A virtual platform can be understood as a platform to get gathered in an online platform by using the audio and visual facility to get communication with a group of individuals. For the successful conduction of a virtual program highspeed, uninterrupted internet facility is a must. To conduct such a program there is a need for one person to create a link to share among the expected individuals by clicking which they have to join. The admin has to click the “Allow” button when the request for joining comes. The admin has the capacity and right to “not allow” the request and hence can prevent the entry of unexpected ones to take part. Hence a group is already formed for the purpose and the link is shared in the designated group only.

Previously the utility of virtual platforms was too less and majority of the people were not aware of it. To hold a meeting /seminar/symposium etc. the resource persons and the participants were to meet in one place by spending time and money which was sometimes not possible even for an important/interested person. This, most of the time, affected the quality of the programmes. The organizers had to charge a huge amount as a registration fee which reduced the number of participants.

The dreadful “COVID” made the public bound to remain away from each other. Even the family and relatives were to keep themselves detached from their beloved ones. The people started to keep relations only through mobile phones which were not sufficiently satisfactory to fulfill their need. Especially the groups/forums where there was a need of face to face discussion suffered a lot. The higher officials failed to share complete information with the subordinates, the subordinates faced difficulty in providing their feedback properly, the academics faced a lot in discussing and exchanging their experience and thought for acceptance, approval, and modification, and the teachers faced problems in giving education to the students. To say “COVID” stood as a barrier to the maintenance of relations and coordination in almost all fields.

To meet this crisis the virtual platform was introduced which, especially during the time of crisis proved to be a boon for human society. Now the platform chosen for a program is the “virtual” first. Zoom, Google Meet, etc. are the commonest platform chosen for such purposes.

The virtual platform provides the following facilities and benefits to society:

1. The time needed for holding a meeting is reduced. Previously to convene a meeting a notification time was needed as the invitee had to plan to attend canceling / postponing the other programme. But a virtual meeting can be held instantly as it needs only the time of the actual meeting. One can spend one or two hours even during his other duty hours. The previous need of spending time to fix the venue is also eliminated. The organizer can hold the meeting from his residence, office chair, or even, in some situations, during travel and the participants also do not need a special arrangement with respect to the venue.
2. The financial involvement is markedly reduced by the facility of the virtual platform. A meeting of the traditional form (offline) needs financial involvement like rent of the venue, rent of the furnitures, food expense, travel expense of the participants, cleaning of the venue before and after function, etc. which need raising of a huge amount by imposing registration fee. This, most of the time, caused refusal of the expected number of participants leading to disappointment of the organizers. Virtual platforms reduced all the costs and made it easy to hold a program.
3. The situation sometimes affected the success of some programmes. Under some circumstances, the proposed programs were canceled/postpone even at the last moment which caused harassment of the concerns. The virtual system relieved such unexpected, trouble-causing situations.
4. The virtual system made the globe small. The speech and even demonstration can be got by sitting in own residence by meeting an internationally reputed expert in the field in the platform.

The virtual platform also has some drawbacks:

1. The desire to come close to each other is reduced. Now even close friends/family members want to meet virtually instead of going personally to the homes.
2. The quality of education is reduced due to a number of causes like – Lack of eye contact during the delivery of the speech, not being able to express through body language by the speaker, inability to give demonstrations appropriately by making all facts understandable, reduced time of interaction due to time /internet connection constraint, etc.
3. Improper care of the internet providers and environmental factors sometimes cause unexpected interruptions of the program. Sometimes, the internet connection creates such a grade of problem that, there is detachment, broken voice, interrupted presentation, etc. and ultimately the programme becomes of such a low quality that , it compels the organizers to close.

To conclude it can be said that “VIRTUAL PLATFORM” is facilitating human society a lot in the field of communication. The difficulties in this aspect can be removed with some effort easily. Hence technological upliftment can be considered to be the demand of time. But it is felt necessary to suggest that, from time to time offline meetings of the individuals should be organized to maintain a more close relationship among individuals.

.    .    .