Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Tuesday, Dec 31, 2002
Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Tuesday, Dec 31, 2002 |
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Info-Tech
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IT Training E-literacy scheme gaining momentum in Kerala Our Bureau
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, Dec. 30 THE month-old `Akshaya- Bridging the Digital Divide' campaign is gaining momentum in Malappuram district, one of the two places where it was formally launched. Akshaya, conceived and implemented by the State IT Mission, seeks to make all sections of people in the State computer literate and help them understand the nuances of information technology, an official spokesman said. Around a thousand candidates have evinced interest in setting up Akshaya Kendras or multi-purpose community technology centres (MCTCs) during the period of registration over the last week. In Malappuram, applications have been received from all places including Edavanna, Etakara, Kalikavu, Vallikunnu, Edappal, Valancheri, Alanallur, Arikkod, Wandur, Kiluparambu, Nilambur and Kruvarakundu and even from remote villages of the district. According to the Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Development (STED) Project Director, Mr T.K. Manzoor, a screening process will be done before selecting the entrepreneurs. Preference would be given to those with entrepreneurship experience, background in IT and other computer related fields, and NRIs. A workshop on the concept and conduct of the whole programme was held at the Malappuram Municipal Hall on December 15. Among those who attended the workshop included the Minister for IT and Industries, Mr P.K. Kunhalikutty, and the Director of Kerala State IT Mission, Mr M. Sivasankar. Block-level workshops on a similar pattern will also be conducted in the near future. The total unit-wise cost of the MCTC project is Rs 4-5 lakh, inclusive of the cost of computer and accessories (Rs 3 lakh), miscellaneous fixed assets (Rs 60,000), contingency reserve at five per cent (Rs 20,000), preliminary and preoperative expenses (Rs 5000) and working capital (Rs 40,000). Once the scrutiny of applications is over, the selected candidates will have to undergo a two-day entrepreneurship orientation programme at five centres in Malappuram on January 4. The training will focus on the innovative concepts of marketing, specific business models on communication service providers and e-literacy courseware. According to Mr Manzoor, the Akshaya Kendras would be set up in the first week of February and technical help will be provided to the entrepreneurs in this regard. The training programme is tentatively scheduled to start on February 10. Meanwhile, the Kerala State Co-operative Institute of Information Technology Electronics and Communication (Costech) along with NIIT has launched what is being termed "hundred percent computer literacy programme" in the co-operative sector. The State Co-operative Registrar, Mr Raveendra Raju, and the Regional Director of National Co-operative Development Corporation (NCDC), Mr Chellathankam, jointly inaugurated the programme. According to Mr K. Ratheesh, General Manager, Costech, the computer literacy campaign aims to achieve "100 per cent" computer literacy within a period of six months through training of all employees in the primary as well as the apex co-operative groups. The program envisages an intense learning session in which the administrative staff and other co-operative workers will train the employees to become computer literate, an official spokesman said.
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