Tribhuvan University Initiates Digitization of Services

Kathmandu. Tribhuvan University has put forward the concept of 'digitizing' its services. In the current situation, students of TU are unable to receive some services through electronic means. Even now, to receive services, one has to stand in line at the bank, and due to not all services being online, students and guardians are suffering due to having to go to the central office, the examination controller's office, and problems with the server going down when the software doesn't work from time to time.

According to TU's data, currently 561,170 students are studying at TU. TU has repeatedly issued notices stating that services such as transcripts, provisional certificates, temporary certificates, original certificates, migration certificates, registration, registration of newly admitted students at TU, and re-checking facilities for any errors in examination marks, grade sheets, and mark sheets will be available online. However, students complain that they still have to be physically present to avail these services.

Now, TU has stated that it is moving forward with the work of fully implementing an integrated electronic administration system by managing the budget from its internal resources. According to TU, two software systems are currently in a state of implementation. TU has stated that the TU Examination Information System and the TU Integrated Financial Management Information System are in preparation for implementation.

The TU Integrated Financial Management Information System has 9 modules. These include the Accounting Management Information System, Salary Management Information System, Budget Management Information System, Revenue Management Information System, Audit Management Information System, Loan Management Information System, Pension and Other Benefits Information System, Inventory Management Information System, and Human Resource Management Information System. TU expects this to make financial transactions more economical and transparent. With the implementation of the electronic information system, students will be able to receive examination activities and services easily and simply.

TU had allocated a budget of 4 crore for the fiscal year 2081/082 and 2 crore for the fiscal year 2082/083 under the Information Technology Management heading.

At TU, all records of students who studied from 2016 BS to 2053 BS are only in handwritten form or ledgers. Data only from 2054 BS onwards is in the computer. There is a risk of records disappearing if the hard copies of handwritten data before 2054 BS are lost. There is a demand to digitize these data.

TU's spokesperson, Navindra Bhandari, said that the work of digitizing educational and administrative activities has been moved forward. He said, 'We have 146 units. For the management of letters, these units do not have to go to Kathmandu anymore. For this, Office Automation has been implemented by the university.'

Bhandari gave an example, saying, 'If any campus sends a letter related to building construction to the central office, the sender can see from their own user ID through the system where and in whose department that letter has reached and can directly contact the person in the concerned branch by phone.'

He said that the use of Office Automation will help in obtaining accurate details of what tasks have been performed by which employee in which unit and how much is pending, thereby ensuring transparency in the performance evaluation of employees.

According to Bhandari, the Registrar's Office monitors this. He said that the daily travel allowance expenses of approximately 15 to 20 thousand rupees, which were incurred by having to go to the central office to get information about where a letter sent by a college reached, whose it was stuck with, and which documents were missing causing the delay, will now be saved.

He clarified that there was also a fear of letters sometimes not being found, but now everything will be 'tracked'. 'It will be known whether the letter is pending or has gone into process,' he said. He said that TU plans to digitize all examination ledgers and files.

TU has also moved forward with an electronic attendance system. Bhandari said, 'We can see the attendance of all units from the center. Attendance monitoring is also done. E-attendance of 80 percent of constituent campuses can be monitored from the center. Information such as who has taken leave and for how many days is available.'

TU has stated that the implementation of the TU Integrated Financial Management Information System will provide all information such as which campus received how much amount under which heading and how much amount was spent. TU Spokesperson Bhandari said, 'Similarly, with the TU Examination Information System, all services that students have to take from the TU Examination Controller's Office indefinitely will be easily available soon.'

He said that in the current situation, students can track their transcripts.

An official of TU said, 'A digital university is the need of the hour, but the lack of skilled technical manpower, the traditional working style of officials and employees and their unwillingness to change with the times, and the lack of sufficient budget for software development and hardware procurement are the main challenges for a digital university.'