Report chapter on Recommendation and policies

7/31/2019 Report chapter on Recommendation and policies

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Regional Study of Telecom Technology Options for Indian Rural Education

General Fellowship ICSSR, MHRD, Government of India 321

CHAPTER 9

GIVING THE RURAL INDIA A FAIR DEAL

STUDY FEEDBACK, LIVE EXPERIENCES,

RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS

"Give a hungry man fish for a day, he will eat it and the next day, he would be

hungry again. Instead if you taught him how to fish, he would be able to feed

himself and his family for a lifetime."

- Mr. Aditya Vikram Birla, Former Chairman, Aditya Birla Group

SYNOPSIS:

This chapter focuses on the various Recommendations and Suggestions

given by the Researcher. The chapter starts with a brief note on various

Private and Government Initiatives. It then explains the impact of

mobiles in Agriculture, Possible strategies for Rural Education and

Health and the various constraints related to the operators and thesurvey. Later, the various recommendations include an Education model,

following the concept of Animator with examples. And finally, the

chapter ends with the concluding remarks and the final conclusion.

9.1 INTRODUCTION

Economic growth and social equity are both needed to bridge

international and domestic digital divides. However, no consensus exists

on exactly what policies are needed for either of these goals.

Governments face constituencies with radically different perspectives on

how to bridge the divides, ranging from labor unions to international

businesses to government regulatory agencies. Numerous governments,

private businesses, civil society members and international organizations

have turned their collective attentions to bridging these divides, and havelaunched a variety of initiatives to shape policy.

A1


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9.2 RURAL INDIA AND PRIVATE TELECOM OPERATOR

INITIATIVES

In regards with the digital divide, it may be noted that the next wave of telecominfrastructure growth is likely to come from the rural areas. Network rollout in

rural regions accounted for 70 percent of the capital expenditure earmarked for

2008 by the countrys largest private operator, Bharti Airtel. Other existing

operators and new licensees have planned similar expenditure outlays for the

rural areas.A4

This presents a huge opportunity for vendors struggling in a

global market that is showing few signs of growth. Industry stalwarts such as

Ericsson, Nokia Siemens Networks and Alcatel-Lucent are positioning

themselves to benefit from this wave of investment for rural upliftment.

9.2.1 The Launch of 3G and WiMAX services will also play a key role in

increasing rural telephony and thus the options for Rural Education.

While globally 3G is viewed as a service primarily for the urban areas,

in India, 3G will become the predominant platform to achieve the

governments broadband objectives as well as to undertake key social

initiatives such a as e-education and telemedicine. WiMAX offers a

robust and scalable last mile solution for these areas and is expected to

make an invaluable contribution. The technology can be deployed

rapidly in remote location and will be able to support the minimum

capacity and speed requirements that will be laid down by the

government in its National e-Governance Plan initiatives.B1

9.2.2 As discussed before also, the next level of growth will come from the

rural areas and positive sign for the rural upliftment is: over the past two

years, telecom operators have increased their focus on these regions and

have customized their strategies to target rural users.B2

They are, for

instance, offering local language-based subsidized handsets, lower

tariffs and applications that are of use to farmers and village

communities.


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Many operators are also selling handsets with their Value-Added

Services (VAS) content are embedded in the phones and are devising

consumer-friendly VAS applications that can be accessed by just two

three keys since complicated applications disturb rural consumers.

In order to expedite network rollout in the rural regions at reduced costs,

operators are opting for infrastructure sharing in a big way. Bharti

Airtel, Vodafone, Essar and Idea Cellular have formed a common tower

infrastructure company, Indus Tower, at an enterprise value of Rs. 150

billion, has come up with the primary focus on building telecom towers

in small towns and rural areas.

The rural areas are clearly a strong focus area for telecom operators.

