Jaipur: Literacy matters but the knowledge of computers empowers one in today’s Digital India. In what appears to be a path-breaking initiative of Churu District Collector Siddharth Sihag, ‘Computer Sakhi’ is giving wings to the aspirations of rural women and accelerating their empowerment.

According to Sihag, around 6,500 women have already availed the training at government school laboratories, and his targets are quite ambitious. There are 532 schools in Churu district and almost all of them have computer labs and teachers. The District Administration aims to train 25,000 to 30,000 women in the next six months.

“By the end of this year, we will have computer labs in all schools. Soon, they will also have internet connectivity,” said Sihag, as reported in a section of media, adding that they have 70,000 women involved with self-help groups (SHGs). “We aim to make them digital and financially literate so that they can play a positive role in society,” he said.

The District Administration is using government school computer labs to take the ‘Computer Sakhi’ programme to its logical conclusion. “We are utilising the existing infrastructure which is not incurring any additional cost,” informed Sihag, adding that they have written to the state government to provide RS-CIT (Rajasthan State Certificate course in Information Technology) on priority so that the trained women could get jobs at the Gram Panchayat level.

Sihag said a proposal has been sent to the state government to give priority to these rural women associated with SHGs in RSCIT for proper certification. He said an in-principle approval has been granted. The pilot run for the programme was started in April with 1,000 women. Nodal Officer for the programme Sanjay Kumar said the training is given for 15 days during which internet, Google search, paint software, typing and UPI transactions are taught.

Women, who have availed the training, are enthusiastic about the programme as it is helping them learn new skills. “My son studies in an English medium school and I did not know much about computers. This training has helped me learn the basics,” said Daulat Kanwar, 30, a resident of Bidsadar in Churu district, as reported in the media.

“I want to learn more and get a proper certification to land a job at the village level. A certification and guidance will be of great help,” she added, while Kamla Devi, 33, who lives in Ratangarh town of Churu, said not many women are familiar with computers. “This programme is not only helpful in basic computer knowledge, but it will also act as a feeder if linked with RS-CIT certification. This will be helpful in getting jobs,” she said, as reported in the media. /BI/