NIIT launches Viswanathan Anand it Olympiad

Updated on: Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Mumbai: NIIT, the leading Global Talent Development Corporation and Asia's largest IT trainer, today announced the launch of Viswanathan Anand IT Olympiad – an IT Olympiad that will provide a student with a rating for his/her IT aptitude.


More than 1000 schools from 300 locations across India will participate in the first ever IT Olympiad. The campaign launched today will have over 75,000 students' taking the aptitude test in two groups - Group One comprising students of classes 11 - 12, while students of standard classes eight, nine and ten will appear in Group Two. The test will be conducted over a week – from November 16 to 21. The result will be announced on November 24, post which NIIT will also provide students' with detailed score card.


Speaking on this significant launch, G.Raghavan, President, Global Individual Learning Solutions, NIIT Ltd, said, “IT is emerging as an all pervasive discipline, and would play a key role in career advancement for students in today's knowledge economy. NIIT has for long felt the need for an exam for school students to test their IT aptitude. Hence, we are launching the IT Olympiad for next generation students.”


Viswanathan Anand IT Olympiad will enable NIIT to identify, support and develop school students to build the next generation IT professionals for India. The initiative aims at first identifying talent through the Viswanathan Anand IT Olympiad, then supporting it through scholarships up to Rs 1,00,000 for the winners, and finally developing through mentoring by the leader in IT training.


“New and emerging technologies challenge the traditional process of teaching and learning, and the way education is managed. IT is creating a major impact in school curriculums, making it crucial for the students to refresh their IT skills on a regular basis. The IT Olympiad is an excellent initiative by NIIT which gives a platform to school students; not only to identify their aptitude for IT but also know where they stand amongst others”, remarked World Chess Champion and NIIT MindChampion Viswanathan Anand.


Viswanathan Anand IT Olympiad will rank students nationally, internally in their school and also individually. National winners in each group will be awarded with scholarship of up to Rs 1,00,000/- on technology programmes at NIIT and up to Rs 25,000/- on short duration programmes. Students of class 12 may avail the 'IT Pro' fixed deposit certificate which could be used in future for any IT career programme at NIIT.


Participating schools will get a certificate of participation signed by Viswanathan Anand, with the score graph, highlighting School Student mean score, City School student mean Score and National School student mean score. Viswanathan Anand will visit the winning school for the award ceremony where the school will be awarded the 'IT Wiz School' Award.

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