With specific strategies drawn up for this key segment, the momentum

for rural connectivity is all set to grow.B4

9.2.3 Rural India and Government Policy Initiatives

i) Backed by the initiatives of the government and private operators,

rural connectivity in the country has grown at a rapid pace over the

past two to three years. While private operators are expediting

rural network rollout and actively targeting rural customers, for the

government, providing telecom facilities in rural India has been the

highest priority for some time now.A5

The rural regions,

comprising 600,000 villages and a population of over 809 billion

(over 70 percent of the countrys population), are the focus areas

as the government works to bridge the digital divide.

ii) The Universal Service Obligation (USO) Fund, set up by the

government especially for this purpose, has played a key role in

driving rural connectivity. For instance, as of March 2009,

57,181 of the 66,822 Village Public Telephones (VPTs) to be

installed under the Bharat Nirman programme had been provided

through Digital Satellite Phone Criminals (DSPCs).A6


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iii) The Bharat Nirman programme envisages setting up VPTs in all

inhabited villages in the country except those with a population

of less than 100 or ones that are affected by insurgency or are

situated in deep forests. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL)

will set up VPTs in these remaining villages with subsidy support

from the USO Fund by March 2011. The USO Fund is also

being used for the maintenance of about 558,000 existing VPTs.

iv) Apart from USO Fund initiatives, the governments Batuibak

e-Governance Plan, which envisages setting up common service

centers (CSCs), state wide area networks (SWANs) and state data

centers (SCDs), will play a key role in increasing broadband

penetration in the rural areas, For instance, the CSCs run to

equip Panchayat in villages with advanced computerized systems

and trained IT representatives.

v) Government policies have played a key role in increasing

connectivity in the rural areas. For instance, in September 2008,

the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) decided to waive

the license fee on rural landline telephones to step up rural

penetration. Ub Addutuib, the Telecom Commission decided to

reduce the USO Fund Levy to 3 percent of adjusted gross revenue

from five percent for service providers that have a presence in

over 95 percent in the rural areas. However, since these decisions

have revenue implications for the exchequer, the finance ministry

demanded a review of these decisions.

vi) The government has been proactive in its efforts to promote rural

telecom penetration and has taken several steps to bridge the

digital divide. However, much still remains to be done in order to

achieve the rural teledensity target of 25 percent and 200 million

rural connections by the end of the Eleventh Plan period.B5


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HARVEST &

TRANSPORT OF

PRODUCE facilitation

PRODUCTION

RISK COVERAGE

& PRICE RISK

COVERAGE

INPUT facilitation

Seeds, Fertilizers,

Pesticides, Farm

Machinery, Soil Testing

KNOWLEDGE /

Extension ServicesFacilitation/

Alternate farming

FARMERSTORAGE

facilitation

CREDIT

facilitation

IRRIGATIONfacilitation

MARKET INFO

&

Linkage facilitation

9.3 IMPACTS OF MOBILES ON AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS

The following figure F 9.1 suggests the various needs of the farmer where ICT

can play a vital role in educating the rural masses.

Figure F 9.1: Needs of the Farmers

Impact on Farmers

1. During the field survey and subsequent visits to the targeted villages,

namely Village Kurkheda of Buldhana District of Maharashtra and

Village Rameshwar of Latur District of Maharashtra, most farmers

reported that they used their mobile phones primarily for social

purposes, almost all interviewees also used it for agricultural activity,

with some respondents citing significant productivity gains as a result.


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Table T 9.1 ranks the information accessed by interviewees on their

mobile phones and compares it with information accessed from other

sources as reported in the NSS (National Sample Survey) 59th round

survey.C3

Table : T 9.1 Ranking of the use of modern technology by farmers

to access agricultural information

2. The farmers of the region strongly felt that use of mobile technology

will certainly help them in increasing the convenience and cost savings

from using their mobile phones as basic communication devices to seek

information such as input availability or to check on market prices.

3. The farmers also strongly felt that the areas where they may get

benefited are improved access to information included seed variety

selection, best cultivation practices, protection from weather-related

damage, handling plant disease and price realization.

4. The Investigator also observed that market information influenced

farmers to alter where and when they sold their crop in order to

maximize revenues and in some cases, provided ammunition to farmers

to negotiate better pricing terms from local traders.


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5. As with the farming community investigation, the researcher noticed a

differential in the impact, depending on whether a mobile will be used as

an information platform or will be used merely as a communication

device. In several cases, the value of the mobile as an information

platform was greatly enhanced because it could be used as a means to

communicate newly accessed information to others.

