Haryana’s computer literacy plan runs into rough weather

CHANDIGARH, OCT 8: Touted as a dream project, Haryana's plan to introduce computer education in its schools and colleges has hit a roadblo...

CHANDIGARH, OCT 8: Touted as a dream project, Haryana’s plan to introduce computer education in its schools and colleges has hit a roadblock. Three private IT firms shortlisted for the project have proposed high fees, which were completely unacceptable to the state authorities. As a result, the project which was scheduled to take off on November 1, will apparently get delayed.

The three leading computer training firms — NIIT, Aptech and Tata Infotech — have quoted fees in the range of Rs 110 and Rs 150 per month in their offer to the Haryana State Electronics Development Corporation (Hartron), but these are being considered “substantially high” by the Education Department. “The fee structure proposed by the bidders is not workable because there may not be many takers for computer education at these charges in most government institutes, where education is virtually free of cost,” a senior Education Department official remarked.

What’s more, computer education has not been made mandatory by the Education Department — it has only been introduced as an optional subject. Not that the firms are not aware of these constraints, they attribute the fee structure to the requirements and specifications laid down by the state authorities. “The government asked for Pentium III computers at a student computer ratio of 2:1 for practicals and bilingual packages,” said an IT official.

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While the government has decided not to accept the proposed fee structure, it is likely to opt for negotiations. “We will definitely negotiate with them, but that may take some time as the bidders would have to rework their business plans,” Education Department officials said. The government plans to introduce computer education from Class VI in 2,242 high/higher secondary schools, 55 colleges and 192 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and Vocational Education Institutes (VEIs) in six zones covering the entire state.

While NIIT has opted for only four zones, Tata Infotech is keen on all the six zones and Aptech has shown interest in only two zones. The three companies responded to the advertisements floated by Hartron inviting offers from IT education firms for exclusive rights to impart computer education in the state. While the response was termed “adequate” by the Education Department, there was a feeling that the stringent conditions mentioned by the government were largely responsible for the silence by upcoming firms.

“Not only did the state authorities made an ISO 9000 certificate for education processes/support services mandatory, only those companies with a minimum turnover of Rs 20 crore in the last two years from IT education and training services were invited,” a senior executive of a Delhi-based firm said. The Education Department officials, however, defend their decision, saying that the government only wanted firms with proven technical capabilities and financial muscle to handle a project of such magnitude.