Microsoft launches IT academy in Karnataka

Microsoft India on Friday announced the launch of its first IT Academy in Karnataka. Located at Gulbarga, the IT Academy, which will serve to be a point in imparting IT training to teachers across the state.

This is part of the MoU signed between Microsoft and the Government of Karnataka for implementing Microsoft's Partners-in-Learning programme.

Under the MoU with the government of Karnataka, Microsoft has committed to set up three IT Academy Centres in the state at Gulbarga, Bangalore and Dharwad respectively.

They are for training over 20,000 teachers and 4 lakh students over a five-year period.

Commenting on the centre, Dharam Singh, chief minister of Karnataka said, "Driven by the commitment to take the benefits of information technology to the grassroots, our government is concentrating on integration of IT in the curriculum and accelerating IT literacy at the school level. We believe that by providing early access to the latest technologies at the school level, we can redefine the traditional classroom environment and create an empowered student-teacher community. This is one such initiative."

Added Sudev Muthya, director, Enterprise & Partner Group, Microsoft India: "At Microsoft, our long-term vision is to create a knowledge-driven society in India where technology is an integral part of the learning experience. Towards meeting the objective, our 'Partners-in-Learning' programme is designed to deliver the technology solutions for schools."

Apart from setting up of the IT Academy Centres in the state, the MoU between Microsoft and the Government of Karnataka for Microsoft's Partners-in-Learning programme entails creation of a localised IT curriculum for students, rolling-out of teacher and student scholarship programmes and setting up of a teachers' portal.