CHiPS runs free IT courses for tribal youth

Chhattisgarh Infotech Promotion Society (CHiPS) has undertaken a computer training project for the Scheduled Caste (ST) youth in tribal pockets of the state who often bear the brunt of the left wing extremism.
"The project 'Capacity Building in IT Skills of ST Candidates in Chhattisgarh' focuses on training STs, including students from backward areas where the basic infrastructure and training facilities lack the most," Chief Executive Officer of CHiPS, Saurabh Kumar, told PTI.
The training is aimed at helping ST community members to achieve confidence for setting up business in IT domains, thus providing sustainable employment generation in and around the district, he added.

The Centre's Department of Electronics & IT sponsored project is being implemented by CHiPS with the support of Centre for Advance Computing (CDAC), Chennai.
"Around 3,300 ST candidates would be imparted job oriented training on the use of computers and other Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools in a period of two years under the programme," Kumar said.
Under the project, ICT centres for ST empowerment to suit varied information needs of rural tribal population will be set up.

So far three state-of-art IT training centres (with 25 seats capacity) equipped with necessary infrastructures including computers (desktop and laptop), printers, projectors and other stuffs, have been developed each at Jagdalpur, Rajnandgaon and Ambikapur district headquarters, he said.

All the 3 training centres were inaugurated during the Digital India Week last year and since then 329 candidates have been trained in Rajnandgaon, Ambikapur, Jagdalpur under basic computer and advance computer courses, he said.
Moreover, the project also incorporates scope for entrepreneurship development to enable business model enhancement among entrepreneurs including self-help groups.
No fee is being charged from ST candidates, Kumar said,adding that candidates with annual family income upto Rs 3 lakh per annum will be eligible to attend the course.