AKSHAYA - FULL COMPUTER LITERACY IN KERALA

By M. Smithy
Kochi - In the Malappuram district of Kerala, information technology (IT) has become a way of life for the common people. What is surprising is that they are neither highly educated nor English-speaking category. Some of them are not even formally educated. Another section of the neo-computer literate of Malappuram has already crossed 60 years of age. A small minority is even older than 70. Malappuram is making history in IT education through the Akshaya project. It is a model not only for India but also for all developing countries. A district considered backward is now coming forward to emerge on top of computer literacy. Chamravattom in the district became the first village to achieve a 100 per cent computer literacy by August 2003. Other villages are emulating it. It is expected that the entire district will attain cent per cent computer literacy level by the end of January 2004.
The President inaugurated the Akshya Project for 100 per cent computer literacy in the Malappuram district on November 18, 2002. The process of imparting computer training to the people was initiated on May 22, 2003.
The specialty of this project starts from the structure itself. It ensures learning centres known as Akshaya centres very near to every student. For this purpose, 600 centres were opened throughout the district. The criterion is to have one centre each for every 1000 families. An average of six centres for every village panchayat has been established till now.
The centres were selected from about 2000 applicants. The selected persons signed an MoU with the Akshaya Project authorities ensuring that the centres will continue for at least three years. After imparting basic training to the literate people in IT, these Akshaya centres will function as Information Technology Centres (ITC). These ITCs will help the people use them as hubs for various IT-related services. They could pay even tax, various fees and telephone and electricity bills in the future.
There will be facilities for high-speed Internet browsing in these ITCs. Now the centres are connected with dial-up Internet. It will be upgraded with high-speed cable network to ensure round-the-clock connectivity. Facilities for villagers for video and audio chatting will also be made available in the ITCs. This will be an advantage for the large number of NRI families in Kerala, most of whom belong to the middle class or below.
The method adopted here is to make at least one person from each household a computer-literate. If one person from each family in an area is a computer-literate, that will be declared a 100 per cent computer-literate area. This is the standard followed at the international level. The curriculum for the Akshaya Project is also quite simple and practical. The trainees are first exposed to a practical use of computer and its applications. The teaching of theory follows. The study plan is inclusive of small lessons on the practical use of computer and no software package is included in it.
There are 10 lessons in the training. It is taught within 10 days with one and half-hour class every day. The first class is naturally an introduction to the computer and related things. Each lesson is inclusive of explanations and a game indirectly giving practice to the things to be thought. The portion prepared to give training in the use of mouse is an excellent example of this. It is a locally developed game in which the learner has to collect mangoes with moving mouse. The local flavour of this game makes the people participate in it without any inhibition. After the mouse click training of the second day, the real classes begin on the third day.
On completion of 10 days’ training, the students are capable of independently using the computer. They could write letters, send and receive e-mails and also use Internet. They could watch films using CDs. Another significant aspect of the programme’s success is the medium of teaching. All the classes are on Malayalam. The explanations that appear in the computer screen during the classes are also prepared in Malayalam. There is also an audio background in Malayalam .
The Akshaya Centres are well equipped with systems like UPS, webcam, dial up Internet connection and necessary CDs. The centres have the freedom to select any operating system of their choice. Other than this, kid centres are also being started along with the regular centres. All those facilities are being established with an investment of about Rs.3.5 lakh for each center. The classes in these centres start at six in the morning. Some centres function upto 12 midnight according to the learners’ convenience. Housewives and old ladies used to attend classes during the afternoon hours, while workers and employees preferred the late evening shifts.
This novel project has its impacts not only on the common but also on the government employees and people’s representatives of the local bodies. The Kondotty police station in Malappuram made headlines recently. All the cops there availed themselves of the Akshaya centre for computer learning and became the first 100 per cent computer literate policemen. The average age of the participants attracted the media at the Kadungallur centre. A majority of the students there were in the age group of 40-70. Kothadika Mohammad Kakka, who came for training at this centre, is 80 years old. The project for total e-literacy in entire Kerala is the next target. The proposed centers in the State will create over 50,000 job opportunities.