Here - SAARC Human Resource Development Centre

Working Sessionsfemales 65.46 per cent). The Total Computer Literate is 87.1 million with 88 millionactive Internet users (6.9% penetration rate) and 10.52 million Broadband users tillOct.2010 constituting 6.0% of the population. She briefly told about the NationalKnowledge Commission and its objective of transforming India into a knowledgesociety. In India a Centrally Sponsored Scheme namely ICT in school has beenlaunched in December 2004, to provide opportunities to secondary stage students todevelop ICT skills and also for ICT aided learning process. Under the schemesupport is provided for procurement of computers and peripherals, educationalsoftware, training of teachers and internet connectivity etc. Presentation alsoprovided information about vocational education and training and skilldevelopment initiatives in India. Steps taken by the Government of India are toexpand capacity and improve quality of higher education by the setting up of 15 newCentral Universities, 14 new Universities based on world-class standards, setting upeight Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), 10 National Institutes of Technology(NIT), 20 Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), 3 Indian Institutes ofScience Education and Research (IISERs), 7 Indian Institutes of Management(IIMs) and 2 Schools of Planning and Architecture (SPA). The National Mission onEducation through Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has beenlaunched to leverage the potential of ICT in the teaching learning process. BroadObjectives of the Mission are a) to use ICT in enhancing teaching and learning, b) toreach hitherto deprived sections and rural / under-developed areas and c) to help inraising the GER in higher education by 5% in the current Five Year Plan. SalientFeatures of the Scheme are a) Developing e-content for all Diploma, Undergraduateand Postgraduate courses, b) providing connectivity across the country to alluniversities and all colleges [32000 approximately] and c) encouragingdevelopment of low cost access-cum-computing devices to facilitate participationof masses in e-learning. Presentation briefly informed about the e-governanceinitiative like SWAN (State Wide Area Network) also.Country report of Maldives was presented by Mr. Ahmed Haleem. According to thereport presented, about 50% of the schools in Maldives have computer labs. Most ofthe schools in Maldives have some form of internet connection and 50% havebroadband connection. One of the secondary schools in Maldives has beendeveloped as a digital school. Integration of ICT into the new curriculum is inprogress. There is one Teacher Resource Centre (TRC) in each of the 20 atolls inMaldives. These centers are fully equipped with ICT facilities. TRC's providetraining in the area of ICT and professional development to the teachers of theschools of that particular atoll. TRC's conduct workshops and seminars to upgradethe level of skills and knowledge of the teachers. TRC's provide related materialsand other facilities to schools (e.g. Audio Visual CDs). Each TRC is equipped with aSMART interactive Board. Challenges being faced in Maldives are lack ofadequate number of staff in the field of ICT, lack of computer programmers in thecountry for open source software development, low income/salary for people in ICTfield, issues regarding copyright, lack of awareness among the teachers on how touse ICT in teaching and learning etc. Regarding IT Education in Maldives a virtuallearning environment has been established using Moodle. It was also told that NIITproject, a grant aid project of the Government of India, aims towards improving thequality of Maldivian teachers through ICT and promoting ICT adoption andvocational education amongst youth.6