Subhajit BasuSchool of Law

Queen’s University Belfast

Digital Inclusion: ICT for Rural (Real) India

ICT in Development

‘a process of expanding the real freedoms that people enjoy’

Amartya Sen (1999)Nobel Laureate in Economics

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ICT in Development

Development requires removal of sources of disparity:• Income and non-income (capability) poverty• Tyranny and intolerance• Poor economic opportunities and social

deprivation

ICT in Development

Removal of Disparity depends on:• Social and economic arrangements• Political and civil rights• Technological progress • Social modernisation

India•Population --1,080,264,388 (around 70% lives in rural area)• Area -- 3,287,590 sq km (more than 600,000+ villages)• Political subdivisions-- 28 states,7 union territories• Literacy--55.2 %• Per-capita income-- 0.4 $ per day

India

Can technology make any difference to these people?

Can they afford these technologies?

India: Problem Associated with ICT

Projects

Intermittent, inconsistent electrical power

e-choupal kiosk in Kodia, Madhya Pradesh

Problem Associated with ICT Projects

VSAT for kiosk in Kodia, Madhya Pradesh n-Logue corDECT wireless tower

•Scarce and unreliable telephone system•Unreliable Internet connectivity

Problem Associated with ICT Projects

Locally relevant content

Problem Associated with ICT Projects

Problem Associated with ICT Projects

Socio factor such as gender inequality, religious communal difference

Self centered political leader, party and corruption

ICT Applications for Development: India

Tele-Medicine Tele-Agriculture e-Veterinary e-Education e-Governance Low cost Rural ATM Multiparty Video conferencing E-Mail, SMS, Browsing through Low cost

Messaging Terminals

India: ICT Project Examples

Name of the Project

Purpose Future planes

Akshaya Making a district E-literate, limited employment generation.

Delivery of multiple service at Akshaya centers and expand it to other districts

Bhoomi Issue of Land title at 177 Bhoomi kiosks and through privately owned kiosks

Expand rural kiosk network

Drishtee Creating a network of privately owned kiosks for e access to info, government and service commercial

Expand Network to cover new kiosk

E-choupal The prime target is farmer. Farmers get information about seeds’ price, etc

Scale to more users

N-Logue Multipurpose Internet kiosks based on WILL

Expand for commercial utilization

Gyandoot Connecting rural cyber café catering the everyday needs of the masses.

Extend for global Internet

Example: n-Logue

Services:

Communication

Education

Computer Education

Remote tutorial

Typing

Photography

Agriculture

Veterinary

Health Care

One Example: n-Logue Services:

Communication

Education

Computer Education

Remote tutorial

Typing

Photography

Agriculture

Veterinary

Health Care

Email, Chatting, Video conferencing etc

Example: n-Logue Services:

Communication

Education

Computer Education

Remote tutorial

Typing

Photography

Agriculture

Veterinary

Health Care

Teaching computer, distance education

Rural Education - Pilot ICT in Rural Districts of Pune

ICT in Development

Mobile Computer Labs

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Example: n-Logue

Services: Communication

Education

Computer Education

Remote tutorial

Typing

Photography

Agriculture

Veterinary

Health Care

DTP, MSWord

Devices for enabling easy input in Indian languages.

Source; Indian Institute of Technology Bombay

Example: n-Logue

Services: Communication

Education

Computer Education

Remote tutorial

Typing

Photography

Agriculture

Veterinary

Health Care

Use of the web cam for photography

Example: n-Logue Services:

Communication

Education

Computer Education

Remote tutorial

Typing

Photography

Agriculture

Veterinary

Health Care

Weather forecasting, Disease detection, soil analysis

Farmers can access Agri-extension services.

They can ask questions in their own language and get information more relevant to the local context.

web-basedarchivedsearchablemultilingual

FM Radio : Agriculture Dissemination Systems

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• Latest Agriculture technologies

• Weather

• Crop, pesticides, seeds

• Goverment Schemes

• Market rates

Pilot ICT Project in Pune

Example: n-Logue Services:

Communication

Education

Computer Education

Remote tutorial

Typing

Photography

Agriculture

Veterinary

Health Care

Consulting with doctors in city by sending online images of the animal

Rural ATM

Urban ATMs cost Rs.8 lakhs

Develop a rural AT for Rs. 40k

Will generate cash flow in rural areas at market defined interest rates

Services: Communication

Education

Computer Education

Remote tutorial

Typing

Photography

Agriculture

Veterinary

Health Care

Remote diagnostic tools, Consulting with doctors in city

n-Logue: Tele-Medicine - Remote Eye Care

Tele-Medicine - Remote Cardiac care

Remote Monitoring Diagnostic Medical kit

A kit consisting of BP, Temperature, ECG measurement and Stethoscope for £13

List of Some ICT (Development) Projects in India

eSeva, Integrated Citizen Services, Andhra Pradesh

Lok Mitra and Jan Mitra Projects from Rajasthan

e- BillPost and e- Post Services of the Department of Posts

RASI (Rural Access to Services through the Internet) earlier called SARI and n- Logue Communications

Gyandoot Community Information Centre

(CIC) Project (Dept. of Info Tech., Govt.of India)

Bhoomi

Drishtee dot. com Ltd. ITC eChoupal Kuppam i- community, Andhra

Pradesh Akshaya- Kerala Govt's Hundred

Percent ICT Literacy Project Information Village Research

Project- IVRP by MSSRF Swayam Krishi Sangam (SKS) TARAhaat GRAMDOOT M. S. Swaminathan Foundation

ITC e-Choupal, India ( Example 2)

Web based information and procurement tools for Indian farmers, supported by ITC (large private conglomerate in India)

About 5,700 e-choupals (gathering place) are established which provides a point for information exchange to farmers, as well as an e-commerce hub

Each e-choupal serves approximately 10 villages within 5 kilometers radius, managed by a sanchalak (coordinator) who is hired locally and will become the local entrepreneur

Lokvani: E-Governance in Rural India (Example 3)

What is Lokvani? Lokvani Kiosk

Lokvani is an internet kiosk based system for providing various information, services and public grievance redress in a transparent, accountable and time-bound manner

ICT for Women’s Empowerment

Community Radio- Deccan Development Society Community Radio- Kutch Mahila Vikas

Sangathan (KMVS): Sisu Samrakshak ICT- enabled Child health care

by UNICEF Change Initiatives- Nabanna- Empowering

women 94 SEWA

Women Self-help Group – Micro Enterprise Training

A tractor and cart in Madhya Pradesh

A well-water hand-pump in Madhya Pradesh

Teachers in Karnataka

I Don’t KNOW

Conclusion: Is a PC the best way to spend $1000 in a poor village?

Mid day Meals in School

References

Paul, J. (2004) What works: n-Logue’s rural connectivity model. World Resources Institute. http://www.digitaldividend.org/pdf/nlogue.pdf

n-logue website:

http://www.n-logue.com/services.htm Different Websites