6. The most important components of the agriculture market are Traders

and commission agents. Researcher would like to bring to the notice the

fact that these components comprised of a segment making daily use of

their mobile phones and offered some evidence that their mobile use was

improving overall market efficiency. A large part of agricultural produce

goes through traders/brokers at government-regulated markets. These

players control the final sale of goods by most farmers in India and thus

are critical for market information and market transactions farmers.

They use their phones to contact a host of players (farmers, traders,

employees/partners posted at other markets) in order to gauge current

pricing information, market supply and demand conditions and to obtain

produce for sale.A8

7. In addition to this primary function, the villagers also cited a number of

other examples where mobile telephony can make an impact. This

included dealing with truck breakdowns, shifting crops en route

according to the supply and demand situation and communicating

instructions to staff both locally and at significant distances. The

traders have historically played a one-stop shop information roleA9

for

many small farmers in ways similar to the desired role of mobile-

enabled information service providers. The relationship has often been

cemented by the extension of credit.


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9.4 THE MODEL OF EDUCATION FOR ANYBODY, ANYTIME,

ANYWHERE USING MOBILE TECHNOLOGY

9.4.1 Nature of Benefits Conferred by Mobile Telephony

1. The nature of the reported positive economic impact of mobile

phones by interviewees can be categorized in one of three ways:

a. Easy access to customized content,

b. Mobility and

c. Timesaving or convenience.

2. It also indicated how customized content enables farmers to avert

losses, improve yields and increase information relating to

various agricultural practices. Thirty of the farmers were

interviewed, out of which were able to offer quantitative

estimates of the economic benefits of using one of the

information services. The size of the benefit they reported ranged

from 5-25 per cent of earnings, with the larger gains typically

attributable to the adoption of better planting techniques.A11

3. The second categorymobilityis unique to the use of mobile

phones. The others reflect the fact that the mobile has become the

primary (or only) communication mode for many farmers.

However, as the Researcher notes later, the beneficial

productivity impact of mobile telephony depends also on other

basic infrastructure.

4. Mobile users can determine when and where they can

communicate and access information. Benefits from mobile

phones are as a means of two-way communication as well as a

means of access to the information service.A14

The access to

mobile communications amplified the value of the information

provided by farmers by enabling information sharing between

subscribers and non-subscribers.


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5. Farmers also reported benefits from being able to make and

receive calls while working on the farm. This included the ability

to describe plant diseases from the field to experts and to co-

ordinate better with their hired labor.

9.4.2 Improved Convenience, Time and Travel Savings

1. Almost all of the farmers interviewed reported some benefits in

terms of greater convenience such as timesaving by using the

mobile as a basic phone. For some of the farmers interviewed, the

mobile represented the only convenient access to communication

facilities. This is not surprising, as fixed line communication in

rural India remains extremely poor.

2. For many of the small farmers in our survey who said they

benefited from greater convenience, the savings stemmed

typically from avoiding local travel and could range from Rs.

100-200 per trip.A12

A smaller minority said they had derived

greater benefits from the ability to make better decisions aboutwhere to sell their output after getting market prices for a variety

of local and distant markets.

3. Mobile use also delivered convenience benefits to farmers who

were starting to substitute some physical meetings with mobile

phone conversations. It was noted that the mobile was essential

when the village suffered power shortages and the rural

connectivity was not available.

4. Mobile phones did not totally substitute face-to- face

communication. It was reported that farmers often need highly

personalized solutions that benefit from back and forth dialogue

in person with the Sarpanch as well as the larger farming

community. Many of the queries from farmers could not be fully

resolved through the phone alone.


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9.5 POSSIBLE STRATEGIES FOR PENETRATION OF MOBILE

TECHNOLOGY

As per the data provided by the service providers, around 407112 villages are

having mobile coverage i.e. about 69% of villages are having the coverage. Taking

around 180 million as the targeted rural subscribers in the country, as on Sep 2008,

there are 90.76 million rural subscribers. Therefore, there is a need to plan for

converting an additional 90-100 million population as subscribers.C4

The strategy for increasing the telecom penetration in rural areas can be

classified in two categories:

9.5.1 Areas without mobile coverage

1. Creation of infrastructure for provision of Mobile Services in

rural and remote areas

(a) The assets constituting the infrastructure for provision of

mobile services shall be determined by the Central

Government from time-to-time.

