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Focus on foreign language courses

Staff Reporter

IT Department unveils its grand plans

BHUBANESWAR: Grand plans are afoot to introduce foreign language courses in non-technical colleges of Orissa to enable students to take advantage of the unprecedented boom in IT and ITES sector.

"We are going to introduce foreign language courses in general colleges in a phased manner in order to boost the employability of students. Some colleges in and around Bhubaneswar and Cuttack will be having these courses as part of our pilot programme," State director of IT Vishal Dev said here on Wednesday.

He said the IT department was now concentrating on four languages such as Japanese, French, Russians and Arabic while two more languages -- German and Spanish -- would be brought in a later stage.

Observing that there was scarcity of resource persons to implement the programme, Mr. Dev said: "We are targeting capacity building of colleges so that we could create a pool of competent teachers within. Initially, two teachers each from 30 colleges would undergo a 45-day foreign language orientation and training programme during the coming summer vacation."

Principals' meet

Orissa Computer Application Centre (OCAC), a state-run IT industry facilitation and promotion cell, on Wednesday convened a meeting of principals of 29 colleges from Khurda, Puri and Cuttack to get feedback on execution of the ambitious programme.

Spoken English

Moreover, the OCAC also impressed upon the State Higher Education Department to introduce spoken English as well as IT Capsule courses in different colleges to prepare students to grab opportunities in BPO sectors. Young and competent teachers, nominated by respective principals, will undergo training at OCAC, Department of Distance Education of Utkal University, English Literature Training Institute and BJB College at Bhubaneswar.

The State IT Director said NASSCOM had already predicted creation of 10 lakh jobs by 2010 and studies indicated that India might not be able to meet the demand.

"Orissa produces about 50,000 graduates every year while less than 5,000 manage to get absorbed in government as well as private sector. Over 40,000 students remain unemployed. The efforts will reduce unemployment to a large extent," he said.

Self-financing

Elaborating on the strategy, A.K Panda, OCAC's Course Director on Foreign Language said: "Besides government efforts, private agencies have been requested to involve themselves in the programme as getting experts from outside is a costly affairs."

Responding to the proposals, Director of Higher Education Parvati Charan Pati said: "courses would be self-financing which would be introduced in some selected colleges. A detail courses of study and fee structure is being prepared by Director of Distance Education cell of Utkal University."

Once recommendations were prepared by a six-member team headed by himself, the State government would take decision before the vacation and courses could be introduced by coming academic session, Mr. Pati said.

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