The Vice President of India, M. Hamid Ansari has said that Kerala has been a pioneer state in terms of ushering in programmes aimed at improving the human condition and empowering the citizens and the quest for 100% e-literacy is reflective of that drive and spirit. He was addressing the gathering after inaugurating in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala today the 2nd phase of the total e-Literacy and commencement of the Digital Libraries programmes in the State. The Governor of Kerala, Justice (Retd.) P. Sathasivam, Chief Minister Shri Pinarayi Vijayan and the Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha, Prof. P.J. Kurien were present on the occasion. The Vice President said that poor and marginalized communities face tremendous challenges in overcoming the "digital divide" and in using Information Communication Technology or ICTs as a tool for economic and social development and for improving their living conditions. This, in turn, makes e-literacy a crucial skill to possess, he added.
The Vice President said that the penetration of internet, both conventional and mobile, in India has been growing at an increasing rate and the global system for mobile (GSM) communication occasioned the preponderant use of cellular phones in India which has allowed us to leap-frog the infrastructural constraints of traditional access to internet and ICT and ICT enabled services. He further said that mandatory use of e-skills has been imposed on our citizens in the form of e-government, e-learning, e-health etc. Thus, the lack of e-literacy skills seems more debilitating than basic literacy skills because of the ubiquitous applications of ICT in civic, work and personal situations and with improved e-literacy skills, more individuals can access ICT based skill-development and vocational training programmes, he added.
The Vice President said that e-literacy skills are also very useful in effective participation in e-government, e-commerce, e-health and use of personal electronic gadgets. E-literacy skills and access to Internet provide the citizen with an almost unlimited amount of knowledge and information which is the key to empowering the citizen and for the making of a successful democracy, he added. The Vice President commended the government of Kerala for setting up this institution in the memory of Shri P N Panicker and appreciated that the PN Panicker Vigyan Vikas Kendra has taken the lead towards realizing the aim of making Kerala the first e-literate state of the country, within a timeframe of 33 months. The Vice President formally launched the second phase of the total e-literacy programme in Kerala.