(b) A percentage of the Capital Recovery for the infrastructure

for provision of mobile services shall be taken into

account to determine the Net Cost.

2. Provision of Broadband connectivity to villages in a phased

manner

A percentage of the Capital Recovery for the infrastructure for

broadband connectivity shall be taken into account to determine

the Net Cost.


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3. Creation of general infrastructure in rural and remote areas

for development of telecommunication facilities

(a) The items of general infrastructure to be taken up for

development shall be determined by the Central

Government from time to time.

(b) A percentage of the Capital Recovery for the development

of general infrastructure shall be taken into account to

determine the Net Cost.

4. Induction of new technological developments in the telecom

sector in rural and remote areas

Pilot projects to establish new technological developments in the

telecom sector, which can be deployed in the rural and remote area,

may be supported with the approval of the Central Government.

9.5.2 Areas already having mobile coverage

As the reasons for owning a mobile phone in urban and rural areas are very

different, for attracting rural people to subscribe to mobile phones, there is

a need to increase its cost effectiveness.C4

Some of the methods could be:-

1. Lowering the cost of the handsets

2. Evaluate the design and specifications of handsets3. Reduce complexity and subsequent servicing costs

4. Bundling of handsets

USO Fund should look into this aspect and in consultation with DoT

should devise a scheme for setting off the cost of the bundled handset

provided to rural subscribers.


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9.5.3 Incentivizing a new mobile connection subscription:

Telecom service providers should come up with innovative concessional

schemes for new subscribers

1. Providing locally relevant applications on Mobile

This could include applications on mobile regarding health,

education, farming and other local trade.

2. Mobile Banking for Rural India

In many developing countries, lack of banking facilities in the

rural area combined with a proliferation of mobile services has

created a unique opportunity for providing financial services over

the mobile network. Mobile phones are being used to transfer

funds between people. These applications are driven by rural

people who are looking for:

A safe place to keep money Accessibility / liquidityThe ability to turn electronic money

into hard cash and vice versa at convenient locations

(agents/ATMs)

Ability to transfer money To and from the financialinstitution, to make payments and to remit money to friends

and relatives.

3. Overcoming the language barrier

The literacy levels are very low in rural India. Majority of the

handsets are in English. So we should concentrate on region wise

manufacturing of handsets in accordance with the needs and

wants of the target customers and manufacture handsets in the

major acceptable languages which will provide an ease in

operation to the customers.C4


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4. Tie-up with Department of Post

Increasing the customer outlets for mobile

payments/recharging: Rural post offices should be allowed to

work as customer outlets for the telecom companies.

Local schools and community centers can provide the training

needed to help local residents and businesses in rural areas

and take advantage of new information technology.

The Dept of Posts has a presence in every corner of the

country. The Postman is a known and recognized entity in

even the smallest of human settlements. He personally knows

every resident of his Beat, and in smaller towns/villages,

probably is familiar with the people, their financial status,

their needs, and requirements for communication services

based on the letters / money orders being sent/received. ThePostman can therefore be effectively used to educate the

potential Customers and First-Time Users about the uses

and benefits of the Services being offered. Also, there can

be no better system for address verification and credit

verification than the Postal Dept and more specifically the

Postman himself. No agency can claim a similar level of

familiarity with the Local residents and this knowledge

that the Postman has built over many years of doing his

Beat can never be replicated. This makes him the ideal

agency for any kind of verification.


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Photo P 9.1: Post Office at Rameshwar Village of Latur District

Photo P9.2: Post Man from Rameshwar Village

Marathwada Region, Maharashtra

9.6 CONSTRAINTS IDENTIFIED BY THE RESEARCHER IN

THE PENETRATION OF RURAL TELECOM

9.6.1 Problems faced by Telecom Operators in successfully implementing

the concept of Rural Education

1. Some of the constraints to ICTs in rural areas require a shift in

both human and organizational communication and working

patterns which may take longer to change.A15

2. ICTs rely on physical infrastructures (electricity,

telecommunications) and even when such infrastructures are in place,

difficulties arise when they are poorly maintained or too costly to use.


