Background

Ever since their advent, humans have been trying to put computers wherever they possibly can; and we have indeed come a long way doing that. What started off as big bulky machines in office buildings, have now shrunk down to tiny wafers tracking the surface of a distant planet aboard the Mars rover, and with this drastic reduction in size we have truly been able to put computers everywhere. Be it in the oddly shaped ATMs that give us cash, the counter of the nearest pharmacy, our pocket-sized smartphones, or even tiny wrist-watches, computers surround us from every direction. In a world so engulfed with computers, it has thus become imperative to obtain some level of digital literacy to speak the tongue of this newfound modernity.

Off late every aspect of the day-to-day is slowly being uploaded on a digital platform. This not only includes buying groceries online or a new pair of shoes, but also truly important tasks such as opening and managing bank accounts, making a doctor’s appointment, filling up forms for government schemes, and depositing electricity bills. Such digitisation has surely added to our convenience by saving us precious time and some mighty effort, but for those who are rather new to technology it is practically impossible to navigate the world without basic digital skills. What’s more is that academia, and both government and private sector jobs these days require at least a basic level understanding of, and skill at handling and working with computers. So much so that knowledge of important work and study related software such as MS Word and Excel, once a prized possession, is not even considered a skill anymore, and rather seen and expected to be common knowledge.

Therefore in order to ensure equal opportunities and a life of ease for all, it has become vitally important that resources and other utilities required to familiarize oneself with computers be accessible to everyone.