Governor Satya Pal Malik e-inaugurated Computer Aided Learning (CAL) Centres and Information Communication Technology (ICT) Labs from the Civil Secretariat-Jammu, today. The e-inauguration ceremony was telecast live in all the Labs and Centres through J&K Knowledge Network set up by the School Education Department. These Labs and Centres have been established to promote usage of ICT in Government Upper Primary, High and Higher Secondary Schools.On the occasion, 239 CAL Centres and 383 ICT labs, completed in the financial year 2017-18 were inaugurated throughout the State. With this a total of 691 CAL Centres and 1,010 ICT labs till date have been dedicated to the Government Schools under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan. CAL Centres have been established in Middle or Upper Primary Schools which are up to 8th standard and ICT labs have been established in Higher Secondary Schools.During e-inauguration of CAL and ICT labs, Governor had an interactive session with students of 101 ICT/CAL Centres through video conferencing.
Governor complimented the students on getting ICT labs and CAL Centres and urged the students and teachers to make maximum use of new ICT based technologies for improving the quality of education being imparted and obtaining the latest information online. He observed that “Smart Classrooms” would facilitate access to the latest teaching material and improve the level of understanding and clarity of the concepts being taught. Governor noted that technology is advancing at a very fast pace and it has pervaded all aspects of life. He observed that only those countries and individuals who keep abreast with rapidly changing technology will progress and be successful.Highlighting the importance of use of ICT in getting access to quality lectures and educational tools, Governor noted that he would be doing everything possible to facilitate the youngsters in keeping abreast with the latest technological inventions.
Sh. Khurshid Ahmad Ganai, Advisor to Governor, spoke about the need to strengthen e-education in the government schools to impart skills to students for digital world. He informed that another 158 CAL Centres and 455 ICT labs are targeted to be completed by the end of Financial year 2018-2019.Sh. Ajeet Kumar Sahu, Secretary School Education briefed about the ICT Labs and CAL Centres and their significance in providing access to advance teaching-learning aids and quality educational content.Sh. K. Vijay Kumar, Sh. K.K. Sharma- Advisors to Governor; Sh. BVR Subrahmanyam, Chief Secretary; Sh.K. B. Agarwal, Financial Commissioner, HUDD; Sh. Umang Narula, Principal Secretary to Governor; Sh. R.K. Goyal, Principal Secretary Home; Sh. Navin Choudhary, Principal Secretary Finance; Dr. Asgar Hassan Samoon, Principal Secretary, Animal And Sheep Husbandry Department; Sh. Rohit Kansal, Principal Secretary, Planning, Development and Monitoring Department and various senior officers were present on the occasion.