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3. ICTs are dependent on national policy and regulation for

telecommunications and broadcasting licenses. They require

initial capital investment for hardware and software. They also

are dependent on the skills and capacity necessary to use, manage

and maintain the technology effectively.

4. Matching the most appropriate communications technology with

people's needs and capabilities is a crucial task for ICT providers.

9.6.2 Constraints Identified by the Researcher in the context of

operational implementation.

1. Acquisition of Land

The first major hurdle in the proliferation of towers in the rural

areas is that acquisition of land for BTS takes very long time.

2. Right of Public pathways

In the rural area, for providing backhaul connectivity, if fiber or

cable is to be laid then even though the laying is along kuchha

roads or through forest, but as the route involves jurisdiction of

multiple state and municipal agencies/Panchayat, therefore to

coordinating different agencies and getting the requisite

permission is time consuming.

3. Backhaul connectivity

Unavailability of cheap and fast backhaul connectivity is one of

the major hurdles in faster proliferation of telecom in rural areas.

Unlike urban areas where optical fibre is largely deployed to

provide the backhaul connection, about 80% of the rural BTS are

on microwave system.A16

Though, at many places OFC

connectivity has been provided but the provisioning cost is

prohibitory high and as discussed subsequently, providingbackhaul using the satellite link is a cumbersome process.


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4. Lack of Infrastructure sharing

According to industry estimate, cost of setting up a cellular tower

(BTS) is varies from around Rs 3-4 million inclusive of

equipment, power plant, etc. Though significant number of

existing cell sites are already being shared by competing

operators across the country, however, this is mainly in urban

areas. In rural areas, sharing of infrastructure is yet to be attained

at a significant level/rate.

5. Power Supply

In a number of villages the power supply is either not available or

is available only for few hours. As a result even if battery backup

is provided for the BTS, due to availability of electricity for a very

short duration, the batteries are not able to get fully charged.

Further due to frequent interruption of power supply the life of

these batteries get shortened which in turn increases operational

cost to run services in rural areas. Unavailability of reliable power

supply in semi-urban, rural and remote areas increases operational

costs further because sufficient backup systems have to be

maintained. As per the statistics, out of 5, 93,731 inhabited villages

(as per2001 census), 4, 73,136 (almost 80 %) have been electrified

Upto March 2008. The remaining villages are to be covered by

2009 as per Bharat Nirman Programme under Rajiv Gandhi

Grameen Vidhutikaran Yojna.C2 However, in practice, the frequent

and long interruptions in the electricity supply put a large number

of these villages at par with the non-electrified ones.

6. High Operation and Maintenance cost

Maintenance costs of the network in rural areas are high as

compared to urban areas because of several factors such as poor

transportation systems, difficulty in supply of spare parts and non


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availability of skilled manpower etc. Due to lack of reliable

power in rural areas there is substantial increase in the cost of

diesel for running of the engine alternators for keeping

exchanges, transmission equipment and BTSs in the live

conditions.C5

7. Low Average Revenue per User (ARPU)

As per the license conditions the service providers are mandated

to provide service to all without any discrimination. All

subscribers, big and small, rich and poor, are entitled to get the

same quality of service, tariffs and other conditions. However it

is seen that Service Providers do not fulfill this license condition

or at least are reluctant to venture into the interior rural areas

where expected ARPUs are low. The profit motive being of

primary importance to all, the low ARPUs expected in the rural

areas do not provide sufficient motivation for the Service

Providers to provide service in these areas.

8. Unaffordability of Services

Though the provisioning cost of telecom services has come down

significantly in India, however in terms of purchasing power of

individual, these are still high particularly in terms of cost of the end

equipments i.e. Cost of handsets, Modem, PC, UPS etc. As a large

proportion most of the rural population is having low income, the

present cost of telecom services is still prohibiting to them.

