Year 2006, 2007-08

Yaer 2006

GNU/Linux Workshops

The workshop was spread over several days totalling 20 hours of intensive work. This current series of workshops is our effort to help build regional ICT capacity using Free and Open Source software (FOSS). The aim of the initiative is to create capacity in terms of trained workforce to support Linux so that low cost ICT facilities (e.g., thin client and load balanced clusters) can be created and supported in the schools, colleges and institutes. This is a pioneering effort, the first and only one of its kind in the region, that uses the great power of free and open source software and open access movement which, we believe, could make a real difference by creating opportunities for many, bridging the digital divide and removing barrier to information and knowledge.

Workshop Content: Introduction to GNU/Linux including working with applications (graphics, multimedia, office applications), installation and configuration, command line interface, program installation and update (using yum, rpm), basic system administration, configuring services, aspects of networking, development tools (compiling packages from sources, kernal configuration and compilation), backup, understanding and locating logs, and trouble shooting.

1st GNU/Linux Workshop 3-15 October 2006

List of participants

  1. Rituraj Nath, Student, Assam Engineering College
  2. Sanjukta Barooah, Student, Assam Engineering College
  3. Sanjay Kumar Dutta, College Teacher, Pragjyotish College
  4. Anjan Baruah, NGO Service, Eco Systems India
  5. Anubhav Mahanta, Student, Gauhati Commerce College
  6. Sharbani Dutta, Student, Pragjyotish College
  7. Runa Rafique, Professional, Don Bosco Institute, Kharghuli
  8. Bidyut Bikash Goswami, JRF, Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh

2nd GNU/Linux Workshop 27-29 October2006

List of participants

  1. Anupama Devi, Lecturer, Arya Bidyapeeth College
  2. Bishwajyoti Dev Mahanta, Lecturer, Pragjyotish College
  3. Ratul Misra, Lecturer, Pandu College
  4. Dipjyoti Barman, Lecturer, Pandu College
  5. Jyotirmoy Sengupta, Lecturer, Pragjyotish College
  6. Dr Anjan Kumar Bora, Lecturer, Pragjyotish College
  7. Manab Deka, Lecturer, Pragjyotish College
  8. Biswajit Mahapatra, Business, BSPP System, Rajgarh Road
  9. Manas Pratim Baruah, Student, Cotton College

Year 2007-08

Information Literacy and ICT 

Programme for School Teachers (12-19 November 2007)

Given the imperative of using our scarce resource in the most efficient way to meet our objective of capacity-building in today’s knowledge society, we decided in favour of a school teacher training programme in computer literacy which would in turn benefit the under privileged students of the state run primary and secondary schools.Sanjay Dutta, one of our volunteers, has developed the programme to initiate the primary teachers into the world of digital literacy. He has conducted the first residential 1 week intensive training workshop starting 12th November 2007 with the participation Shri Imnawati and Smt. Imnasangta from Govt. Middle School and Christian School, respectively situated in a small Nagaland village of Yimjenkimong. Each trainee was given to work on a latest Linux laptop during the week long programme. The workshop was a great success and the two teachers were highly satisfied with what they achieved during the week. The Nagaland school was also donated 2 desktop PC that run on the latest version of a Linux distro with bundles of software suitable for primary school education plus open-source office package.

The second intensive week long workshop was carried out with participation of one teacher from Dimoria School from 18th February, 2008. Dimoria School was donated 2 desk top Linux PC.

We already have access to 5 laptops and a projector to conduct workshops and hope to increase the capacity of the programme in terms of quality and increased frequency. We very much believe this programme will contribute significantly to our objectives.

Workshop on ‘Information Access’, 30th November 2007

Information literacy is just not digital literacy. Our programme on ‘Information Literacy’, again aimed at capacity-building in today’s knowledge society, is targeted at the teachers and students of higher education institutions.

The first of this series of workshops was held on 30th November 2007 with participation of 58 teachers and students of higher education institutions from in and around Guwahati city at Academic Staff College of Guwahati University. The workshop was organised in association with the Council for Teacher Education, Assam Chapter.

The focus of the workshop was on how to access academic and scholarly information from the world-wide-web. Introduction to ‘Open Access’ movement which now boasts of 100s of free academic journals offering instant and free access to peer reviewed scholarly articles in various academic disciplines was received with great appreciation by the participants.

The workshop also covered the diversity of search engines and how to use different engines effectively for accessing specific scholarly information which again was an eye opener to the participants in regards to the need for effective search strategy to derive maximum but relevant information form the web.

Finally, the need and methods of critical appraisal of the web content was discussed given the web is unregulated and full of information which are not necessarily of high quality and may even be one sided representation of an issue or even frank propaganda.

