The Government of Karnataka and Meta have embarked on a project to empower 1 lakh teachers and 10 lakh students with digital safety knowledge and augmented reality/virtual reality (AR-VR) skills by 2025.
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The Digital Nagarik and AR-VR Skills Programme was launched by the Minister for IT/BT, Priyank Kharge, in Bengaluru on Thursday in collaboration with the Departments of School Education, Higher Education, and Technical Education.
The Government of Karnataka signed a Letter of Intent in November 2023 and entered into a two-year partnership with Meta to promote digital education and student online user safety.
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“Karnataka is the first State in India to collaborate with Meta on this initiative. Under this online safety initiative, 10 lakh students between the ages of 18 and 24 from different schools and PU colleges across the State will receive digital awareness training. Meta will also train and deploy master trainers across these schools and PU colleges and universities who in turn will train the students in digital safety knowledge and AR-VR skills,” said a release.
It is the first time that this initiative will also cover 100 colleges and universities from across the State, where students themselves will be the master trainers and promote peer learning through it. The training will revolve around digital safety and awareness.
In the first phase of implementation, Bengaluru, Mysuru, Kalaburagi, Belgavi, and Dakshin Kannada will be covered, and the remaining districts will be covered in the next phase.
Speaking at the launch, Minister Priyank Kharge said, “Today, we embark on this crucial journey towards a Cyber-Safe Karnataka. The Digital Nagrik Campaign is aimed at fortifying the minds of our young with the knowledge and tools necessary to navigate the complexities of the cyber world.”