● Programme to focus on digital literacy, e-governance and digital skill building for the
marginalized communities
● Digital resource centres will be established in 55 aspirational districts to prioritize digital
literacy and tech-based skilling
● The Foundation will also aid youth by giving them access to employment opportunities in
addition to training through the Digital Resource Centres
New Delhi, December 14, 2022: NASSCOM Foundation today announced the launch of its
“Aspirational Districts Programme” with the objective of digitally enabling and skilling more than 3.5
million lives by March 2024, thus empowering the marginalized in remote and backward sectors of
India. The event was graced by the presence of Shri. Rakesh Ranjan, Mission Director – Aspirational
Districts Programme, NITI Aayog who emphasized on how the programme is a promising step towards
accelerating the country’s progress in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals. Implementation
Partners of the programme Arvind Chaturvedi, Vice President, AISECT and Madhura Karnik,
Haqdarshak were also present at the event.
Under the programme, NASSCOM Foundation is tapping into more than 100 aspirational districts out
of which 55 districts have been identified as of now across 23 states (Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand,
Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Bihar,
Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam, Tripura,
Meghalaya, Nagaland and Manipur) and a few have already been established across the country. The
programme directly aligns with NASSCOM Foundation’s core philosophy of TechForGood wherein
technology initiatives are utilized to create positive social impact. Apart from strengthening the efforts
to meet the SDG agenda, this will also prioritize economic development across communities in
alignment with the PM’s vision of Digital India mission.
The aspirational districts will be equipped with Digital Resource Centres that will act as change agents
and engines of development, ensuring they provide need-based information, resources and an array
of government-based services, that will positively impact citizens’ lives and their livelihoods.
Community members will also be further trained to be digital ambassadors, and e-Governance tools
will be made available to communities at large. By leveraging technology and digital knowledge, this
programme will empower the youth to appropriately nurture their talents and also focus on aspiring
women entrepreneurs to improve the quality of life at both community and society level. Another key
focus area of the NASSCOM Foundation programme is to generate awareness of appropriate
government schemes and e-governance services in addition to imparting quality training in digital
skills.
Announcing the launch of NASSCOM Foundation’s Aspirational Districts Programme, Nidhi Bhasin,
CEO, NASSCOM Foundation said, “The Government’s Aspirational Districts Programme spearheaded
by NITI Aayog has triggered equitable growth and development in every corner of the country. As an
extension to the government’s initiative, NASSCOM Foundations’ Aspirational Districts Programme
focusses on the two aspects of inclusive growth and meeting SDG commitments. We are confident that
through our collective efforts to roll out people-centric digital initiatives we will be able transform 55
districts and empower over 3.5 million lives and thus, make technology affordable, equitable and most
importantly accessible to the last mile.”hri Rakesh Ranjan, Mission Director, NITI Aayog commented, “There is no doubt that India is on a
high economic growth trajectory and the key is to take the entire country along in this development
journey. With initiatives like NASSOM Foundation’s Aspirational Districts Programme, I am confident
that significant progress will be made towards equitable development. This is one of the first steps in
ensuring a national inclusive development strategy that fosters technology and ensures that no district
is left behind.”
Even though remarkable socio-economic measures have been undertaken for the country’s progress,
they do not adequately reflect on the quality of life of the people. NASSCOM Foundation through the
Aspirational Districts Programme makes an attempt to address this shortcoming and is a step forward
in making India a digitally empowered nation and an extension to the Government’s vision of inclusive
growth.
About NASSCOM Foundation:
Established in 2001, NASSCOM Foundation has been witness to the transformative power of
technology for the last 20 years. Part of the NASSCOM ecosystem, we are the only neutral not-for-
profit organization representing the Indian Tech Industry. We remain rooted to our core philosophy
of TechForGood, where our efforts are focused on unlocking the power of technology by creating
access and opportunity for those who need it the most. We work on helping people and institutions
transform the way they tackle social and economic challenges through technology. We have three key
areas of intervention, Digital Literacy, Skilling and Employability and Women Entrepreneurship.
No comments:
Post a Comment