The real Kerala story: Centenarians prove that age is no bar for digital learning
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Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
Kerala first state to achieve complete digital literacy
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala has become the first state in the country to achieve complete digital literacy, local self govt and excise minister M B Rajesh announced at a news conference on Tuesday. He said this achievement is unmatched globally as well, since no other region in the world has yet attained full digital literacy. Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan will make the formal declaration at a public function at Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday. The minister recalled that Kerala has always led the country in literacy, becoming the first state to achieve total literacy in 1991 and registering a literacy rate of 93.91% in the 2011 Census. With technology redefining literacy to include digital competence, the state launched the DigiKerala project with the aim of enabling all citizens to use online services, particularly those provided through the K-SMART platform in local bodies. The initiative was inspired by the successful Digi Pullampara programme launched during the pandemic in 2021, when Pullampara panchayat in Thiruvananthapuram became the first fully digitally literate panchayat in India. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Use an AI Writing Tool That Actually Understands Your Voice Grammarly Install Now Undo Building on that model, digital literacy efforts were expanded across the state, and by 2023, the DigiKerala project was formally rolled out. The minister said the project sought to provide basic digital literacy to all people above the age of 14, not just one member per household as in the national digital literacy mission. Training modules designed by experts covered 15 activities, including operating a smartphone, using social media, online transactions, utility bill payments and awareness about digital fraud. A survey covering 83.45 lakh households identified 21.88 lakh learners. Of them, 21.87 lakh people 8.05 lakh men, 13.81 lakh women and 1,644 transgender persons completed the training. The success rate was 99.98%. Notably, 15,223 trainees were above 90 years of age. Over 2.57 lakh volunteers, including students, Kudumbashree workers, literacy mission personnel, and technical assistants of local bodies, carried out the survey, training and evaluation. The minister pointed out that the project was completed entirely through digital processes, with assessments conducted via mobile applications and verified through a multi-level "super-check" system, including third-party evaluation by the department of economics and statistics. Special efforts were made in remote tribal areas such as Edamalakkudi, Attappadi and Parambikulam where geographical isolation and lack of connectivity posed challenges. Training was provided in local languages, sometimes offline, and with the support of local social structures. This inclusive approach, Rajesh said, not only gave people digital skills but also instilled a sense of empowerment. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
The Hindu
8 hours ago
- The Hindu
Kerala to be declared fully digitally literate on Aug. 21
Kerala will officially be declared a fully digitally literate State on August 21, marking the completion of the first phase of the Digi Kerala project, a grassroots level intervention across all local bodies to bridge the digital divide. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will make the declaration of Kerala as the first digitally literate State in the country at a function at Central Stadium in the capital on Thursday. Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, Minister for Local-Self Governments M.B. Rajesh said the State which achieved total literacy in 1991 had put forward yet another model for the country with over 99% of the population achieving total digital literacy also. He said with the government making available most of its services online through the KSMART platform, it also aimed to equip the entire population with the necessary digital skills to access these. The project originated from Pullampara panchayat in Thiruvananthapuram in 2021 to address the issues faced by the local population owing to the digital divide. Ground-level surveys were carried out to identify digitally illiterate persons of all ages. The trainees, most of whom were using digital equipment for the first time, were taught to make voice calls as well as video calls using smartphones, to use WhatsApp, to use popular social media platforms, and to access digital services, based on a module developed for the purpose. Pullampara was declared fully digitally literate in September 2022, when the government decided to expand the programme across the State. In the surveys carried out among 1.5 crore people from 83.46 lakh families, 21.88 lakh people were identified as digitally illiterate. Of this, 21.87 lakh people, comprising 99.98% of the participants had completed training and successfully completed evaluation. 'One of the interesting aspects of this project is how the younger generation, whose social commitment is often questioned, turned into volunteers to impart digital skills to the elder generation,' said Mr. Rajesh.
Deccan Herald
a day ago
- Deccan Herald
The real Kerala story: Centenarians prove that age is no bar for digital learning
The centenarians are among the 21.8 lakh people who have been imparted digital literacy as part of the Kerala government's 'DigiKerala" digital literacy programme.
