ISS seeks to empower through IT an entire generationof quarter million schoolgirls in all 1605 GovernmentHigh Schools in the State of Chhattisgarh to leadthe initiative for realising State's IT Visionof creation of a Seamless Society with Global Opportunities.

4 years of IT instruction on nationally approved CBSE norms is imparted. It is a unique model ofPublic-Private partnership, where a private entrepreneurhas been provided space in schools and permittedcommercial IT use outside school timings. As aresult return, Government pays a cost-competitivefee of only US $1.1 (Rs. 54, exchange rate beingRs. 48.9 = US$ 1) per girl per month. In Year One,Government paid for the education of all girls from notified disadvantaged sections of society. Beginning with the second academic session in July 2002, Government will pay for the IT education of girls from all sections of society. Boys pay their own fee.

The existing spread of IT education in the target schools in the state was only 5%. 46,263 girlsin 662 schools (41%) enrolled in Year One 130,000students is the target for the beginning of YearTwo (July 2002). This has a corresponding Governmentbudget of US$ 1.4 million. The ultimate targetis to cover all girls (250,000) in all schools(1605). Thus, ISS is the largest IT education initiativein India at the High School level.

In the Chhattisgarh Online information for Citizen Empowerment (CHOi CE) Project, ISS girls would share networked handheldand desktop community computers in villages andwould route information and information-enabledservices of local relevance. In the process, theywould emerge as technology resource persons andcommunity leaders. The pilot phase of CHOi CE is under implementation in 246 Villages Council(Panchayat) headquarter villages and, ultimately,all 9,129 Village Councils in the State will becovered. Government has earmarked US$ 4.6 millionfor CHO i CE. ISS volunteers will also assist in the creationof a Citizen Database and Village Resources Databasefor CHO i CE as part of the People's Reports initiative inassociation with the UNDP and the Planning Commissionof India.