Mysuru:  A five-day  training-cum-workshop on “Testing  and Evaluation and Item Writing” for  the Kannada Research Scholars of Karnataka, was held at National Testing Service-India (NTS-I) of Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), Mysuru, recently.

Prof. P.R. Dharmesh Fernandez, Professor-cum-Deputy Director, CIIL and Head, Centre for Testing and Evaluation, in his inaugural address, introduced about the activities of CIIL and its various schemes and emphasised on the importance of practice in item writing in understanding the concept of testing and evaluation.

Pankaj  Dwivedi,  Officer In-charge  of NTS-I, briefed about  the objectives of the workshop. He  highlighted the importance of understanding of  educational theory and practice. Further, he assured that this training will provide the teachers and research scholars with solutions to deal with the common problems faced by the students while preparing for and writing  their examinations.

Dr.  R. Shakunthala, Junior Resource Person-Academic, welcomed the gathering. Prof. N. Nadaraja Pillai, former Professor-cum-Deputy Director, CIIL; Prof. A. Murigeppa, former Vice-Chancellor, Kannada University, Hampi; Prof. Yashodhara, former Professor of Education, University of Mysore; M.N. Venkatesh, Assistant Professor of Education, Bharathi College of Education, Mandya and NTS-I faculties — Dr. V. Ilangovan, Dr. Biresh Kumar, Dr.  G.M. Ansari, Dr. Md. Saleem, Dr. R. Shakunthala, Dr. Sanjay Prasad Srivastava, Dr. N. Murali Mohana, Dr. M. Manjunatha and K.K. Pradeep were present.

External experts together  with NTS-I team trained the participants. Dr. Shakunthala and Dr. Murali Mohana coordinated the workshop under the overall guidelines of Prof. P.R. Dharmesh Fernandez and  Pankaj Dwivedi, Officer-in-charge, NTS-I. Prof. D.G. Rao, Director, CIIL, was the overall patron of the workshop.

Forty-one Research Scholars, who are engaged in teaching/research of Kannada, from various Universities and Colleges of Karnataka participated in this training workshop.