In a move aimed at improving transparency and integrity in engineering education, Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) has developed a dedicated mobile application to prevent students from submitting fake certificates to earn mandatory Activity Points.
App to track student activities in real time
The Activity Point Tracking System (APTS) app will be mandatory for all engineering students under VTU. Through the app, students must log their participation in approved activities by uploading geo-tagged photographs and details of the work undertaken. The system will automatically record the time and duration spent on each activity, ensuring authenticity.
VTU officials said the app was developed after noticing a rise in cases where students submitted certificates or photos without actually participating in activities.
Linked to AICTE’s Student Social Responsibility norms
As per guidelines issued by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), engineering students are required to fulfil Student Social Responsibility (SSR), similar in spirit to Corporate Social Responsibility for companies.
“Submission of fake certificates has increased as Activity Points are mandatory for graduation. To prevent this, we have developed a mobile app that will monitor student participation,” a VTU official said.
Tested successfully in colleges
The app has been developed in collaboration with Youth for Seva and Life Cycle Sports Pvt Ltd. According to VTU, the APTS app was piloted in three colleges and functioned smoothly without technical issues. It is now set to be rolled out across all 212 VTU-affiliated engineering colleges, covering nearly 3 lakh students.
Mandatory for degree certification
AICTE Activity Point Coordinator Meera Rajagopal said the app will prevent false reporting and ensure students genuinely engage in activities. Students must participate in at least five out of 16 approved activities, ranging from rural development and environmental conservation to digital literacy and skill development.
VTU has reiterated that degree certificates will not be issued to final-year students who fail to earn the required Activity Points. While these points will be recorded on marks cards, they will not affect CGPA.