<p>Bengaluru: The Bangalore University's BCA department has implemented geotagged photographs of examiners at the beginning and end of each practical examination.</p>.<p>This is the first time in the history of a state-run university that such a measure has been introduced.</p>.<p>Sharing the details, Muralidhara BL, co-ordinator for BCA, said, "The BCA Practical Allotment has been fully computerised. Additionally, in a first for any university in Karnataka, we have implemented the collection of geotagged photographs of examiners at the beginning and end of each practical examination, thereby ensuring transparency and accountability. </p>.<p>"To address previous complaints regarding late arrival or premature completion by the examiners, we mandated the upload of geotagged photographs at the start and end of each practical examination."</p>.<p>Interestingly, Muralidhara himself developed the software, with support from BCA department alumnus, Chitti Babu.</p>.<p>"Through this initiative, we have effectively eliminated manual intervention, significantly enhancing both the efficiency and integrity of the process. Conducting BCA practical examinations has always been a Herculean task, given the geographical spread and the high number of examinations," he said.</p>.<p>As shared by Muralidhara, BCA colleges are spread across both rural and urban areas of Bengaluru districts. Each semester, at least nine practical examinations must be conducted per college, across 128 affiliated colleges, serving approximately 15,500 BCA students.</p>.<p>"To address logistical challenges, we adopted a data-driven and algorithmic approach: We used the K-means clustering algorithm to group colleges into 26 zones. A common practical timetable was prepared for all colleges. Teacher specialisations were collected through an online form to facilitate optimal examiner allocation. Student strength data for each subject was gathered from each college through an online portal. Using the K-Nearest Neighbour (KNN) algorithm, we were able to automatically allocate external examiners to each centre and date with a single click," he explained.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: The Bangalore University's BCA department has implemented geotagged photographs of examiners at the beginning and end of each practical examination.</p>.<p>This is the first time in the history of a state-run university that such a measure has been introduced.</p>.<p>Sharing the details, Muralidhara BL, co-ordinator for BCA, said, "The BCA Practical Allotment has been fully computerised. Additionally, in a first for any university in Karnataka, we have implemented the collection of geotagged photographs of examiners at the beginning and end of each practical examination, thereby ensuring transparency and accountability. </p>.<p>"To address previous complaints regarding late arrival or premature completion by the examiners, we mandated the upload of geotagged photographs at the start and end of each practical examination."</p>.<p>Interestingly, Muralidhara himself developed the software, with support from BCA department alumnus, Chitti Babu.</p>.<p>"Through this initiative, we have effectively eliminated manual intervention, significantly enhancing both the efficiency and integrity of the process. Conducting BCA practical examinations has always been a Herculean task, given the geographical spread and the high number of examinations," he said.</p>.<p>As shared by Muralidhara, BCA colleges are spread across both rural and urban areas of Bengaluru districts. Each semester, at least nine practical examinations must be conducted per college, across 128 affiliated colleges, serving approximately 15,500 BCA students.</p>.<p>"To address logistical challenges, we adopted a data-driven and algorithmic approach: We used the K-means clustering algorithm to group colleges into 26 zones. A common practical timetable was prepared for all colleges. Teacher specialisations were collected through an online form to facilitate optimal examiner allocation. Student strength data for each subject was gathered from each college through an online portal. Using the K-Nearest Neighbour (KNN) algorithm, we were able to automatically allocate external examiners to each centre and date with a single click," he explained.</p>
