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Journalism of Courage
Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Wednesday rolled out initiatives to promote digital learning and bridge the digital divide in higher education at a cost of about Rs 195 crore. The initiatives include distributing Tablet PCs to 1.55 lakh students amounting to Rs 163 crore; creation of 2,500 smart classrooms at Rs 27.77 crore; and development of a learning management system (LMS) at Rs 4.04 crore, an official release said.
“The programme is beneficial in molding the future of the students. Smart classes will include projectors, whiteboard, Android box, UPS and internet facility which will facilitate both teaching and learning,” the Chief Minister said.
Despite the impediment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, he said the government has made efforts to scientifically implement the digital learning program in government higher education institutions thereby bring about a complete change in the higher education sector in the State.
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Deputy Chief Minister CN Ashwath Narayan, who holds the Higher Education portfolio, said that the Tablet PCs would be given to first-year students of 430 government first-grade colleges, 1st and 2nd-year students of 87 government polytechnic colleges, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-year students of 14 engineering colleges.
Classrooms in government higher education institutions are being upgraded to ICT smart classrooms, the release said. The learning management system is for providing a platform to unique and modern teaching and learning process which is ideal to conduct both online and offline classes, said Narayan.
In the year 2021-22, all students admitted to government higher education institutions would be provided Tablet PCs, the release said, adding that 6,500 classrooms would be upgraded to smart classrooms this year.
