JAMMU: With an aim to spread digital literacy in schools across the UT, the Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha today e-inaugurated 128 Computer Aided Learning Centres (CALCs) and 200 Information Communication Technology (ICT) Labs in Schools established under Samagra Shiksha in Jammu and Kashmir, here at Raj Bhavan.Speaking on the occasion, the Lt Governor observed that digital learning is an instructional practice that effectively uses technology to strengthen a student’s learning experience. The initiative is aimed at making studies more interesting and result-oriented, he added.While addressing the teachers and students from various schools through virtual mode, the Lt Governor urged the teachers to keep upgrading their teaching-learning skills, especially in digital literacy, enabling the younger generation to learn effectively. He further stressed on imparting computer training to the teachers, wherever required, to enhance their skills.Giving a detailed briefing about the project being implemented by Jammu and Kashmir e-Governance Agency (JaKeGA), Simrandeep Singh, Administrative Secretary, IT Department informed that ICT Equipment Installation and Commissioning were completed in 123 Labs in Jammu Division and 205 Labs in Kashmir Division till date.The remaining Schools will be fully handed over by or before 15th February, 2020. After the completion of the project, a total of 1733 Upper Primary Schools out of 7608 shall be covered under Computer Aided Learning Centres (CALCs) and 1640 Secondary/Sr. Secondary Schools out of 2522 shall be covered under ICT, he added.The Lt Governor directed the concerned officers to take comprehensive measures and frame an institutional mechanism for effective implementation of the programme and achieve the set targets in a stipulated time-frame, besides ensuring that the Computer Labs in schools function properly for the benefit of students, he maintained.Arun Kumar Manhas, Project Director, Samagra Shiksha informed that the initiative has been taken for providing a computer lab with smart class facilities in all schools in a time bound manner.Schools falling in educationally backwards blocks and those falling in the habitations of tribal areas have been selected for digital initiatives on priority.It was further informed that the Ministry of Education, GoI has sanctioned 408 ICT Labs for the year 2020-21 for J&K.
