Rajasthan inks MoU with Microsoft for digital literacy

The higher education department has inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Microsoft to provide free digital training to students in Rajasthan.

“In order to strengthen the PM’s Digital India initiative and CM’s Digital Rajasthan, Microsoft has signed an MoU with Rajasthan, under which 9,500 students will be given digital literacy training,” said Kiran Maheshwari, the higher education minister.

“The objective is to develop technical education at government colleges, capacity building, increasing digital literacy and improving digital education in Rajasthan,” she added.

This initiative will enhance the employability of youth in the state in addition to empowering them with technical education, Maheshwari said. The training will be imparted to more students at a later stage, she added.

Microsoft will train a total of 9,500 students and 500 faculty members from 50 colleges in the state in four months. Students will be awarded certificates on successful completion of the course, commissioner college education Ashutosh Pednekar said .

Maheshwari said that the higher education department is known for innovations – a few months ago two dozen courses of skill development were started after signing a MoU with IGNOU.

The department’s additional chief secretary, Subodh Agarwal, said that a person who does not upgrade his or her skill in time will not be in demand. Today, successful people are those who known how to use technology.

Microsoft said it will also train educators from government colleges through the Microsoft Innovative Educator Program, building capacity for innovative use of information and communications technology (ICT) in the classroom.

Microsoft’s director (education and research) Prateek Mehta said that the company is working to make trainers and students capable through quality products, sustainable partnership and technology.

With PTI inputs