Rapid advances in computer and communication technology have transformed areas such as banking, railway and air reservation, documentation and entertainment. But the field that stands to gain the most from the information technology revolution is academics. And Poona University seems to have taken the lead among Indian universities in exploiting the potential of electronic networking.

On November 12, 1994, University Grants Commission chairperson Ram Reddi inaugurated an electronic network at the Poona University Campus. This network connects 17 buildings through fibre optics cable, covering a distance of nearly 6.5 km throughout the campus, and is connected to the ERNET/INTERNET node of the Inter University Centre for Astronomy & Astrophysics (IUCAA).

The network operates in a high band width (10 MB/Sec.), which enables not only the transmission of large numerical data at high speed but also allows relay of simultaneous pictorial information along with the sound. This opened up the possibility of carrying out 2-way video conference. The network can be used to broadcast lectures from USA, Europe and Japan to the students at the University of Poona. Students and speakers can communicate just as if they were sitting in a classroom. The time delay will be only a few seconds.

In fact, now a Global Information Services Network is being established, which will serve to reduce the time lag while transmitting the messages from one place to another. Apart from this, it will simultaneously allow the University teachers and students to access information from any nook or corner of the world almost instantaneously.

---CHANDRAGUPTA AMRITKAR.