Karnataka to launch B-SAT program

After handling a dry run at the BPO pavilion at the recently concluded
Bangalore IT.COM, Karnataka is all set to launch a state wide B-SAT (BPO Skills
Assessment Test) late this month, starting with Mysore.

Speaking exclusively to CyberMedia News, Jawaid Akhtar, Director, Government
of Karnataka department of IT and BT said, "We are happy with the pilot
project at IT.Com and will be conducting our first functional B-SAT camp in
Mysore this month."

The B-SAT program is expe-cted to cover other cities in Karnataka like Hubli,
Manga-lore Dharwar, Belgaum, Hassan and Gulbarga. An initiative of the Board for
IT Education Standards (BITES), ministry of IT, B-SAT checks candidate's
skills in oral and written comm-unication, listening compre-hension, numerical
aptitude, analytical and reasoning abilities.

At IT.COM 2004, two asse-ssment companies-MeriTrac Services and Eduquity
Career Technologies, handled the BPO career mart. Madan Padaki, Director,
MeriTrac said, "We tested around 500 students at IT.COM who paid a nominal
fee to take the test of 90 minutes duration.

We will get back to them and depending on their scores, tell them in which
areas they would have to improve."

Neighboring states like Kerala and Andhra Pradesh have also embarked on a
similar initia-tive. According to Akhtar, once the trainable pools of candi-dates
are identified following the assessments, member companies associated with the
program would provide inputs on training.

Padaki is confident that MeriTrac would be selected as an assessment partner
for the B-SAT program for the state.

Priya Padmanabhan

Bangalore