List of Participants

  1. Mousumi Choudhury, Lecturer, Banikanta College
  2. Mousumi Bordoloi, Lecturer, Banikanta College
  3. Gayotri Changkakoti, Lecturer, Banikanta College
  4. Kabita Barman, Lecturer, Banikanta College
  5. Lakshmi Lahkar, Lecturer, Rangia College
  6. Geeta Rani Kakati, Lecturer, Rangia College
  7. R N Bhattacharyya
  8. Amarjyoti Bharali, Lecturer, Bahana College
  9. Jayati Das, Lecturer, Lecturer, SB Daorah College
  10. Purabi Chakraborti, Lecturer, SB Daorah College
  11. Subhalakshmi Nath, Senior Lecturer, SB Daorah College
  12. Rumamani Deka, Lecturer, SB Daorah College
  13. Bandana Baishya, Lecturer, SB Daorah College
  14. Manavi Barciala, Lecturer, MC College
  15. Abdus S Ahmed
  16. Manamee Bordoloi
  17. Mandira Bardoloi, College of Education
  18. Mridusmita Devi, Pargjyotish College
  19. Binod Chetia, DR ABS College of Education
  20. Nihar Ranjan Kalita, SBMS College
  21. Dr Madhusmita Devi, B Barooah College
  22. Dr (Mrs) Jyoti Rani Borah, B Barooah College
  23. Nipan Kumar Das, Lecturer, Jorhat Engineering College
  24. Mrs Rupa Baruah
  25. Mrs Rajlakshmi Saikia Lahkar
  26. Mrs L Baruah
  27. Rupmala barman, AV College
  28. Jahnabi Gautam, AV College
  29. Aparajita Sharma
  30. Ajay Das
  31. Geeta Rani Das, Subject Teacher, Kamrup Academy
  32. Gautam Das, Subject, Jagiraod HS School
  33. Samarjyoti Thakuria
  34. Banti Barah, Lecturer, Saraighat College
  35. Anamika Deka, Lecturer, Saraighat College
  36. Deepamani Dutta, Lecturer, Banikanta College of Teacher Education
  37. Kanika Medhi, Lecturer, Saraighat College
  38. Dr Sabita Baishya Barah, Lecturer, Saraighat College
  39. Raghu Jyoti Brahma, Student, Cotton College
  40. Dr Rumi Saikia Barah, Asst. Professor, College of Vet Sciences, Khanapara
  41. Mrs Manjumala Das, Subject Teacher, Assam Railway HS School
  42. Tahmina Begum, College of Education, Panbazar
  43. Mridula Das, College of Education, Panbazar
  44. Sushmita Choudhury, College of Education, Panbazar
  45. Niraj Barua, Gauhati University
  46. Dr Nirupama Sarma
  47. Sujit Bordhan, Pandu College
  48. Ajay Das
  49. Rabbani Begum
  50. Ruma Kalita
  51. Bidyut Dihingia
  52. Md. R amin, Lecturer
  53. Nabadeep Das, Lecturer
  54. Dr Joseph Parakka
  55. Ajanta Saikia
  56. Nirmali Malakar
  57. Jatindra Baruah, Lecturer
  58. Dr Phunu Das

Linux LPI Certification Support Programme

We are running an ongoing support programme for young and budding ICT professional to encourage them to take Linux certification examination run by Linux Professional Institute (LPI), a vendor independent quality certification programme. We pledge to reimburse the full exam fee of the 2nd part of the LPI certification exam of any successful trainee from the Northeast India with preference to those who are from a socially disadvantaged background. In addition, we offer training material and books which can be borrowed by the trainee. We are aiming to make available a few laptops for trainee to borrow for a reasonable period for exam preparation if they have not got their own computer to practice intensively.

Distribution of FOSS

We continually access the new versions of Linux OS of popular distros and various other FOSS applications mainly for home and office computing and educational purpose. Anybody, who need latest version of any FOSS application can approach us and we will be happy to provide the required application at no cost to the individual.

Supporting Voluntary Sector

NGO.Net.In

This yet another of our ongoing programmes which assists the voluntary sector to build ICT capacity, efficiency and promote ‘good governance’ within the voluntary sector working in Northeast India. Please see the details of the programme here at www.ngo.net.in. So far we have built quite a few websites for NGOs. In addition, we provide advice and support of the queries that we receive through the website each day. We have planned to organise workshops in 2008 for the voluntary sector to help understand the need for ICT capacity building and promote good governance including more support activities.

North East Clinical Excellence Foundation (NECEF), 2007-08

This is one of our other planned initiatives primarily to build capacity of the medical professionals of the region. The NECEF was formed on 22nd November 2007 and the details are available at www.necef.in. This new initiative is at a nascent state at the moment but we hope that the NECEF will be self-sufficient and start delivering with our active facilitation.

Publication

Open-Source Northeast, 2007-08

The first issue of ‘Open-Source Northeast’, our quarterly free magazine focusing on ‘Information Literacy’ and ‘Free and Open Source Software’ (FOSS), was published on 15th December 2007, India’s 60th Independence Day. The purpose of the publication is again to propagate the importance of Information Literacy and Information communication Technology (ICT). The focus on FOSS is to help readers to open up to the myriads of quality software that can help to build ICT) capacity thus facilitating information access at an affordable cost both at individual and institutional level.