Blind can soon do away with scribes for bank exams

‘Nethra Sarathy,’ an online testing tool is expected to be ready in eight months

In what could be a major boost for visually challenged persons - applying for bank jobs - the Institute for Banking Personal Selections (IBPS) will develop an online testing tool to enable them to take the test without scribes, for the first time.

The biggest testing and skill-building organisation has joined hands with International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIITB) and the National Association for the Blind Karnataka (NABK), to develop ‘Nethra Sarathy,’ the testing tool, in about eight months. The tool will be deployed nationally for all visually challenged candidates taking the test by the end of 2012, IBPS Director Balachandran told Deccan Herald  over the phone, from Mumbai.

“There are nearly 1.45 million visually challenged persons aged between 20 and 29 in the country and 50 per cent of them apply for bank jobs,” Balachandran said.

“Finding the right kind of scribes who would adequately reflect their ability to answer questions in a banking test remained the biggest impediment for them to crack the test and find gainful employment in the banking sector. We hope the new tool would obviate the need for scribes and allow them to take advantage of the technology available,” he said.

Training

IIITB Director and President of NABK Prof S Sadagopan said nearly 100 visually challenged candidates who had applied for bank exams last year from Karnataka would be trained in the newly-designed tool to check whether absence of scribe obstructs their speed or efficiency in answering questions.

“The testing software has to be compatible with the screen reading software the visuall challenged use to read and write on a PC. But we need to ensure that the system in place is stable enough for them to take the exam without trouble,” he added.

While IIITB would work on the patches which can be downloaded and fixed to ensure stability of performance and connectivity throughout the test period, NABK would put the tool to test and check whether the candidates feel comfortable using the online tool than a scribe.

“The 100 students would be trained under the computer training programme we have at NABK and, at the end of the pilot project to test the tool, they would either be allowed to take the real test for bank jobs or offered more training and placement through our computer course,” said NABK Secretary V Mohan Kumar.

Last year, more than 8,000 visually challenged candidates appeared for the recruitment test conducted by IBPS for the banking sector, one of the largest recruiters of visually challenged persons. Due to non-availability of well groomed and qualified scribes, many of them find it hard to clear the test.

“We would like to conclude the testing of the tool in seven to eight months –or possibly a month more—and deploy it across the country by the end of 2012,” said IBPS Professor and Head of R&D Division Dr M L Dutt, who is in charge of ‘Nethra Sarathy’.