Latest news with #DigiKerala
Time of India
an hour 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
5 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
- General
- 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.
Time of India
2 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Age meets screen: At 105, Abdullah's swiping into the future
Kochi: At 105, M A Abdullah Maulavi of Odakkali, Perumbavoor, has found a new habit: scrolling on his phone for the latest news. From radio and newspapers, the touchscreen has become his primary window to the world. The centenarian is among 22 lakh Keralites who learnt to navigate the digital space under the state govt's "Digi Keralam" project. "I used to have keypad phones. With training from the panchayat, I can now access the internet on a smartphone; I watch news regularly besides videos of Quran recitals on YouTube," Abdullah said. His foray into the digital world was less a whim than a necessity. During the Covid-19 lockdowns, when newspaper distribution was disrupted, he found himself increasingly dependent on television and his family for news. His son, Faisal Ali, said that was the turning point. "Newspapers were unavailable, and with our help, he started watching news channels on our phones," he said. "Last year, when volunteers asked if he was interested in becoming digitally literate, he was keen. He didn't want to be left behind." Abdullah, a religious scholar, has been a learner throughout his life. He is fluent in Arabic, Urdu, English and Hindi, besides Malayalam. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Could This NEW Collagen Blend Finally Reduce Your Cellulite? Vitauthority Learn More Undo However, Jaya C R, the 'saksharatha pracharak' as well as the Digi Kerala panchayat coordinator, said teaching Abdullah was not easy. "He had a disciplined routine for decades, leaving little room for new things. Our volunteers adapted to his schedule, adjusting their visits," she said. The training lasted for two months, covering aspects of operating a smartphone, text messaging and video calling, payment of bills and other e-services of the govt. In Abdullah's Asamannoor panchayat alone, 2,592 persons were trained. "Our primary target was people aged between 16 and 40. However, we invited everyone who is interested. The idea is to ensure inclusivity in the digital age," Jaya said. Asamannoor is among panchayats that achieved 100% digi literacy. With over two million individuals trained under the initiative, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan will declare Kerala as a fully digi-literate state on Aug 21. 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.
Malaysia Sun
2 days ago
- General
- Malaysia Sun
Tech-Mate Kerala! Over 100-year-olds adopt Digital era in India's fully literate State
By H V Nandhakumar Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], August 17 (ANI): For 73-year-old C Sarasu, a National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) worker from Pullamparaa in Kerala's capital district Thiruvananthapuram, the digital world is no longer an alien space. From running her own YouTube channel, 'Sarasu's World', to watching reels, she now navigates the digital highway with ease. Not too far away, 103-year-old Karunakara Panicker sits with his 74-year-old son Rajan. The duo, once hesitant to touch a touchscreen, now watch the news on their mobile phones and stay updated through WhatsApp groups. For 64-year-old Padmini, social media is the new adda. 'Earlier, I used to scold my daughter for always being on the phone. Now she teases me for doing the same,' she says with a laugh. MA Abdullah Maulavi Bafaqi, nearing 105, goes digital, sharing his joy of becoming digitally literate right from his phone at his home in Odakkali, Perumbavoor. Until recently, Abdullah's phone knowledge never went beyond making calls on his little Nokia handset. That changed when the government's DigiKerala volunteers reached out to him. Within months, his digital dream became a reality today, and YouTube is his favourite pastime. Until recently, they were all digital illiterates. Today, they are among the 21.87 lakh Keralites trained under the LSG Department's 'Digi Kerala' programme, which has made Kerala the first state to bridge its digital divide, an ambitious feat that will be formally declared on August 21. The story began in 2022 in Pullampara, a serene gram panchayat near Thiruvananthapuram. During the COVID lockdown, elderly women under the MGNREG scheme were risking their health and spending money just to check their bank accounts. That's when the District Women Welfare Officer Sajina Sathar, now Assistant Director in Rural Development, suggested a simple but radical idea: 'During the lockdown, women risked their health and spent money just to check bank credits. I thought if they can check a bank balance on a smartphone, life will be easier. We prepared a basic digital literacy report for the panchayat, and that's how Digi-Pullampara was born.' What started as a small pilot to make every household in Pullampara digitally literate, From basic skills like making calls, WhatsApp messaging, and online banking, to using e-governance portals, the project snowballed into a statewide mission, 'Digi Kerala' spearheaded by the Local Self-Government Department (LSGD). After Pullampara was declared India's first fully digitally literate panchayat, the State government decided to take the model statewide. In just 18 months, Kerala trained over 21.88 lakh digitally illiterate citizens. A mammoth survey covering 83.45 lakh households identified the learners, of whom 99.98 per cent successfully completed training and passed evaluation tests. Speaking to ANI, LSG Minister M.B. Rajesh said, 'If Pullampara can do it, why not the whole of Kerala? Initially, we targeted citizens below 65 years, but eventually, over 15,000 newly literate participants were above 90. Within 18 months, Kerala achieved digital literacy for all. This achievement lays the foundation for Kerala to transform into a knowledge-based economy.' The force behind this success was a 2.57 lakh-strong volunteer army, comprising Kudumbashree members, NSS and NCC students, Literacy Mission preraks, library activists, and youth organisations, who fanned out across the state, teaching digital basics in homes, libraries, MGNREGS worksites, and neighbourhood groups. Training modules included smartphone use, WhatsApp communication, Internet banking, accessing e-governance services, and safe digital practices. Offline sessions were provided in areas with poor connectivity, while third-party evaluations by the Statistics Department ensured accuracy and credibility. Remarkably, more than 15,000 learners were above the age of 90, proving that Kerala's digital revolution left no one behind. Training took place in homes, libraries, MGNREGS worksites, Kudumbashree groups and even neighbourhood corners. Evaluation showed 99.98 per cent success, with third-party verification by the Statistics Department. Geromic George IAS, Principal Director, LSGD, says the State is already planning Digi Kerala Phase II, 'Our next step is digitising every citizen's identity documents like Aadhaar and driving licences and strengthening awareness against cyber fraud, especially safe use of UPI and payment gateways. The aim is not just digital literacy but safe digital citizenship.' What makes this achievement historic is its inclusiveness. Kerala didn't just create digital natives among the youth; it empowered its elderly, women, and workers, those often left out of the tech conversation. From being digital illiterates to digital citizens, the journey of Sarasu, Karunakara Panicker, Padmini, and millions of others tells the story of a society closing its digital divide. What began as a simple idea in a village now stands as a model for India, a society where even centenarians are digitally connected. On August 21, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will officially declare Kerala as India's first digitally literate state. (ANI)
