Kerala to be declared first state to achieve total digital literacy: Report
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala is poised to make history as the first state in India to achieve total digital literacy, thanks to a sweeping grassroots campaign that has empowered over 21 lakh people with essential digital skills. From senior citizens making video calls for the first time to workers accessing online government services, the initiative has transformed lives across the state.
According to a report by The Hindu, the landmark achievement stems from the ‘Digi Kerala’ programme spearheaded by the Local Self-Government (LSG) department. LSG Minister M.B. Rajesh confirmed that the state government is now awaiting confirmation from the President of India to formally declare Kerala as fully digitally literate.
“We have achieved much beyond the guidelines stipulated by the National Digital Literacy Mission for digital literacy, which require training to be imparted only for those up to 60 years of age. This programme has included people of all ages,” The Hindu report quoted Rajesh as saying.
The Digi Kerala movement began as a pilot project in 2022 in the Pullampara grama panchayat in the capital city to impart digital literacy to all residents. What started as a local experiment soon grew into a state-wide campaign, with participants—many of whom had never used a smartphone—learning to make voice and video calls, use messaging apps like WhatsApp, access government services, carry out internet banking, and use popular social media platforms.
State-wide surveys identified 21.88 lakh individuals as digitally illiterate. To reach them, the programme mobilised an extensive network of 2.57 lakh volunteers. This included members of the National Service Scheme (NSS), Kudumbashree, the Kerala State Literacy Mission Preraks, Library Council, and various youth organisations, the report added.
To ensure the quality of learning, trainees underwent evaluations upon completion of the programme. An impressive 98 percent passed the assessment. Notably, in areas where more than 10 percent variation was observed, re-training sessions were held. Offline training was also provided in regions with poor internet connectivity.
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
