NEW DELHI: Delhi University plans to deliver information about it directly to the mobile phones of those interested through an application. It has announced an "app creation competition" for students. Contestants will have to develop an application for the Androidplatform and submit a "working prototype" by May 24. The winning entry will be available for download from the university website.

The application will be used to keep users posted on everything going on at DU and also make available information that is typically accessed through the official website - latest at DU, admission, examination, directory, college or department websites, workshop and conferences, lecture series, cluster information centre, foreign students and evaluation criteria.

However, at least at the start, DU-App will be available only on smartphones that use the Android platform. "This information will be precise and easily accessible by everyone through mobiles," says the notice announcing the competition. The app may be useful during admission time this year as the public is, as yet, largely unaware of the details of the four-year undergraduate programme. The notice adds, "The only requirement is the proposed application must use the data available on the website http://du.ac.in."

Entries will be assessed for their design, "innovative solutions" and their ability to represent Delhi University. Applications selected through the competition will receive cash prizes and certificates and their apps will also be featured on the DU website "with acknowledgement." University authorities, who will have "complete control over its development cycle" also plan to request Google to include it in its shop for apps and hope the exercise will help students who plan to become app-developers.