8,000 given digital literacy training in Sirmaur drive

Ambika Sharma  

Tribune News Service

Solan, February 10

The Sirmaur district administration has initiated  a campaign to ensure that  all persons   acquire the  basic computer literacy.

With the 87 per cent literacy rate, the district administration aims to provide computer literacy to all educated people while the remaining 13 per cent will be taught the use of smart phones  through 350 Lok Mitra Kendras. 

 “Starting from the home front, the field staff of the Revenue Department comprising  patwaris and kanungos are being trained in a phased manner so that they can  take e-governance to the doorsteps of the people,” said  Lalit Jain, Deputy Commissioner, Sirmaur.

The administration aims  to achieve the target  by the end of this year. In order to keep the training simple  and ensure its approachability, it  is being imparted  at the Lok Mitra Kendras under the Prime Minister’s  National Digital Literacy Mission. 

This mission is supposed to make a  person IT literate, so that he  can operate digital devices like mobile phones, tablets, etc, send and receive e-mails and search Internet for information. At a higher level, a person  will also be trained to effectively access various e-governance services being offered  by the government and other agencies.

 A Lok Mitra Kendra will earn Rs 300 for training each person through a specially devised curriculum.  The enrolment as well as training is free of cost. The district has trained 8,000 persons and another 12,000 are undergoing training. A provision to provide digital literacy on a mass level by holding community chopals in the far-flung areas has also been provided where panchayat representatives have been asked to mobilise the rural folks for this drive. 

The course comprises 20 hours of teaching includes basic knowledge of  word, e-mail and multimedia training. At the end of the course, the applicant is required to compose and send  an e-mail which will qualify him for being digitally literate.

A certificate  of training is  also issued to the applicant after the successful completion of his training.  The DC said the  district would now train women from all  self-help groups. It will help them in their daily banking and other activities.  There are nearly 1,400 SHGs registered  in the district and each group comprised eight to 25 women.