The Hindu Business Line : Chidambaram assures support for free computer education

THE Union Finance Minister, Mr P. Chidambaram, on Tuesday promised Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan support from the Government of India in its plans to expand its free computer training programme.

The free job-oriented computer education programme at the Gandhi Institute of Computer Education and Information Technology programme was initiated with the funds from such corporate leaders as Mr Bill Gates, Mr L.N. Mittal, the Tata Group and HDFC. There are currently 38 centres across the country, and the centre hopes to set up another 16 by the end of 2006.

Mr Murali Deora, Vice-President, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, and a former MP, said with the help of the Government, they would create a special plan for to provide computer training in the North East.

According to Mr Chidambaram, India is currently enjoying a unique advantage — its working age population would rise over the next 20 years while this population was declining for most other countries. This meant that over the next few years India could comfortably support its ageing population while this would prove to be a heavy burden in those nations with shrinking working age populations.

The Minister said the good news was that the working age population in India would grow to 500 million people. However, the downside was that 50 per cent of these children would drop out by the time they reached Class V.

He said in Uttar Pradesh 10 lakh children were not going to school every year and in 10 years this number would rise to one crore — they would comprise children who could not read, write and ultimately not get a job. He said the goal was to ensure that a child stayed in school for at least eight years and they be ensured some basic skills to make them employable.

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