Registration Number of students in the University
Codes are important for processing of data using computers. So coding shall be done carefully to cater the needs of the work. Long codes are difficult to remember and also takes more processing time in big data. I have experienced 16 digit code taking more ink to print millions of pages than the 8 digit code. If the codes are designed properly, it makes the work of users and software programmers easy. Some simple things should be taken care of while designing the codes.
Short
The code should be as short as possible. Usually 4 digits are easy to remember. Hence, RTO numbers are of 4 digits, PIN are of 4 digits. Code can be designed in set of 4 digits. UID of Government of India is of set of 3 four digits (4×3=12). Five digits can also be remember with some efforts, so mobile numbers are of 10 digits.
Reveal Useful Information
The codes should be designed in a such a way that it should embed useful information. None which is needed seldom should be embedded in the code. I have noticed a circular of Mumbai University which has urged the user to use the institute code that was 16 digit long. They had embedded useless information in the code. Of course it was abandoned later. The code is also important for processing with simple programming commands such as sort etc. If you want other information just open another field in your data table.
To design the code just list down the information which is needed frequently. For example for a student studying in University college, information needed is his program, college etc while processing the data. If we embed such information in the students registration number, just sort command will give you programme wise, college wise lists.
Codes are needed for computer processing and also useful easy differentiation.
Alphanumeric Codes
Alpha numeric codes are easy to remember for example MH15 FV 1234. Days are gone that the computer were needed numeric codes. Now most of the systems right from mobiles, computers, telephones can process alphanumeric code.
We have total 26 English alphabets but only 10 digits. So one alphabet in a code can accommodate 26 items. Two alphabets can be used for 26×26=256 numbers. However two number code can be used for 99 items. So to save the space, processing time, printing paper and ink, alphanumeric codes are recommended.
Sequence of items in the code
How to place the alphabets or numbers in a code is very important. The most static item shall be placed at left followed by the items with frequency of changing. MKCL has put the university code which is static to work in a university in the middle portion of 16 digit PRN number that has caused a lot of difficulties in processing and printing the data.
Frame of reference
Reference is important while designing the code. If I am sitting in a room and if anybody from other room asks me where I am? I will never give address of my house and front bed room, I will just say “I am sitting in front bed room’. When you are processing the data for particular university why they have embedded university code in the PRN, I dont understand. Similarly, University code for the student in a university is not changing throughout his life cycle, it is most static. so it should have been placed on extreme left. While working in YCMOU on 6 lakh students with 36 lakh rows we incurred a lot of losses in term of printing papers and ink cartridges.
The good example of communicating the data is time. We display it as 10:15:36 ie 10 hours, 15 minutes and 36 seconds. The frame of reference here is time. Hours change slowly so are kept in extreme left, the changes the minutes so placed next and lastly seconds because those changes very fast.
While designing the code it should be considered who is using it most and what is the reference frame.
Who Should Design the code?
Coding is neither a part of academics nor a part of administration. Codes are design to process the data into useful reports using simple commands. Codes are beneficial to manage huge printing such as students marks sheets, attendance sheets etc. Coding is required for proper bundling and dispatching the printed materials by a layman with minimum efforts. So, it is totally a job of computer personnel and therefore the curriculum designers, academic committees or administration should not take efforts to write a code for a subject or any item that is processed by computer.
Registration Code Design for Amravati University.
Enrollment Number
When a student enters the university, he should be allotted a code that code may be called as enrollment number. Enrollment number should be a unique number to identify the student in the university. Aadhar Number of the student can be used as enrollment number. The enrollment number of the student is same for any programmes he completes during his life from the university. In other words enrollment number is a number that is allotted to the candidate to establish his identity in the university. If a BA student does MA his enrollment number will not change. After a gap of some years if he joins Ph.D. in the university, he will be identified by the same number. Under Enrollment Number his biological and residential information should be collected.
Registration Number
The candidate should be allotted registration number after his admission to a programme. His registration number will be same for all years of the programme. If candidate takes admission in BA, he will be allotted registration number. This number will be same for all three years of the programme. However, if he takes admission in MA, he will get new registration number. These regisration numbers will be connected to enrollment number in the database. MKCL and some softwares are allotting permanent registration number which is used as enrollment number. The PRN are allotted as soon as the student takes admission. There is no sequence of PRN for a particular programme or college that makes very difficult to manage lists and documents on users side.
If the registration number allotted at the time of admission with logical sequence, it can be used as class seat number for attendance, exam seat number and for every use. This saves additional processing time and linking of seat number with PRN. It is also easy to retrieve the data of all examinations of the candidates with simple clicks. We have been using single unique code called enrollment number in autonomous polytechnics for attendance and all examinations during the life cycle of the student for last 22 years.
Coding the Registration Number
List of the information that is needed frequently.
1) Requires to identify the programme of admission.
It always require to list the students in particular programme.
2) Requires to know year of admission.
The list of admission can be sorted on year of admission so that the list of regular students and the backlog students can be identified from the list of student in the class.
3) Requires college of student
If all numbers are sorted, the college wise programme wise students will automatically listed or printed. It becomes easy to manage the print out programme wise and college wise.
4) Serial number of the student.
Results are processed programme wise hence program is the static unit. College is the variable unit where data, printout and communication is done . In colleges and in programs yr of admission and then the serial number of candidate will vary. The frame of reference is college. I) If we have to make useful code for the college, the sequence from static to frequent will be
College Code—program code–Yr of Admission===Sr Number of Student
Programmes should be coded Alphanumerically, A for arts, C for Commerce & Management, S for science and Tech etc
BA code will be A01, BLib code may be A02 etc, for BSC code may be S01, MSC S21 etc
Hence the registration code becomes
1) 021-A01-18-001 ie 021A0118001
Instead of Alpha code A, number 1,2,3 etc can be used for faculty code
2) The registration code becomes total numeric as 02110118001
3) If alpha code is used for year of admission, say A for 18, B for 19 and so on the code becomes 021A01A001
It is recommended to use any one of above format.
Generally the university processes result programme wise, the printouts and sort will be institute wise, program wise.
If the software is developed to process all the results in one shot as it is done in MSBTE, the MarkSheet will be sorted automatically institute wise, program wise.
This type of code will be beneficial to university to sort the data, print the documents etc. No seat number will require for examination, the same code can be used. For attendance in the class and college assessment the code can be used and the attendance can be taken using numbers 001, 002 etc
II) University as a frame of reference
To make data sort useful for university, the sequence becomes
Year—Program—College—-serial number
18-101-021-001
However this code will not be useful for working in college to use for attendance exam etc.
Hence the first coding system is recommended.