IIT-PAL lectures to be available on mobile: Javadekar

NEW DELHI: IIT-PAL lectures will now be available on the 'Swayam' platform and can be accessed on mobile phones anytime, the Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar said on Monday.

PAL (Professor Assisted Learning) lectures, which are prepared by the IITs, aim to help students crack the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE), and are telecast on Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry's Swayam Prabha Channels.

The decision was taken at the 52nd Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Council meet, the Minister said.

"IIT-PAL has more than 600 lectures in physics, chemistry, biology, and maths... They will now be available on Swayam platform in handheld form so that in coming years the dependence of students on coaching classes can be reduced," Javadekar told reporters here.

According to another decision taken at the meet, IITs will now mentor five engineering institutes and five higher secondary schools in their vicinity.

The Council decided not to increase the fees for IITs, nor to make any changes in JEE (Advanced) system for now.

A committee, comprising Directors of IIT Delhi, IIT Hyderabad and IIT Tirupati, has also been constituted to recommend standards and norms for construction of campuses and infrastructure projects in IITs.