Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGHUS) has come up with an innovative way to ensure transparency in the medical, dental, paramedical, pharmacy, Indian System of Medicine examination system with the introduction of processor-enabled smart cards to the teachers and students of the 630 affiliated colleges located in the 27 districts. The card is priced at Rs 346. It is introduced in over 250 colleges and within the next six months all the 630 colleges students will have the cards.

The smart cards will provide information about the candidate and evaluators. It will contain all the details of the students such as name identification number and photograph. When the students appear for the exam, the details will be recorded. Besides, the information of the evaluators and marks allotted by them for each question will be recorded which can be accessed by the official, MN Vidyashankar, secretary, medical education department, Health and Family Welfare told Pharmabiz. The smart cards will revolutionize the data.

Internal assessment marks, details of the exams held for the specific courses and attendance can also be accessed using this card. A unique feature of the card is that the student can claim accident insurance up to Rs 10,000, stated the medical education secretary.

Various embassies can use the card as a reference at the time of processing a visa as all the details of the staff and students will be made available on it.

According to Dr PS Prabhakaran, vice chancellor, Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences the smart card would be used in all the 630 affiliated colleges across the State. "We have already introduced the card in some colleges and will take us another six months to cover all the colleges."

Plans are on the anvil to introduce SMS short message service) to the students on common information like seminars and results. However this SMS facility is dedicated only to the RGHUS stakeholders, stated Dr Prabhakaran.