Headlines

JIS Group educational initiatives organised the Kâ theke Computer programme

Project: Kâ theke Computer – Bridging the Digital Divide

The fact is ascertained – Computers are going to stay. Information in the 21st Century is data collected, processed, analyzed and provided the way it is required. The scope is work with ever increasing amount of data, processed at the fastest time imaginable and analyzed at the minutest detail.

This underlines modern information technology at it simplest definition. Hence new technology not only depends upon strong financial resources, but more importantly strong domain knowledge skill set. The irony is how you create such skill set with out even creating a large pool of talent with the basic knowledge in information technology. Our education system reflects this digital divide. Intersped with different education boards and different syllabus standards and multiplied with the dearth of quality faculty in the subjects at the high school level – the task is cut out – reach to the students and make them aware of the basic tenets of the information technology industry.

Aim: To plan and implement a project spread over different phases to consciously bridge the gap of imparting training on Computer Technology, with specific focus on developing awareness about the application of information technology, creating a large pool of faculty for high school level students in these subjects, and encouraging innovative ideas of application of IT from grass-root level.

Event: Representatives and faculty from JIS Group educational initiatives went all over West Bengal where more than two thousands students from standard IX to XII from hundred schools participated in the event. The event was spread over two phases, one a lecture session about academics & career in information technology, and a competition on knowledge of information technology.

The zonal rounds were conducted at seven different places, where we have interacted with more than 1500 students and faculty members. At every venue we maintained to project our brands with distinct visibility. [see appendix 1]. Enclosed herewith are also the details of the selected students from each zone and the total number of students who have participated at the events. The event was covered by Mr. Rana Kundu, local correspondent, Baharampur and several media channels like Zee TV, Kolkata TV, Taaza TV at the 24 Parganas (N) event at Narula Institute of Technology.

While doing the events we found several schools like Bishnupur Government High School, Bankura; Tarai Tarapada High School, Siliguri, Margarate High School, Siliguri; Kendriya Vidyalaya, Kharagpur; Ramkirshna Mission School, Asansol were interested to conduct the same programme at their own schools. This implies the programme could be conducted at a larger and more attractive model for a longer time. This would help us immensely to have quality contact with the prospective students. Enclosed are the details of the student who got selected from all the zones. We would now organise a 7 day training programme and certificate for these students at our engineering colleges.

The programme had given us valuable inputs to replicate the programme in a much larger scale all over West Bengal. This would require more sponsors, and content support and strategic tie-ups with several state level and national institutions who has the objective to promote science & technology among students. Preliminary talks have been every encouraging with National Council for Science Museum and Institute of Engineers. The next programme would definitely have these organisations actively participating with us.

This programme was held as a joint initiative of JIS Group educational initiatives and The Telegraph, as a parallel event of Infocom 2006

Our stall at the Education Pavillion at the main event of Infocom 2006 was supplemented by the JIS Group educational initiatives – TTIS Knowledge Hub opposite to us. The final event of the Kâ theke Computer was inaugurated by Dr. Ingit Mukherjee (Director, National Council for Science Museum) on 06.12.2006. The event took place from 08.12.2006 – 10.12.2006.

Approximately fifty students who were selected from the zonal events participated in the final events. The event was reported at the Star Ananda News Channel on 08.12.2006 thrice at the evening. Our stall was and event was reported by Star Ananda, CTVN, Shristi TV, Sahara TV, Taaza TV and Akash Bangla.

Selected students from the final essay and debate competition were felicitated with prizes by Shri Pratim Chatterjee, Hon’ble Minister of Disaster Management, Govt. of West Bengal, our Managing Director and CEO. Earlier the event was judged by eminent academicians like Prof. (Dr.) N. R. Banerjee, Dr. Noel Nyss, Prof. (Dr.) Atal Choudhury and faculty representative from NIT and GNIT.

Back