- 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.
About NIIT
NIIT Limited, leading Global Talent Development Corporation and Asia’s
largest IT trainer, has impacted over 5 million students across 40 countries
through its learning and knowledge solutions.
Leading IT magazine Dataquest has conferred upon NIIT, the ‘Top IT Training
Company’ award successively for the past 17 years, since the inception of this
category. Rated among India’s Business Superbrands 2008, NIIT’s Individual
Learning Business offerings include industry-endorsed programs for students
seeking careers in IT - GNIIT, Edgeineers and Global
Net Plus for IT professionals.
NIIT has provided computer-based learning to over 15,000 government and
private schools. The futuristic NIIT eGURU range for schools is a holistic
education package that comprises of Interactive Classrooms (an embedded Teaching
Learning Material, that uses elements of interactivity, automation and web links
library); Math lab (technology tools that enable school students to learn and
explore mathematical concepts); IT Wizard (equips the students with core
computer knowledge and IT skills); and Quick School (an Education Resource
Planning solution for school management).
For working professionals, NIIT Imperia, Centre for
Advanced Learning, offers Executive Management Education Programs in association
with Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) at Ahmedabad, Indore, Kolkata,
Lucknow, IMT Ghaziabad and IIFT Delhi.
NIIT Institute of Finance Banking & Insurance (IFBI),
formed by NIIT with equity participation from ICICI Bank, offers
programs for individuals and corporates in Banking, Financial Services and
Insurance.
NIIT Uniqua, Centre for Process Excellence, addresses the
increasing demand for skilled workers in the business and technology services
industry by providing training programs in relevant areas. This is a part of
NIIT Institute of Process Excellence, a NIIT-Genpact venture.
NIIT’s Corporate Learning Solutions, offers integrated
learning solutions (including strategic consulting, learning design, content
development, delivery, technology, assessment and learning management) to
Fortune 500 companies, Universities, Technology companies, Training corporations
and Publishing houses.
NIIT delivers a tailored combination of catalog learning
products, technology and services through Element K offerings. These include:
vLab®: hands-on labs, instructor-led courseware, comprehensive e-reference
libraries, technical journals, and KnowledgeHub™: hosted learning management
platform. This makes NIIT the first and the best choice for comprehensive
learning solutions, worldwide.