Guv e-inaugurates over 600 computer centres, labs

Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 11

Governor Satya Pal Malik e-inaugurated computer-aided learning (CAL) centres and information communication technology (ICT) labs from the civil secretariat here on Tuesday.

The e-inauguration ceremony was telecast live in all labs and centres through J&K knowledge network set up by the school education department. These labs and centres have been established to promote the usage of ICT in government upper primary, high and higher secondary schools.

On the occasion, 239 CAL centres and 383 ICT labs, completed in 2017-18, were inaugurated throughout the state. With this, total 691 CAL centres and 1,010 ICT labs have been dedicated to government schools under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan to date.

CAL centres have been established in middle or upper primary schools up to Class VIII and ICT labs have been established in higher secondary schools.

During the e-inauguration, the Governor had an interactive session with the students of 101 ICT and CAL centres through videoconferencing.

Malik complimented the students on getting the new labs and centres and urged them and teachers to make the maximum use of the new ICT-based technologies for improving the quality of education being imparted and obtaining latest information online. He observed that smart classrooms would facilitate access to the latest teaching material and improve the level of understanding and clarity of the concepts being taught.

He noted that technology was advancing at a fast pace and it had pervaded all aspects of life. He observed that only those countries and individuals who keep abreast withrapidly changing technology would progress and be successful. Highlighting the importance of the use of ICT in getting access to quality lectures and educational tools, Malik noted that he would be doing everything possible to facilitate youngsters in keeping abreast with the latest technological inventions.

Meanwhile, Adviser to Governor Khurshid Ahmad Ganai spoke on the need to strengthen e-education in government schools to impart skills to students for a digital world. He said 158 more CAL centres and 455 ICT labs were targeted to be completed by the end of financial year 2018-2019.

Ajeet Kumar Sahu, secretary, School Education, gave information about the ICT labs and CAL centres and their significance in providing access to advance teaching-learning aids and quality educational content.

For govt schools

• In all, 239 computer-aided learning (CAL) centres and 383 information communication technology (ICT) labs, completed in 2017-18, have been inaugurated throughout the state
• With this, a total of 691 CAL centres and 1,010 ICT labs have been dedicated to government schools under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan to date 
• CAL centres have been established in middle or upper primary schools up to Class VIII and ICT labs have been established in higher secondary schools