Pune: PMC’s First Digital Lighthouse Comes Up In Sane Guruji Nagar To Impart Free Digital Courses To Youths From Low Income Groups
Pune, 18th June 2022: With an aim to make everyone digitally literate from the disadvantaged sections of the society in Pune city, the first ‘Digital Lighthouse’ was launched on Saturday at Pune Municipal Corporation’s Raigadche Sarjerao Salve Vidyalaya in Sane Guruji Nagar near Ambil Odha Colony, Sadashiv Peth. All training is provided free of cost to youths above 18 years of age.
The Lighthouse is a sustainable livelihood program for the urban disadvantaged youth. By fostering agency, workplace competencies and skills in youth, the Lighthouse enables social and economic transformation in the youth and the communities that the youth come from.
The digital Lighthouse is the outcome of collaboration with e-Zest, Rotary Club of Pune Shivaji Nagar (RCPS), Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pune City Connect.
The inauguration took place in the presence of Devendra Deshmukh (CEO,e-Zest), Dr Shobha Rao (President, RCPS), Dr Deepak Shikarpur (PDG, RCPS), Dr Ganesh Natrajan (Chairman-Pune City Connect), Sharad Dole (chairman of CSR grant, RCPS) and former corporator Manisha Ghate.
“Through the Sane Guruji Digital Lighthouse, 500 youth from the communities in the surrounding areas will be trained over a year”, informed Deshmukh, CEO, e-Zest.
The PMC has provided the space and fixed assets for this project. The financial support for running the centre will be provided by e-Zest and the corporate social responsibility (CSR) department of Rotary Club of Pune Shivaji Nagar (RCPS), Pune and the responsibility for operating the centre will be borne by the Lighthouse Communities Foundation.
“The Digital Lighthouse project aims to provide a livelihood to the youth at the grassroots level through the training and empowerment of digital media as well as the realization of their career dreams through Digital Earner and advancement of their business through online modes. This space, at Sane Guruji Center, is specially designed to make available technology-based courses and the digital infrastructure required to enable a good learning experience. The courses could be facilitated by a facilitator in the physical space or some could also be
Phygital- broadcast from a trainer teaching in another Lighthouse while students join from here and participate, or self-paced learning courses that students can learn on their own
using the infrastructure available at the centre”, said Dr Ganesh Natrajan, Chairman of Pune City Connect.
The first Lighthouse was launched on 25th June 2016, at the hands of the Prime Minister, under the aegis of the PMC and Smart City Mission. Since then, 15 Lighthouses have been operational in Maharashtra.
“The plan is to open a Lighthouse in every ward under the PMC”, informed Natrajan.
Courses at Sane Guruji Nagar Digital Lighthouse
Digital Marketing
Graphics Designing
Internet Applications
Software Development
Software Testing
Office Administration
Enhance Business Through Social Media
English language
Course Duration: 2-4 Months
Fees: Free
How to get admission: Walk-in to
Raigadche Sarjerao Salve Vidyalaya,Saneguruji Nagar,
near Ambil Odha Colony, Sadashiv Peth
Beneficiary speaks
Rekha Balakrishna Badabe (47), a resident of Sane Guruji Nagar, said, “I have studied till 9th standard. After getting information, I enrolled here and learnt about WhatsApp, UPI payment, updating various documents like PAN, Aadhaar online. Now I want to start my business of updating documents online. I also want to study further.”
Dr Shilpa Ghatge Patil, a specially-abled (Divyang) doctor from Shaniwar Peth said, “I am a BAMS, MD (Ayurveda) practitioner, with about 12 years experience in counselling in Opthalmology. I am not very familiar with computers. I have enrolled here to learn about online job searches.”