9. Low literacy levels and Technology Appreciation

The literacy levels are very low in rural India. No matter how

wired or connected a rural community is, no matter GSM or

CDMA, WiMax or 3G, broadband or dial-ups are in place,

without appropriate literacy to utilize the technology or the value


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added services that it provides, the connectivity will have no

value. Presently, more than 98% of computer work is done in

English. Apart from the issue of lack of skills in English, a large

percentage of the rural masses do not even have even sufficient

reading and writing skill in their own language. In order to help

develop the habit of using the opportunities that a Broadband

offers, there is a need to develop content that is relevant, usable

and understandable by the local people. All the support and

incentives offered for rural penetration would be of consequence

only if the content provided is relevant and usable. It is therefore,

of utmost importance that the contents developed should be in the

vernacular language and the application software should largely

be menu driven and graphic as far as possible in order to

overcome the issue of illiteracy. In absence of these, there will be

lack of demand generation in rural areas, leading to a failure of

the entire initiative.

10. Unavailability of locally relevant customized applications

India being a multi diverse country has different requirement

from one geographical area to the other area. However, the

content being developed at present are meant to be used

universally even though it fulfils the requirement of a particular

geographic area and not all the whole country.. Therefore unless

content developer understands the local requirement and develop

customized contents, the demand for tele-communication will not

increase. The processing of information and converting it in such

a form which become useful to the end user and to transport such

information through a reliable, accessible and convenient

transportation system are two requirements which can help in

generation of demand for telecommunications services and

content services.


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9.6.3 Constraints Identified by the Researcher in the context of ICT in

Agriculture.

The survey revealed that in some cases, small farmers and villagers

found the lack of infrastructure, their lack of knowledge regarding the

cultivation and marketing of non-traditional crops and their inability to

access credit major hindrances to realizing the full benefits of mobile

Telephony.C6

1. Infrastructure Constraints

Investigator highlighted infrastructure gaps that affected their

ability to realize productivity gains through improved yields and

higher prices. In order for farmers to realize the full potential of

access to new information, they must be able to use it effectively.

Researcher found, consistently, that inadequate infrastructure

prevented this. Four specific infrastructure constraints limit the

ability of farmers to leverage information:Insufficient availability of critical land resources (reduces

yield)

Inadequate irrigation (reduces yield)

Poor physical access to markets (reduces realized prices)

Inadequate crop storage facilities (reduces realized prices)

There are difficulties in sourcing critical resources such as

fertilizer, seed and medicine. One major problem they faced was

that counterfeits were sold in many local markets and the farmers

had no way of distinguishing them from the genuine product. In

several groups, the farmers noted that they needed information

that would help them identify these counterfeit goods that lead to

productivity losses.


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Also, there was lack of irrigation as a significant constraint and two

of them noted that it had affected the sustainability of growing

desired crops. One farmer noted that the scarcity of water is the

main hurdle for the development of agriculture in the region.C8

Farmers reported poor road infrastructure and lack of refrigerated

transport as problems affecting their access to markets. Many of

the small farmers typically used small carts powered by animals

or small engines to deliver their goods to the market and said that

transport costs represented a prohibitive barrier to access more

distant markets. This limited their opportunity to profit from

market price differences by selling in markets where higher

prices may be available. As one small farmer from Kurkheda

village commented, even if he knew the prices in the larger

regional market, there are no roads that go there.

Lack of storage facilities was cited as curtailing farmers ability

to choose when to sell their crop, limiting their ability to

maximize price realization. One group of farmers said that the

lack of storage facilities contributed to the effective monopoly of

local commission agents, which they believed caused them to

receive lower prices for their produce.

ITCs internet kiosk service is one attempt to overcome some of the

challenges presented by inadequate infrastructure (Table T 9.2).

This has been done by combining the provision of information with

other services such as the direct sale of critical resources.

Recognizing the problems faced by small farmers in their supply

chain, the internet kiosk model includes information delivery,

input provision and direct procurement.


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Farmers we interviewed in villages said that with successful ICT

programmes may report improved yield and better price

realization. The primary benefits may report the introduction of

hybrid seed varieties and adoption of new farming practices,

leading to productivity gains of between 10 and 40 per cent.

Farmers noted that by receiving comparative market pricing

information as well as a firm price offer in advance from ICT

initiatives, they can have greater ability to choose when and

where to sell their products. They can also get benefit from being

able to sell to the community locally and getting transport costs

reimbursed.C3

Table T 9.2: Example of the ITC e-choupal model


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9.6.4 Constraints Identified by the Researcher in the context of

financial aspects of the farmers.

