Private educational institutions told to geotag facilities, faculty

Nellore: The State Government, which focussed on irregularities of the corporate educational institutions in the state, is planning to impose restrictions asking them to geotag student amenities, laboratories, details of faculty members and other mandatory clearances.

Heads of these institutions are now being directed to upload the photographs of the locations on the website of the Board of Intermediate Education, Andhra Pradesh, for knowledge of the Government. This step would possibly check malpractices of some institutions which proved distorted information to the Government.

Geotagging practically contains geographical information to various media in the form of data coordinating with the global positioning system (GPS). The latitude and longitude, including names of the places, can clearly be defined in the process.

Officials of the Board of Intermediate Education are now insisting for such substantial data to be uploaded on the website that provides authenticity and the institutions cannot distort any information once it is uploaded. Currently, most of the mobile phones have built-in GPS, so the staff members can geotag any photo taken using the camera.

"Even though some institutions are not having even basic amenities, they have been collecting exorbitant fees from the students. Some institutions are having no laboratories, adequate furniture, washrooms, teaching aids, playground, qualified staff members and even proper accommodation for running the classes. So, this kind of irregularity can be prevented if they are asked to provide photographs of the locations and personnel geotagging them. Whatever information institutions mention they have to geotag them," said an official from the education department.

Officials from the district have forwarded the data to the Board a week ago about more than 200 government, private and corporate institutions in which more than 60,000 students are pursuing various courses. Among them, 157 are private and corporate institutions. The institutions should furnish details of both main and supplemental branches and the Government can easily identify which branch is having valid permission and some others being run unofficially. They should also attach the mandatory 'No Objection Certificate' from the fire department which is now being not furnished by many. The institutions should allow only 40 students for each class this year.