Panaji, September 16, 2017 …. The All India Council of Technical Education under MHRD, Government of India has granted the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA) Project to the Department of Information Technology, Goa College of Engineering with Prof. (Dr) Vijay Borges as the Chief Investigator.
On this occasion Adv. Narendra Sawaikar, MP South Goa attended stakeholder meeting at GEC, Farmagudi today with focus group discussion of the Head of respective Village Panchayat, Village Development Team members, Head of Schools and PTA members.
Also present was Head of Department IT Prof. Nilesh Fal Dessai, Principal Dr. V.N Shet and others.
Earlier Dr. Vijay Borges welcomed Prof. Sonia Usgoankar, Faculty of Information Technology compared the function.
The objective of the project is developing and using Information and communication Technology (ICT) as an enabling mechanism for up-liftment of identified rural/village clusters with GCE playing the role of an enabler of technology technical skills, to enhance the life of the people in those village clusters. Some primary focus areas are be hand holders with the identified village school to improve the love and appreciation for STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) by developing/adapting necessary e-content.
Using ICT promote ethical education among the audience. Especially promoting adult e-literacy and helping adopt digital platform for ease of transactions of government/finance/lifestyle etc.
Promote Swaach Bharat Abhiyan in a more meaningful way in the village clusters by adopting a ward in the village and being facilitators to implement Village Garbage Management initiative.
Promote social awareness of various social evil like substance abuse etc. promoting government schemes to grass root: promote green initiatives in village. All these would be promoted using medium of ICT, role plays and village contact initiative by associating with various village based quasi-governmental bodies.
Be a bridge to improve the economic life of the villagers by helping self-help groups, women entrepreneurs. Local farmers using ICT tools and associate with other NGO’s/governmental nodal agencies etc.
Under this project in the past various visits have been initiated to various schools to promote STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) in an intuitive manner of learning via the mode of DIY (Do-it-Yourself).
Under UBA, 10 villages in Goa have been identified where over the next few years the project would be taken in close collaboration by addressing the problems faced in those villages using ICT tools.
The villages identified are Kavare-Pirla Usgao, Curti, Khola, Balli, Assolda, Mashem, Priol, Kavalem, Macasana and Raia.