1. Access to creditNon-availability of credit at reasonable rates is a persistent

problem for small farmers. Although rural borrowing from

institutional agencies has doubled in the last three decades,

the share of rural credit from non-institutional agencies is still

above 40 percent.

Farmers are in a vicious circle where lack of credit leads to lower

output and lower output lead to a loss of income, which in turn

pushes them out of the organized credit system.

Lack of access to credit from the organized banking system also

reduces the farmers chances of getting the best price because of

restrictions (explicit or implicit) on where he can sell his crop.Access to credit was a problem raised by a majority of small

farmer focus groups, although researchers were unable to

quantify the extent to which farmers lost in terms of price

realization. Researcher heard many contradictory responses as to

whether or not farmers were bonded and thus had to sell to a

specific trader, commission agent or moneylender who had

extended them credit earlier in the year.

Therefore, systemic deficiencies that lead to the exclusion

of small and marginal farmers from the organized credit system

are an issue that needs to be tackled to ensure high productivity

growth.


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2. Capacity for risk-taking

Farmers, in general, are naturally conservative. However, in order

for information to drive agricultural productivity, farmers must be

willing to try new strategies, which may include new farming

techniques. While the researcher found a small number who

were willing to make changes based on the information they

received via their mobile phones, there were some who expressed

reluctance to try new approaches even when they had access to

relevant information. The Researcher found that persuading small

farmers to adopt new seed varieties or farming methods often

requires a combination of approaches: repeated dissemination of

information, demonstration plots and farmer dialogues.

9.7 NEED FOR A UNIQUE INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA

BROADCASTING MECHANISM

After a thorough study based on the primary and secondary data, theResearcher arrived on a unique model which suggests the creation and

broadcast of Multimedia content related to topics which would arouse the

interest of the rural populace mainly in three targeted areas i.e. Education,

Agriculture & Health. The researcher suggests the adoption of a Mobile

broadband technology option MobiTech to facilitate the delivery of such

Multimedia content broadcasts to Mobile handled devices possessed by the

rural community. The researcher suggests the following multimedia content.

1. Multimedia Video CD on: The Animator and Rural Education

What is the new National Policy on ICT in Education? What

does it seek to do for educating illiterate villagers and

children out-of-school?

1. Arouse and educate everyone to live and work better.2. Womens education and empowerment.


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3. National Literacy Mission to remove illiteracy4. Non-formal Education for agriculture working children5. Health, Education and Productivity co-ordination for

improving the quality of life

6. Promote science and technology for better future especiallyby strengthening the poor in thought an action

Teaching-Learning techniques:

1. Role play (How to communicate with the supporting authoron one hand, and to communicate with the community,

VEC(Villagers Education Committee) the villager learners

on the other hand, etc)

2. Discussion: questions such as : why is womens educationnecessary? What is the meaning of womens empowerment?

Is the administrative set up of the whole structure of how

can it be used by the Animators? Etc.

3.

Evolving case-reporting and further discussion pointsthrough Animators interaction.

4. Using puppets for awareness building

Local resources for training:

1. Various groups of villagers (particularly women)2. Village Education Committee3. Village Panchayat4. Functionaries of Development Departments5. Professionals6. Natural and status leaders in the community.


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2. Multimedia Video CD on : Methods of Imparting Literacy and

Numeracy: Different Approaches

1. Literacy and numeracy as visualized

2. Formal and Non-formal methods

i. A) Difference between teachinglearning methods forvillagers and children

B) Formal Schooling

C) Informal and Non formal learning

D) Self learning

E) Participative learning and group techniques

F) Cultural contexts of learning

ii. The primer and the reader prepared by the State ResourceCentre for Non-formal Education, Maharashtra. (Each

lesson to be discussed with the animators for

(a) exposition of the structure of the lesson derived from

research on reading, (b) the value-orientation of the

lesson)

iii. Along with this process, pre-literacy material (Video CDcontent development) such as posters, charts, discussion-

pictures, etc. to be explained and its use demonstrated

iv. Use of co-literacy material(Video CD contentdevelopment) such as folder in particular cards, etc for

accelerating absorption of information and desire to read.

v. Methods of imparting numeracy based on theknowledge already acquired by villagers through daily

transactions and problems of living

vi. The Numeracy book prepared by the State Resourcecentre for Non-formal Education, Maharashtra (Each

lesson to be discussed and Video CD content

development).


