From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Feb 26: Under the `Help Educate,’ a public-private initiative taken up by the Karnataka government’s department of collegiate and technical education, 12,400 de-bonded desktop computers will be provided to the government first-grade colleges in the state.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) to this effect was signed by the department of collegiate education and technical education (DCTE), Cognizant Technology Solutions India Pvt Ltd, and Rotary Club Whitefield Central, district 1390, Bengaluru on Friday.
The initiative has the prime objective of facilitating the learning of students of government first-grade colleges and make a difference in the learning of students as most of whom hail from a socio-economically marginalized background.
Deputy chief minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan, who also holds the higher education portfolio, said: “Under ‘Help Educate’ initiative the department of collegiate and technical education has been partnering with MNCs and philanthropists to educate and train students for employment, train professors in modern methodology through Faculty Development programmes and digital teaching and also equip government colleges with digital assets to adopt digital learning which is a recent trend and an inviolable necessity of times.’’
“The government colleges need around 30,000 computers and now 12,500 computers have been provided. This contribution worth about Rs 50 crore would help to fill the digital divide of the students,” he said.
He also expressed the hope that many more MNCs would toe the lines traced by the above-mentioned two exemplary organizations.
As part of the initiative, Cognizant India Pvt Ltd has volunteered to provide 12,500 de-bonded desktop computers to the department, which in turn will be distributed among all the government first-grade colleges to establish computer labs for the use of students.
Rotary Club, Bengaluru which has offered to install Windows OS and Office 365 and transport and install these desktops to respective destinations.
Naveen Rao, Cognizant Bengaluru head said the company feels honoured to be a part of this crucial initiative led by the department of collegiate education.
Under the 'Digital Inclusion' initiative of Cognizant Outreach, an employee-led volunteering program, the company has been supporting schools, educational institutions, community libraries, and other institutions across India with computer infrastructure to help them tide over the disruption by adopting digital learning, he added.
Rotarian Nagendra Prasad, governor, district 1390, expressed confidence that the initiative would lend steadfast support to students of government first-grade colleges to benefit adequately from the Karnataka LMS-based digital learning.
Commissioner of department of collegiate and technical education Pradeep, director, CSR Cognizant, Deepak Prabhu Matti, assistant vice-president, Global Procurement of Cognizant Hari Singh and others were present on the occasion.