Bengal to teach prisoners basic literacy through computers

With the aim to achieve 100 per cent literacy among prison inmates of West Bengal, the state has launched a Computer Based Fundamental Literacy Programme (CBFL), it was announced on Monday.

Christened 'Project Sandeepan', the initiative was launched on February 1 by the Department of Correctional Administration and has Tata Consultancy Services as its knowledge partner.

"Training has been imparted free of cost by the company to participants from all cadres of correctional staff and officers, including inmates at four different locations of the state for the Computers. Accessories required for running CBFL software is being allotted to all correctional homes," a statement from the department said.

As per latest statistics, there are 9,223 illiterate prisoners in correctional homes throughout the state, which is almost 43 per cent of the total prisoners' population, the statement added.

--IANS

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