Date:31/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/31/stories/2008083157380200.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

A shot at bridging that digital divide

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: Here is a venture that tries to bridge the technological divide and spread awareness about information technology in the villages of Karnataka.

The Department of Information Technology, Biotechnology and Science and Technology, in partnership with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), is organising a Statewide Rural IT Quiz for students from classes 8 to 12 (including PU students).

The quiz aims at attracting about 20 lakh participants. The finals will be held as part of Asia’s premier ICT event, BangaloreIT.biz 2008, which is hosted by the department and co-hosted by STPI, Bangalore, scheduled from November 6 to 8 here.

In 2007, over 12 lakh students took part in the quiz. There is no fee for participation.

Students of schools/PU colleges in the city corporation limits of Bangalore, Mysore, Mangalore, Bellary, Davangere, Hubli-Dharwad, Belgaum and Gulbarga cities are not eligible to participate in the quiz.

The quiz will involve a preliminary round on September 10 followed by a district-level quiz on October 4.

The top 50 teams will be selected for the regional-level quiz in Gulbarga on October 10, Dharwad on October 13, Davangere on October 14, Tumkur on October 16, Udupi on October 18 and Mysore on October 21.

During the district-level quiz, “Science Popularisation” programmes will be organised to inculcate scientific temper and aptitude to study basic sciences among students. An exhibition and lectures on basic sciences will be held.

The research for the programme has been done by quizmaster ‘Pickbrain’ Giri Balasubramaniam, who will also conduct the quizzes.