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The President, Mr A.P.J. Adbul Kalam, and the Chairman, Microsoft India, Mr Ravi Venkatesan, at the inauguration of the Microsoft's India Academic Summit in the Capital on Monday. - - Kamal Narang

New Delhi , April 4

THE President of India, Mr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, on Monday asked Microsoft and the IT industry to partner with the Government to create models for improving the quality of education, especially in the rural sector, with annual targets.

"India has 6,00,000 villages and 70 per cent of the people live in these villages. Just like Professor M.R. Raju's model is being used in Andhra Pradesh villages, the Azim Premji (Foundation) model using computers as one of the learning tools is being used as an accelerated learning programme in three States; also a tele-education model is being implemented in the country through EDUSAT, broadband and wireless connectivity.

"Microsoft and other IT industries, in partnership with the Government, can participate and promote one of the three models or create a unique model for improving the quality of education and implement it, especially in the rural sector with annual targets," Mr Kalam said, inaugurating Microsoft's India Academic Summit here.

He said language neutral software and content can be generated initially in three languages and could then be targeted at States with a large population, such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

"Microsoft and other IT industries can become partners to the teachers training programmes and inculcate capacities such as research and inquiry, creativity, use of high technology tools for learning, entrepreneurship and moral leadership among teachers so that they can, in turn, build these qualities among the youth," he said.

Highlighting the need to promote education inbuilt with entrepreneurial training among higher secondary and university students, Mr Kalam said Microsoft, with its experience in the academic area in the US, could evolve an educational package.

"Such a package can be presented to institutions such as NCERT and UGC. A mission mode task can be undertaken," he said.

Meanwhile, Microsoft on Monday began its two-day India Academic Summit. The summit brings together members of the industry, educators and researchers to foster a collaborative learning community.

The summit will discuss next generation IT-led learning and global best practices for IT in education.

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