Guwahati, November 21, 2006: NIIT Mind Champions Academy,
a joint initiative of NIIT and NIIT Mind Champion Viswanathan Anand conducted
the first ever Inter District Chess event, Chess Master 2006 for Assam State
Government Schools, today in Guwahati. The NIIT MindChampions Academy, running
popularly in nearly 3000 schools in the country, exposes students in the age
group of 6-15 years to the world of Chess.
The first of its kind in Assam, the NIIT’s Chess master 2006 had nearly
5400 students from over 570 Government schools spread across 23 districts of
Assam, participate this year. These are from amongst the Government schools
where NIIT has been providing computer education in partnership with the state
under the Rajiv Gandhi Computer Literacy Programme.
Marking the symbolic opening of the event, Shri Himanta Biswa Sarma,
Hon’ble Minister for Health, IT, Science & Technology and Guwahati
Development, Government of Assam made the first moves in a game of Chess with
the winners from 23 districts. Mr. P.P.Varma, IAS , principal Secy. Govt of
Assam graced the occasion with his presence.
Speaking at the launch, Mr. K. Rajendra Prasad, GM, NIIT K-12 said,
“The NIIT MindChampions Academy is aimed at initiating young minds on a
path of excellence in academics as well as sports.”
“We have received an overwhelming response from the state
Government and school children of Assam who turned out in large numbers to
participate in this contest," he added.
Uttam Saikia from Jorhat District was declared the winner of the Chess
Master 2006 in junior category and Tapan Chetia from Dibrugarh District was
declared the winner in the senior category. Winners will go on to represent the
East Zone in the national level finals, at Chennai. The national winner to be
referred as ChessMaster will receive the Chess Master 2006 trophy from Grand
Master Viswanathan Anand, at Chennai.
The initiative was launched in the state in July 2005 by Shri Himanta Biswa
Sarma, Hon’ble Minister, Government of Assam. NIIT as project partner of the
state in Rajiv Gandhi Computer Literacy Programme is providing computer and
computer assisted education to over 4,50,000 students in 570 government schools
in the state. The IT education and training major has so far trained nearly
15,000 teachers from the state and has equipped schools with state of the art IT
infrastructure.
Launched in 2003 with an objective of initiating students into the world of
Chess, NIIT MindChampions Academy has today fostered nearly 3000 clubs with more
than 65,000 students as its members in schools where NIIT offers computer
education.
The students use computer-based tutorials, during and after school as a
virtual playfield to hone their skills in the game of Chess. Apart from
tutorials, promising Chess players get an opportunity to interact with NIIT
Brand Ambassador and Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand, in person at regular
intervals.
Leveraging its inherent strength in technology, NIIT MindChampions Academy
has created a virtual community of Chess enthusiasts in the country. The Academy
has Viswanathan Anand, NIIT Group Chairman Rajendra S. Pawar and President of
NIIT K12 L. Balasubramanian and few eminent world Chess personalities on its
Advisory Board.
About NIIT K-12
NIIT through its K-12 division is reaching 1.4 million kids in nearly 3800
government and private schools, equipping them with crucial IT skills to prepare
them for tomorrow’s knowledge society. NIIT is working actively to make
computers an intrinsic part of the lives of children and also those of the
socially and economically challenged sections of the society, who may never have
had a chance to integrate with the emerging 21st century environment, to give a
better prospect to their future. NIIT has been providing computer and
computer-aided education in State Govt. schools in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka,
Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya,
Tripura and Noida (UP).
About NIIT
NIIT, Asia’s largest IT trainer, offers learning and knowledge solutions in
30 countries. Leading IT magazine Dataquest has conferred upon NIIT, the
Top IT Training Company Award 2006.
Rated among India's Superbrands (2003-05), NIIT’s education offerings
include: GNIIT, an industry-endorsed programme for students seeking careers in
the IT segments; NIIT Edgeineers, training programmes on advanced technologies
for IT professionals and skill up gradation programmes for engineering
graduates.
In the Corporate Solutions Business, NIIT’s offerings are bolstered by its
SEI CMM Level5 assessed learning services capability. The Corporate Solutions
Business offers integrated learning solutions that include strategic consulting,
learning design, content development, learning delivery, learning technology
services and learning administration. NIIT’s customers include many Fortune 500
companies, universities, technology companies, training corporations and
publishing houses.
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