NIIT & World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand unveil report on ‘Developing MindChampions through Chess’
- Share key findings of Pan-India study on the Impact of Chess programmes on children
- Expert Panel Discussion Highlights, Role of Chess in Developing Young Minds at School
- NIIT MindChampions Academy for Delhi Schools Unveiled
New Delhi, July 24, 2010: NIIT Limited, leading Global Talent Development Corporation and Asia’s largest IT trainer, today unveiled the first ever comprehensive Pan-India study on the impact of Chess programmes on children. The key findings of the report titled- ‘Developing MindChampions through Chess’, was launched by World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand, over an expert panel discussion on the role that Chess can play in developing young minds at school.
Eminent panelists who highlighted the impact of Chess on academics and life skills comprised of: NIIT MindChampion & World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand; Rajendra S Pawar, Chairman, NIIT; Dr Marmar Mukhopadhaya, Advisor, Government of India; Dr G Ravindra, Director, NCERT; Dr B L Handoo, Cognitive Learning Specialist, IGNOU; Prof Srivatsan, Pro Vice Chancellor, IGNOU; Mamta Agarwal, Director Education, NDMC; Charudatta Yadav, Chairman, Braille Chess Association; Major General Manmohan Singh, Director, Army Welfare Education society.
NIIT also announced the launch of MindChampions Academy for schools in New Delhi on this occasion.
A Joint initiative by NIIT and GM Viswanathan Anand- ‘NIIT MindChampions Academy’ was introduced in the year 2002 with the objective of initiating students into the world of Chess. The Academy today fosters nearly 8000 chess clubs with more than 8,50,000 students cumulatively since inception. The phenomenal success of MindChampions Academy has reiterated the fact that Chess has been a rewarding experience for students, helping them approach the academic problems in a more tactical and logical manner.
Speaking on the occasion, Rajendra S Pawar, Chairman NIIT remarked, “Chess improves academics, behavioral changes and concentration in children.”
“This study conducted across schools in India, reinforces a globally held view on the positive impact of Chess on children”, added Mr. Pawar.
The report - ‘Developing MindChampions through Chess’, establishes a strong correlation between the game of chess and academic excellence. It is proved conclusively that introducing Chess to the classroom environment through MCA Clubs have positively influenced the students by enabling them to experience holistic learning during the school hours.
NIIT MindChampion & World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand said, “The essence of ground-breaking work done by NIIT MindChampions Academy for the past 8 years has been aptly captured in this report. I am confident that the findings of the study, if implemented earnestly, will help in making India the world’s foremost nation in Chess once again.”
Sanjiv R Pande, President, School Learning Solutions, NIIT commented, “NIIT MindChampions Academy is a core educational initiative to promote Chess in schools to enable development of young minds. The Academy has already touched 8.5 lakh students and will cross 1 Million this year. We are pleased to now launch MCA across Schools in Delhi.”
Key findings of the study indicate that Chess benefits students by enabling them to meet academic challenges through thoughtful preparations and flawless execution. These children also developed self-regulated learning, increased concentration on problem solving and a quest for newer concepts. The study proves beyond doubt that proficiency in chess helps students to organise and manage time effectively.
The MCA Clubs have given children an opportunity to redefine the general sense of experiencing in education. A great sense of relationship within the group has been witnessed. 92% students who play chess regularly have been found to be more logical and focused in their approach to any problem.
Interestingly, Chess was also found to aid the emotional maturity of students by enabling them to express their feelings in a co-operative and structured manner.
The study was conducted by Foundation for Learning Research in Chess, which undertakes research and development work in inter-disciplinary field of infusing Chess centered culture into schools, communities and their work environment. The study provides an in-depth account of impact of Chess on development of academics & life skills, through extensive interactions with a shortlisted sample size of 11,000 Chess playing children from the NIIT MindChampions Academy.