Haryana to Launch IT Mass Literacy Scheme

Chandigarh, Feb 8 (IANS) To achieve the goal of 'Digital Haryana' and keep pace with rapidly evolving technologies, the Haryana government will launch an Information Technology (IT) mass literacy scheme (Digital Saksharta Abhiyaan), to make the people of the state digitally literate.

A spokesman of the electronics and information technology department said Sunday that under the programme, training would be imparted to 1.10 lakh people in five selected blocks by picking up one person from every eligible household. The programme will begin in March.

"One block each in Gurgaon, Faridabad, Karnal, Jind and Panchkula districts has been selected for the programme," he said.

"Under level-1, training would be imparted to make a person IT-literate and enable him to operate a computer or digital access devices, send and receive e-mails, and surf the internet for information. Under level-2, those selected would be trained to effectively avail themselves of various government-to-citizen and business-to-citizen services besides basic level IT literacy," the spokesman said.

The main objective is to declare the selected blocks 100 percent digitally literate. About 20,000 beneficiaries are to be trained under phase-I by October this year. About 90,000 more would be trained in level 1 and level 2 digital literacy courses over a period of four years, he said.

The central and state government will bear part of the cost of training for general category candidates while the entire cost would be borne by the union government in case of candidates from reserved categories.