exam was conducted in 2017, there were huge outrages with regard to the leakage of question paper or certain instances of cheating or granting leeway for cheating by the invigilator. In fact, the government has already ordered CBI probe into this matter. Let me take the liberty to cite the more recent technical glitches which left many aspirants in quandary. CLAT 2018, conducted by NUALS, Kochi, witnessed a huge amount of discrepancies which put the future of many students at stake. There were instances of mismanagement and indifferent behaviour of invigilators that left students nowhere.
Getting serious complaints about the conduct of #CLAT2018. See https://t.co/gEFWYse5gV
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) May 14, 2018
Technology, at its best, can provide you with a world-class facility while it can also leave you stray. There have also been some instances where there was a massive, utter, grotesque mismanagement of an exam upon which rests the future of many aspirants. There have also been certain situations of incompatible technological issues. We have reached such a stage that we cannot imagine our life without technology. It has become a necessary evil. The execution of online exams needs an overhaul in its structure. What are the ways in which we can improve technology so that it becomes a reality and not some random fastidious journey of luck?
First of all, there should be an appointment of the competent and efficient administrators at every centre who will pay heed to any discrepancies happening during exams. There should be an up gradation of technology and archaic technologies should be discarded from use. There should be an expert committee which will look and supervise the use of technology in the exams. The government or the organising committees of exams should also focus on the selection of appropriate hardware and software programs which should not leave any room for complacency. In addition to this, if any student is losing their time (supposedly, time starts a few minutes after the exam starts) due to some technical glitches then they should be compensated with extra time so that the right to equality prevails.
The policy with regard to technology is not at all bad. It is the implementation which causes heebie-jeebies amongst the young and ignited minds of the nation. The steps taken in order to minimise paper use, saving up of time has yielded positive results but these technologies have also been rugged with various glitches, discrepancies which causes discomfort to many students. Therefore, it is high time that we eschewed from technological errors and make the interface more student-friendly and according to their convenience. The government and the organising body should be cautious enough to avoid any error which consumes vital time during the examination. In the coming times, we can hope that the government and the management body will take some vital steps which will strengthen the use of technology in our daily life and will pave the way for smooth functioning existing technologies.