Bill Gates commits $21 mn on various IT projects

Microsoft chief Bill Gates will provide $1 mn assistance for the Media Lab Asia project, and $20 mn for the "Shiksha" e-learning initiative by government of India.

Microsoft chairman Bill Gates agreed to provide an assistance of one million dollars for the Media Lab Asia project by Government of India, besides extending 20 million dollars for an e-learning initiative called "Shiksha".

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Gates made the commitments during an hour-long meeting with Communications and IT Minister Pramod Mahajan here today.

According to an official spokesperson, Gates has agreed to give one million dollar for Media Lab Asia and 20 million dollar towards an e-learning project -- Shiksha -- for "training the trainers."

The commitment of 20 million dollars is speard over a period of three to five years, sources said.

Mahajan had earlier explained the purpose and idea behind the Media Lab Asia project to Gates and expressed hope that with Microsoft extending assistance to it, more international fund would find way to the socio-economic project.

Under the Shiksha project, the Microsoft assistance of 20 million dollars would involve training of 80,000 teachers along with 3.5 million students over a 3-5 year period.

The project would be coordinated by the department of IT.

Gates and Mahajan also discussed telecom growth in the country in the last two years, government's efforts in tackling the digital divide and the community information centre (CIC) projects in the North East, and e-governance, sources added.