Now, an app to allow students to continue studies during the Coronavirus outbreak in Kerala

The Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) on Friday said a firm associated with it has come up with an app that enables students and teachers to continue with their studies that have gone off-track following early closure of schools amid the outbreak of novel Coronavirus.

Linways Technologies has devised the software which keeping in tune with social distancing that is essential to contain the pandemic.

"We are providing it for free for the next couple of months. We are also considering whether it should be extended based on the situation," according to Bastin Thomas, co-founder of the company based in KSUM's Integrated Startup Complex in Kalamassery near here.

The app, which is already being used by close to 100 higher education institutions in the country, entrusts the head of a department or school with the authority to direct the conduct of classes.

From there, the lessons reach the students. The app facilitates access to video lectures and provides an update on who all have viewed them. It also provides details of the portions covered and the students who have read the material. The app features a quiz, quick tests and a facility to clarify doubts.

"Linways is determined to support teachers and students all across the globe to survive, and come together stronger than ever," Thomas said.

"Our digital learning platform is well equipped to manage online learning at all levels," he said.

Linways, with a 40-member team, has an office in Bangalore as well. Meanwhile, the KSUM has launched 'Break Corona, which is a series of initiatives against the COVID-19 virus.

The mission promotes ideas and product solutions to support Coronavirus patients, quarantine people, provide hardware products that can be useful at the time of crisis, ideas for effective logistics and distribution of food, medicine and grocery, support aged people and infants, create job opportunities during a lockdown and produce masks, sanitisers and gloves.

More about the mission can be accessed from https://breakcorona.in, a KSUM release said.

The 2006-founded KSUM is Kerala government's nodal agency for entrepreneurship development and incubation activities in the state.