The Army initiative is empowering rural youth through computer literacy in Jammu and Kashmir
The Indian Army launched a three-month project in November of the previous year to enhance computer skills among students at a government high school located in the border area of Khui Milan, Akhnoor tehsil, Jammu district. This initiative aimed to equip students with basic computer skills, paving the way for future employment opportunities. Upon completing the course, students received certification. Balvir Singh, the computer teacher appointed by the army for this school, explains that the program was designed for students to grasp the fundamentals of computers within 90 days. He emphasised the program’s goal: to ensure that children in rural areas are at par with their urban counterparts, bridging the technological gap.
In the past, children used to receive computer education directly from army personnel. However, facing challenges in commuting to them daily, as mentioned by the Regional Education Officer, Vidushi Gupta. In response to this, the army has donated 10 computers to the school under this program, ensuring that children don’t have to travel far to learn computers. Sanjeevani Verma, a student from the same high school, expressed gratitude, stating, “My family’s financial situation is very weak, due to which I could not go anywhere to learn computers. Now, the Indian Army has provided computers to our school and also appointed a teacher to teach us.” She further added, “This has proved to be very beneficial for us. Today’s India is becoming digital, and therefore, we need to learn computers.” In remote rural areas, computer literacy rates are still low. Especially compared to men, rural women and girls are still distant from computer knowledge.
According to a 2023 report, over 40% of the Indians surveyed in the age group of 15-29 years reported having the basic skill of handling files on computers. However, the abilities declined as the difficulty level of skills increased. The report also stated that men’s abilities with computers far exceeded those of women and urban areas were better at handling computer-related tasks. The share of men who could perform the simplest task of handling computer files was 13 percentage points more than women. Under the stark urban-rural gap, in urban areas, the same task was performed by 27% more people than those living in rural areas.
Other organisations have joined the effort to impart computer skills to the children of Jammu and Kashmir. In the bordering district of Poonch, a non-governmental organisation named ‘Seva Bharati’ has established a centre in Manganad village dedicated to teaching children computer skills. Prince Kumar, a 22-year-old youth, shared, “I come to learn at this computer centre every day. Initially, I did not know about computers at all, but now I have gradually learned many things about computers.” The organisation has provided two computers, and a teacher has been appointed, dedicating two hours to instructing adolescent boys and girls. This initiative is particularly beneficial for girls in the village, where computer literacy is low, and the female computer literacy rate is almost negligible.
Today, due to the advancement of computers, the entire world has shrunk into the form of a technological village. In today’s era, knowing computers has become a priority. There is no field today where the use of a computer is not essential, whether it is the government or the private sector.
A 25-year-old woman named Suraksha Devi says that keeping up with the digital world without knowledge of computers is challenging. While almost everyone today has a smartphone, which is a type of computer, certain things remain incomplete without learning about computers. In the centre of Manganad village, Suraksha Devi has learned things about the Internet. She has also learned to work on MS Word and Excel. She says that today’s girls, whether from rural areas or urban areas, should be computer literate because it will be crucial in making them empowered and self-reliant.
Reflecting on the success of the course, Balbir Singh expresses, “Over the 3-month course, our primary aim has been to impart comprehensive foundational knowledge to the children. The basic test we administered during this period yielded remarkably positive results from the students. We extend our gratitude to the Indian Army for generously providing us with 10 computers. Witnessing the dedication of the children, they took the initiative to install these computers within the school premises.”
Adarsh Sharma, a sixth-grade participant in the computer course, expresses,
“The computer skills we’ve acquired in this course can prove beneficial in our future endeavours. Whether it’s a government or private job, the demand for computer literacy spans across all sectors today. I extend my gratitude to the Indian Army, whose support has afforded us the chance to learn about computers at an early stage. Additionally, I want to thank our computer instructor for imparting valuable knowledge and insights.”
(The writer writes on socio-economic development challenges of rural communities of J&K; views are personal. Charkha Features)
