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CYPTEC on Wheels

CYPTEC on Wheels in Jail

28 September 2007

CYPTEC on Wheels, one of the flagship programmes of CYP Asia Centre is training young jail inmates and officers at Chandigarh Model Jail

‘Commonwealth Youth Programme Technology Empowerment Centre (CYPTEC) on Wheels’ has crossed over state and country borders. It has reached the skies through satellite and now it has even crossed walls of a jail. CYPTEC on Wheels, one of the flagship programmes of CYP Asia Centre, is a modified mobile van fitted with computer systems and necessary power backups, generators, mobile internet, public addressing systems etc. This Mobile ICT learning centre is engineered to travel to rural villages, with neither ICT infrastructure nor electricity and to conduct quality ICT education and raise public awareness social issues.

The latest feather in its cap is, training young jail inmates and officers at Chandigarh Model Jail. It completed one month of computer fundamentals programmes for 46 students including officers. ‘I could never dream of getting computer literacy, even outside jail but it has been made a reality’ Manjeet, a young offender who has already served 3 years in Chandigarh Model Jail said almost in tears.

‘This is a Model Jail and we want to pioneer many innovative things and CYPTEC on Wheels presented a golden opportunity to prepare these young inmates for a meaningful life out of jail’, said Inspector General of Prisons, Mr. Dinesh Bhatt at the closing function of the one month programme on Sept 26, 2007. This function was also coloured by a musical presentation by the inmates.

Computer literacy for jail inmates was only possible through a tripartite arrangement of CYP along with the Jail Authorities and a local NGO called ‘Noor’ working for rehabilitation and reform of young offenders.

‘CYPTEC on Wheels is a highly innovative project - working in Maharashtra (another state in India) through satellite communication, educating rural youth whom otherwise had no access to education and across the border in Pakistan empowering slum children with ICT knowledge and preparing them for meaningful employment in the future’, Regional Director of CYP Asia Centre, Mr. R.K. Mishra informed the gathering attended by Ms. Raji Srivastava, the Joint Secretary of Finance as the Chief Guest to witness the closing of the first of its kind: ICT training within the walls of a Jail.

The promising project is soon to be launched in Bangladesh and hopefully scaling new heights taking ICT to young people where it was once only imaginable.

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