NDLM units may morph into citizen centres

Nasscom Foundation, which has partnered with the National Digital Literacy Mission (NDLM) to open up NDLM centres, said the organisation is getting overwhelming response from corporates and plans to transform these centres into citizen service centres.

In an interaction with Deccan Herald, Nasscom Foundation CEO Shrikant Sinha said NDLM has set a target of turning 5.25 million people digitally literate by December 2016.

“We are getting good support from corporates and NGOs to start NDLM Centres throughout the country. Besides SAP, around 25 corporates have already partnered with the programme. More than 100 corporates have already shown interest to start these centres,” he said.

The NDLM Scheme has been designed to impart IT literacy to citizens, including Anganwadi and ASHA workers, in all states/UTs across the country so that non-IT literate citizens are trained to become IT literate. “The NDLM’s aim is to make every member of the family digitally literate by 2020. India’s GDP will grow by 20 per cent if our citizens become digitally literate. Once citizens become literate, then it will bring transparency to the administration as information can be accessed even by a mobile phone,” he said.

20-hour modules

As part of NDLM, Nasscom Foundation has configured the Level 1 course with 20-hour modules for the programme which will give introduction to Digital Devices and their operations, the internet, communications using the internet, and internet applications.

“To join the course, the government will fund Rs 500 for reserved categories and Rs 375 for non-reserved categories. We have the right course curriculum in Kannada, Hindi, Marathi, and English. The Telugu curriculum is already ready. By the year-end we will have seven more languages. And in a few months after that it will be available in 14 languages,” he said.

He said Level 2 of the course is ready to give more training for those who completed Level 1 courses. “The 42-hour course module for Level 2 will give primacy for IT literacy. Financial inclusion and mobile telephony courses will be part of it,” he said. He also said most of corporates would like to make NMDL centres as common service centres which will issue Aadhaar cards, death and birth certificates, ration cards, etc.

“Once these centres are transformed to common service centres, it can also give employment for rural folks. The Nasscom Foundation is holding active discussions with various state governments to roll out NMDL centres throughout the country,” he said.