Report by OD bureau, Bhubaneswar: Odisha Knowledge Corporation constituted under Chairmanship of Chief Secretary Bijay Kumar Patnaik has come up with its action plan for promotion of Information Technology ( IT)  & Information Technology Enabled Services ( ITES) in the state of Odisha. 

Realizing the growing importance of IT services in the field of  socio-economic and cultural matters, Govt earlier had decided to lunch programmes for nurturing knowledge led economy and knowledge based communities in all the rural and urban areas of the state. It was decided that OKCL will act as the agency for promotion of IT & ITES knowledge. 

Accordingly, the Corporation has now come up with its action plan for setting up of Authorized Learning Centers ( ALC) throughout the state. Corporation sources say, in the first phase around 1000 training centers will be opened in different districts of the state on PPP mode. Target has been set to make these centers functional by end of the current year. It has been said that schools, colleges, poly-techniques, ITIs, ITCs , computer training centers, cyber cafes and individual entrepreneurs from different block head quarters, urban and semi-urban areas can apply on line for being registered as ALC. 

The IT literacy course designed by OKCL is meant for all sections of population including students, teachers, Govt employees, employees of local self Govt., businessmen, professionals, farmers, house wives, entrepreneurs and senior citizens. It has been named as Odisha State- Certificate in Information Technology ( OS-CIT) course.  Initially three thousand rupees has been recommended as course fee. The duration of the course will be three months. The course has also been recommended for all Govt and PSU employees. 

The corporation has also proposed programmes like Digital University, World Academy for vocational Excellence and Digital Saheli programme for empowerment of women as its future course of action.  It is expected that these courses will enable the learners to access various types of IT enabled services of Govt. corporate bodies and business houses. The IT knowledge will empower a citizen to assert his identity in first changing world of recent days.  The running of programmes   will also create self-employment opportunities for rural and urban youths.