Shillong, Jul 4 (IANS): Meghalaya on Friday became the first among the eight north-eastern states to have a smart classroom.

Launching the first smart classroom at Pine Mount School here as part of the observation of Digital India Week, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said the smart classroom would generate more hope amongst the students.

"Through this initiative, we wanted to tell the world that Meghalaya is not a state that follows others but that it is capable of leading the way," he said.

The smart classroom project was undertaken by the state government in partnership with Microsoft India to effectively implement technology in education and create an environment where students and teachers communicate, collaborate, create, access and consume content using Microsoft technology.

The chief minister also commended Microsoft as a smart and competent partner and put across a proposal to them to have a "digital exposure programme" for a few handpicked students of at least two schools in the state with students and teachers in the US.

During the course a month-long project at Pine Mount School, Microsoft India conducted several training and mentoring classes for 105 students and eight teachers of class VIII.

Using Windows-based tablets, these classes were aimed at fostering digital learning and teaching for study projects in varied subjects such as geography, history, biology, physics and chemistry.