Neemrana, Rajasthan, October 7, 2011:
NIIT today achieved a significant milestone in its mission to take computer
proficiency to the grass root levels, by imparting computer-based learning to 10
million students across India.
Through its `NIIT@School’ program that offers computer education in
Government and private schools, NIIT has been shaping the future of Indian
students for over a decade now. NIIT’s computer education
movement, introduced for the first time in 371 Government schools in Tamil Nadu
in 1999 through the Public Private Partnership model- now covers nearly 16,600
educational institutions across 18 States in the country. From Keylong (Himachal
Pradesh), to Rameswaram (Tamil Nadu), and from Vandh (Gujarat) to Agartala
(Tripura) the program spans the length and the breath of the country, reaching
out to the students in the farthest and the remotest corners of India.
At an event held at the not-for-profit NIIT University campus in
Neemrana to mark the 10 million milestone Mr. Kapil Sibal, Hon’ble Union
Minister for Human Resource Development and Communications and IT, delivered the
keynote address and felicitated outstanding students and teachers from across
the country. Mr. Rajendra S Pawar, Chairman, NIIT, leading academicians,
principals of various schools, bureaucrats and members of NIIT and NIIT
University were also present on the occasion.
Mr. Sibal congratulated NIIT for its significant contribution in
bridging the digital divide, by bringing the light of IT literacy into the lives
of 10 million students. Sharing words of encouragement with students &
teachers from Assam, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi NCR and other
parts of India, Mr. Sibal said that the objective now is to take
the 10 million number to many more millions—and touch the entire community of
India’s school going children.
Children recognised for their exemplary performance included -
Mahasweta Kumar from Mangaldoi Govt Girls Higher Secondary School, Darrang,
Assam, who is the National winner of MindChampions Academy 2011 (a joint
initiative with Viswanathan Anand for developing young minds through Chess).
Anirudh Iyengar from Pune was also felicitated for completing the first IGNOU
certificate program in Chess as a mind booster.
Touching the 10 million student count, involved creating 23,936 hours
of content, setting up 1,07,209 computer based learning nodes, selecting,
training, certifying 3,96,449 computer teachers, across Government and Private
schools. NIIT has indirectly made a positive contribution to the general
development of the villages where children are being taught computers.
These villages in remote locations now enjoy power supply, telephone and
Internet connectivity.
The schools program is based on NIIT’s founding vision of Bringing
People and Computers Together – Successfully. The initiative showcases how
advances in technology and innovations in learning can be effectively harnessed
to bring computer education within the reach of all, thereby providing every
student an opportunity to participate in India’s transformation to a knowledge
society.
Speaking on the role of technology-based education in shaping young
minds, Mr Rajendra S Pawar, Chairman, NIIT said,
“Reaching the ten millionth school student is a significant achievement. A good
education is the foundation for a great future and we are proud to be involved
in shaping the future of Indian school children.’
“NIIT is committed to making ICT enabled education more affordable
and accessible by devising new ways of learning and technology deployment,”
added Mr. Pawar.
NIIT has been at the forefront of the global movement to bridge the
digital divide, by bringing computer education to the doorsteps of children from
all segments of society. The journey to empower 10 million students saw many
significant milestones including initiatives like HIWEL (Hole-in-the-Wall)
project that aims to take computers to underprivileged children. MindChampions
Academy (MCA), a joint initiative of World Chess
Champion Viswanthan Anand and NIIT to promote Chess in schools, set a new Guinness World Record in 2010 when
20,480 participants played Chess simultaneously, guided by Viswanathan Anand.
NIIT’s Schools program has received numerous
recognitions during its journey, including the UNESCO award for innovation in
education which led to the launch of Mobile Science Lab.
Mr. Hemant Sethi, President, School Learning Solutions & HiWEL,
NIIT said, “NIIT has overcome every obstacle and
crossed every divide, be it social or geographical, and has successfully reached
out to school students across India through its ICT enabled education solutions.
Today, we are proud to have empowered 10 million students. And as I look into
the future, I can see the faces of another 10 million children, whose lives will
be transformed by NIIT.”
About NIIT’s schools program
NIIT provides complete IT integration solutions for both government
and private schools. NIIT nGuru is a holistic range of School Learning Solutions
that aims to make the vital process of teaching and learning simpler, thus
bringing back the joy of learning for students. It is an integrated and
comprehensive teaching, learning and education resource planning solution for
the schools that has been designed to address the needs of all key stakeholders
within the education realm—Students, Teachers, School management and
Parents.
NIIT@School initiative offers turnkey IT integration program tailored
to the needs of educational institutions. The Schools program has been conceived
and developed with a view to providing an offering that combines the strength of
both computer education and computer-aided education. With an exhaustive library
of over 23,936 hours of content in both IT and non-IT subjects, covering various
syllabi, the program brings in complete expertise for a school’s IT integration
needs.
Several
Indian State Governments have been extensively harnessing NIIT’s strengths to
take computer literacy to government schools. NIIT’s partnership with the
Governments across 18 states like – Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra
to name a few, has resulted in millions of young Indian citizens crossing the
digital divide to become IT savvy.
For media queries, please contact:
Prateek Chatterjee,
Associate Vice President & Head Corporate
Communications,
NIIT Ltd, Ph: (Cell) +91 9910201085, (Dir) +91 124 4293041
Email: prateek.chatterjee@niit.com
Reema Bardhan,
Corporate Communications, NIIT Ltd, Ph: +91 9891267470
Email: reema.bardhan@niit.com
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