- Hon’ble Minister Mr. D Manikya Vara Prasad & World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand Flag off NIIT MindChampions’ Academy in the State
- NIIT MindChampions’ Academy expands to 2005 more Government schools, taking the total number to 2668 schools
Hyderabad, June 20, 2009: Hon’ble Minister for Secondary School & Intermediate Education, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Mr D Manikya Vara Prasad today flagged off NIIT MindChampions’ Academy in 2005 more Government schools in the state of Andhra Pradesh. NIIT MindChampions’ Academy is a joint initiative of NIIT, leading Global Talent Development Corporation and World Chess Champion, Viswanathan Anand, to promote Chess among young kids in schools.
NIIT MindChampions’ Academy which was already present in 663 Government schools and 90 Private schools in the state has now extended its presence to 2005 more Government schools, taking the total number to 2668 Government schools. Conceptualized in 2002 with an objective of initiating students into the world of Chess, NIIT MindChampions’ Academy has today fostered nearly 6351 chess clubs with more than 7,45,000 students cumulatively since inception, as its members in schools where NIIT offers computer education.
Hon’ble Minister for Secondary School & Intermediate Education, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Mr Manikya Vara Prasad and World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand distributed MCA kits to the Principals of some of the identified Government Schools where MCA was launched.
Speaking at the launch, Hon’ble Minister for Secondary School & Intermediate Education, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Mr Manikya Vara Prasad said, “We are pleased to have this initiative by NIIT in Andhra Pradesh of initiating children into the game of Chess. I am confident that this will prove to be a significant contribution towards development of these young minds."
World Chess Champion and NIIT MindChampion Viswanathan Anand said, “The game of chess makes significant contribution to the field of education. Since playing Chess improves our Memory, logic, analysis and decision making, it serves as an important educational tool. NIIT MindChampions’ Academy offers a marvelous opportunity for children to explore chess and at the same time benefits them in development of intellectual abilities.”
Speaking on the occasion, Mr L.Balasubramanian, President, School Learning Solutions, NIIT said, “We are grateful to the Government of Andhra Pradesh for extending support to this initiative. Our objective is to bring students the advantages of technology training combined with the benefits of Chess that NIIT MindChampions’ Academy delivers.”
The MCA Kits consists of computer-based tutorials which a student can use 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 and play with NIIT MindChampion and World 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 Mr Rajendra S Pawar and President of NIIT School Learning Solutions, Mr L. Balasubramanian and few eminent world Chess personalities on its Advisory Board.
About NIIT MindChampions’ Academy
Started in 2002-03, NIIT MindChampions’ Academy is joint initiative of World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand and NIIT, to initiate young minds into the World of Chess. The young members of the Academy get to play Chess in both online and offline format and are given coaching using NIIT’s technology. The MindChampions’ Academy conducts an Annual Chess Tournament, known as ChessMaster for these school children across the country among the NIIT serviced schools.
World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand has personally travelled to Agartala, Guwahati, Raipur, Patna, Hyderabad, Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai and other cities across India, spreading the message and motivating the school students to start playing. NIIT MindChampions’ Academy conducts an Annual Chess Tournament, known as Chess Master for these school children across 16 states in the NIIT network
Winners of Chess Master have won many accolades in the world of Chess. NIIT supported, M. Karthikeyan, winner of Chess Master 2006 in the Sub Junior category to participate in the National Chess Tournament, 2008 at Ahmedabad and significantly improve his FIDE ratings.