Bangalore: Computer Knowledge 'Must' for All Govt Servants

From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Feb 17: Computer working knowledge has been made compulsory for all the Government servants in Karnataka.

While Government employees above 50 years have been exempted from the mandatory learning of working knowledge of computers in their service, all the other employees have been given a 3-year time limit to acquire the skill.

However, the Government employees have been offered an annual incentive of Rs 5000 for learning the skill.

In order to motivate its employees to acquire computer knowledge, the Government has decided to link the technology learning to their promotion and also annual increments.

Those who would be recruited directly to Government service from now on, shall have to pass an examination to prove that they have acquired knowledge in working on computers within three months of joining the service.

These decisions were taken at the State Cabinet meeting held on Friday.

Briefing reporters on the decisions taken at the State Cabinet, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister S Suresh Kumar said those failing to qualify the exam to certify their computer skill learning within three years will be denied promotion.

If they fail to get the qualification at the end of the fourth year, they will loose their annual increment, he said.

''We expect the decision will help in improving the governance and also enable the State Government to live up to its reputation for Bangalore and Karnataka’s expertise in the knowledge industry,” he explained.

Certain category of employees such as Primary School teachers, police constables, nurses, drivers, forest watchers, excise guards, women and men working as health assistants and group ''D” employees have been exempted from this mandatory computer learning, he said.

The computer learning has to be in Kannada, the administrative language of the state and also in English, Kumar said.