Chhattisgarh: People from BPL families to be made computer literate

In a quest to create a 'Digital India', the people from down-trodden families in Chhattisgarh, particularly women, will soon be imparted the basic knowledge of computers under the Centre's e-literacy project.

"The initial target is to make digitally literate person each from one lakh below poverty line (BPL) families across the state under e-literacy project of the government," Chhattisgarh Infotech and Biotech Promotion Society's (CHiPS) Chief Executive Officer Saurabh Kumar told PTI.

Nearly 54,000 people from BPL households have so far been identified for computer training under the project and 23,000 of them are pursuing the course, he said.

CHiPS is the nodal agency for implementing the centrally-funded project, started early this year, in the state.

"The objective of e-literacy project is to impart basic Information Communication and Technology (ICT) skills to people so that they can operate digital devices to take advantage of government e-schemes, like operate bank accounts, access scholarships, etc. Besides, operating emails and web browsing are other features of the training course," he said.

Most importantly, it will be a great help to people of rural areas where connectivity is available, to get various services online for which they earlier had to travel all the way to cities and visit various government offices, he said.

The women and differently-abled members of families are being preferred for the training as they generally stay at home, so that they can contribute digitally to their family while spending time at home, the CEO said.

Under this programme, eligible trainees from age 15-40 years will be subjected to a short duration computer course of 18 hours carried out by Common Service Centre (CSC) volunteers through tablets (electronic device) or computer, followed by a two-hour test, he said.

In rural areas, training is being given at home through tablets while trainees are being called up at Choice Centres (provides government services like caste certificates, domicile, Aadhar card and others to people at doorstep) to learn through computers, he added.

"Till now as many as 1,200 people have appeared in the examination and 850 have cleared it," he said.

The target of training one lakh people will be accomplished by this year end and further more targets will be undertaken, Kumar added.