IT Literacy

July 13, 2007 (LBO) – India has pledged 13 million rupees to set up 20 computer education outlets called 'Nenasalas' in villages in Sri Lanka. Nenasalas, a localized model of telecentres being set up by the Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA), act as resource centres to spread knowledge and information through the internet.

The concept of Nenasala plans to reduce poverty, build peace, economic and social development and improve the IT literacy rate of the country, an ICTA statement said.

The centres are established in a central place of a village such as a religious institution, public library or a community organization and a voucher programme has been introduced to offer free access to services, ICTA says.

Around 350 such centres have already been launched and ICTA plans to set up 1,000 centres by end of 2008.