Distance teaching has become a reality

The Pan-African e-Network is ensuring effective communication and connectivity between India and 53 African countries, offering courses online.

The e-network was launched on Thursday at the Mauritius College of the Air (MCA), Réduit.

Mauritians can now benefit from the establishment of three centres including tele-medicine, tele-education and the Very Important Person Node (VIP).

Mauritius was the first country that established an agreement with the Telecommunications Consultants India Limited for carrying out the project.

The origin of the tele-project, according to minister of Information Technology and Communication Tassarajen Pillay Chedumbrum was initiated during the visit of Dr Abdul Kalam, former President of the Republic of India to Johannesburg in September, 2004. In that regard, the former president had signed an agreement in March, 2006 with the government on the occasion of National Day celebrations.

Dr Kaviraj Sukon, chairman of the MCA said that the students are now able to follow courses in Business Administration at University of Madras and a Diploma in HIV and Aids Family Welfare from the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) and three other programmes from the University of Amity through this distance course. As for tele-medecine, staff working in the field of medicine will benefit from 12 prestigious medical institutions including the All India Institute of Medical Sciences and Apollo Hospital in India.

In that context the minister said that the SSRN Hospital will host a reception centre as the Super Specialty Regional Hospital for the Eastern African Region.

This will allow doctors to be involved in providing tele-medicine services with the assistance of the government of India to countries of the Eastern African Region.

With regard to tele-education, Pillay said the Pan-African e-Network has been a success on the African continent.

He said, “Some 4,500 students across Africa have registered for a license or proficiency with leading universities in India.”