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Bid to promote computer education among children

Special Correspondent

Rajasthan signs MoU to set up 200 learning centres

JAIPUR: The Jaipur Municipal Corporation (JMC) on Saturday signed a memorandum of understanding with the Rajasthan Council of Elementary Education (RCEE) and Hole-in-the-Wall Education Limited (HiWEL), an NGO promoted by NIIT, to set up 200 playground learning centres (PLCs) for promotion of computer education among children of economically and socially backward population in the Rajasthan capital and its neighbourhood.

The tripartite MoU cum agreement was signed by Jaipur Mayor Ashok Parnami, Director, RCEE, and HiWEL head Neeraj Agarwal at a function held in the JMC office on Tonk Road. HiWEL, a joint venture between NIIT and the International Finance Corporation, a World Bank affiliate, will provide "free and unsupervised" access to computers for children in rural locations and urban slums.

As part of the agreement, HiWEL will set up 200 PLCs with 400 computers in 200 low-income schools. "The IT enabling PLCs at 200 sites would help improve health, sanitation and computer literacy among deprived children," said Mr. Parnami.

"We are happy to receive the support of JMC and RCEE for this initiative. Together we will be able to reach out to thousands of kids from economically challenged backgrounds and prepare them for the knowledge economy," said Mr. Agarwal.

Michael and Susan Dell Foundation will fund the project.

First tested in a slum in Kalkaji, New Delhi, NIIT has so far installed over 120 HiWEL learning stations. HiWEL was established in 2001 to research and proliferate the idea, a concept created by Sugata Mitra, chief scientist emeritus of NIIT.

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