Modi’s ‘Digital India’ initiative comes crashing down in Kashmir

At a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Digital India’ is hogging headlines across India, the much hyped initiative is coming crashing in Kashmir.
Kashmir Post carries out a random survey and tried to look into the massive programme.
While the government is trying to digitise its data and trying to promote Digital India to ensure that government services are made available to all the citizens electronically by improving online infrastructure and by increasing internet connectivity, it is neglecting the computer education at the primary level.
In government-run schools there is no emphasis on the computer education, it is optional subject in the curriculum. The subject is neglected in the schools since the government does not provide computers and the books of computer sciences with other books that are provided free of the cost till 8th standard.
In Government Girls Middle School, Tulsi Bagh, the subject is not taught as they do not have a computer teacher.
“We don’t teach the subject here though we are possessing a computer that was donated by CRPF but it is lying idol,” said Fatima, Headmistress of the school.
Three years ago the practical classes were conducted in the Government Boys High School, Rawalpora but now there computer lab is lying defunct despite possessing a computer teacher.
“Due to shortage of funds we are unable to maintain the computers. Government provide a fund of Rs 10-60 a month,” said Shaista, computer teacher working from past four years in the school.
She further said that government does not provide books for the subject as it is providing for other subjects, so our school has prescribed the books which are taught in the leading private school of the valley.
Minimum cost of a computer book is Rs 250, which becomes unaffordable for these poor students.
“We are trying our best to teach the students but our hands are bound,” said Shaista in grief stricken voice.
Mostly those students get admitted in the school who belong to destitute families.
There are 200 students on roll in this school.
“Few years ago in the Government Boys Middle School Batamaloo, we got computers so to teach the students,” said the teacher on the condition of anonymity. “But when electricity bill came they had no option but to close down the lab as they were unable to pay a sum of Rs 50,000, which accumulated in two years,” added the teacher.
A student studying in the government school said in a gloomy voice that he belonged to a poor section of the society and that they are kept deprived of these sophisticated technology.
Another student in a sorrowful voice said, “I have only heard about it but I have never got a opportunity to touch and see it.”
The Headmistress of the Government Girls High Schools said that this is an optional subject and not the main subject like we are having mathematics, sciences, english, social sciences, urdu or hindi. She admitted that to a larger extend this subject is neglected in the schools.
Zooni, a parent whose children goes to the government school said that, “when law of the land prohibits discrimination on any grounds, it is unfortunate that the government schools breeds discriminations based on the skills . As the students who are deprived to computer skills will face discrimination in future in job appointments.”
According to a report published by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, “The state of J&K has the literacy rate below the national average. That makes it to stand at 30th slot among the 35 states and Union Territory’s of India,”
Economist Iffat Naseem said, “Computer education is an important indicator to measure the literary rate. Depriving a section of the students of this important education will lead to the socio-economic divide.”
She said that the Indian economy is mostly depended on Service sector and preventing a group of students from learning computers will make them incompetent in the present scenario.
Dr Shabnam Ara, Sociologist said, “It is disheartening to know that the computer education is being given less importance in of the government schools in the Valley. It simply means that we are depriving our students of the technical know how and a level field to compete in the present day world. In the modern education system, education of any individual is incomplete without the knowhow of computer science as the computer knowhow has become a part and parcel of modern society.”
Arif Iqbal Malik, Chief Education Officer of Srinagar said that, computer education has not yet been introduced in the curriculum, though we are teaching computers at higher secondary level.”
There are total of 518 schools in the srinagar. “Only in 42 schools Computer Aided Learning (CAL) has been introduced,” said Malik.
Dr Shah Faisal, Director School Education of Kashmir said that, “It is a problem we are facing, 8000 computers are lying defunct, even some are possessing Pentium 2 processor and some have outdated software.”
Fasel further added that his department has planned to install computers in 440 schools till the end of July.
Accepting the shortage of the computer teachers, he said that, “We are planning to train 80,000 teachers in the computers.” The valley of Kashmir has total of 11,000 Schools
In state budget the Finance Minister (FM) has made an announcement to provide free education for girls but it would have been icing on the cake if the FM would have announced the assistance for the implementation of the computer education in the state.
The report went to inquiry to many schools but most of the teachers declined to speak to the journalist about the issue, fearing the wreath that administration would unleash on their careers. Few teachers who have understood their role in the society kept the children interest above their own.