LMExams
LittleMore Innovation Labs (which owns LMExams) has developed a customized software called Paperless Examinations Advantage (PEXA). This software allows students to write exams digitally using an electronic pad (E-pad) and a stylus, instead of using paper, paving the way for a greener environment.
Consider this: If 36 exams were held for about 8,000 students every year in a university, and should the university distribute a 20-page answer-sheet booklet to every student for every exam, this really means the university has ended up using 57,60,000 sheets of paper!! This also means that the university impacted the environment negatively.
LMExams helps educational institutions save massive amounts of paper that they would have otherwise consumed in conducting an examination. So LMExams helps institutions have a lower carbon footprint!
Promoting eco-conscious behavior
LMExams not only enables saving of paper but also makes the students eco-conscious and contribute to a sustainable ecosystem. LMExams has helped organise 1.5 million exams, saving 20 million sheets of paper by partnering with educational institutions like Manipal University in Udupi, International Institute of Information Technology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, and the Reva University in Bengaluru.
Why this eco-consciousness?
The forest cover in India has declined by 29,000 sq. km over a span 30 years, according to a report published by e-Green Watch, an initiative launched under the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change. The loss of greenery has led to increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Numbers from the World Bank say that from 1960 to 2014, the emission of carbon dioxide in India has grown from 0.3 to 1.7 metric tonnes per capita. This is affecting daily life and giving rise to serious ramifications when it comes to climate change and global warming.
Forest land has been converted into industrial spaces to manufacture commodities like paper, palm oil, fabrics and wood. Paper mills use wood as a primary raw material. Pulp and paper production have devastating effects on ecological places and various species. 14% of deforestation is done to support the manufacture of paper goods. Our obsession with paper amounts to the destruction of around 4.1 million hectares of forest each year – now, that’s equal to destroying forest cover in an area the size of the Netherlands every 365 days.
A majority of the world’s biodiversity depends on forests. Deforestation can wipe out this incredible richness within a matter of moments. According to the WWF’s recent Living Planet report, the current levels of deforestation make the species living in our rainforests some of the most endangered in the world. Therefore, responsible, eco-conscious behavior, is the need of the hour.
A powerful case story
Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) offers 277 academic programmes in the disciplines of health sciences, science, technology and management, humanities, liberal arts, and social sciences. They operate from five campuses. About 29,150 students are enrolled in these programmes. Imagine if MAHE had not used LMExams’ digital paperless exams and instead had answer sheets been used to conduct exams for these students! By using LMExams, MAHE were able to save around 1.4 crore paper sheets, which would have saved around 500 trees, as per the estimates provided by the non-profit organization ‘Conservatree’.
Summary
Historically, paper has been a medium to transfer knowledge and capture information for many years by humankind. It has also been used to archive information and store it for ready reference through the use of books and notebooks. Over the years, the system of digital storage has taken over and it has its own advantages in the form of being secure. A paper can tear, burn or get stained with liquids like coffee. The biggest advantage is that digital devices can save massive amounts of paper resulting in a huge impact on the environment. LMExams is a pioneer in this space and is leading the way to save the environment and impact climate change.
References
https://paperontherocks.com/2018/11/28/environmental-impact-of-deforestation/
https://yourstory.com/socialstory/2019/04/paperless-exams-littlemore-innovation-cloud-computing