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3. Discussion of post-literacy and follow-up video programmes

in the above manner.

4. Preparation of Schedules (Weekly and monthly) for activities

in the Centre- based programme. Linkage of literacy

numeracy with social and cultural activities in monthly

programmes. Schedules and seasonal adjustments of

activities.

5. Evaluation of video CD contents with the help of villager

learners.

6. Stimulating Animators to prepare literacy numeracy

lessons, teachinglearning contents and followup contents

7. Preparation of video CD contents for literacy-numeracy

achievement tests.

3. Multimedia Video CD on : Health

1. Health for all as visualization in National policy on Health

i) The NLM objective of literacy leading to the Health for

All concept. (What is the meaning of Health? who is

this All? The ways to make it successful with the help of

locally available resources. The Animators role as a

communicator, coordinator and organizer in the health

matters) (Video CD content development)

ii) Health problems in the villages, with emphasis on women

and child-care: immunization, personal and community

hygiene, food supply, nutrition, water supply, sanitation,

environment and superstition. Use of tobacco and

narcotics. Addiction to drinking, Cancer causing eating-

habits.

2. Problem of epidemics; endemic diseases

3. The human body. Its structure and functions.


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4. Personal and social aspects of health. Growing and using health-

giving foods.

5. Health Services available in the villages

i) Primary Health Centre, sub-centersii) Health Workers: Doctor, ANM, CHGsiii) The Animator as stimulator for the participation of the

health personnel in AE activities.

6. General Health-oriented attitude (Video CD content

development)

i) Health-consciousness in the family and communityii) Organization of health-oriented programmes with

community involvement.

iii) Counteracting superstitions, irrational belief and treatmentof mental and physical illness by magic and sorcery. The

role of science-consciousness in this effort.

7. Problem of populations-limitation. Population education forvillagers, especially women

8. Physical fitness for the family: Division of labour, good exercise,and relaxation.

Local Resources:

1. Primary Health centers

2. Village Health Worker

3. Village Education Committee

4. Locally accepted medical professionals

5. Jan Shikshan Nilyam

6. Science teachers from local schools

7. Personnel of khadi & Village industries


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4. Multimedia Video CD on: Status of Women

1. Indian cultural background, womens status in it. The efforts madeby great thinkers and social workers to change the situation (girls

education, marriage-act, etc) (Video CD content development)2. Educational backwardness, the problem caused by this

advantages of education (What kind of education? How? Why?)

3. Health problems of girls and women due to fasting, observancemeaningless rituals, etc.

4. Social problems: In all classes of the society: special problems ofdestitute women and widows.

5. Economic responsibility: cultural responsibility; householddrudgery; lack of information on (and skills in) use of science

and technology and ICT in daily life and in occupations.

6. Socialization of the girl-child; role ascription; social andfamilial barrters in womens empowerment and decision making.

Womens invisibility in economic and political activities.

Teaching-learning techniques:

1. Puppet plays

2. Folk-drama and folk songs (Video CD content

development)

3. Role play

4. Games

5. Free discussion with villagersboth men and women

6. Discussion with personnel of Development Departments

Local Resources:

1. Mahila Mandals2. Youth Clubs3. Village Panchayat4. Development Personnel5. Jan Shikshan Nilayam6. Local Leaders


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5. Multimedia Video CD on : Legal Literacy

1. Rules, regulation and norms: Importance of these three as far asthe personal and social securities are concerned. Some important

laws and acts (land, inheritance, marriage, divorce, dowry, age of

marriage, MTP, accidents and compensation, house and land

ownership, labour laws, child labour, equal wages, etc) (Video

CD content development)

2. General court procedures: Paper and duplicate copies of thepapers, bail, registration of birth, marriage, and death, free legal

aid, lokanyalayas.

3. Fundamental rights given by the constitution to every citizen.Making of laws : state and central administrative structures,

elections, right to vote, etc. Local administration & its functions.

4. Police : the responsibilities and the rights of the citizen in policematters.

Teaching-learning techniques:1. Case-studies, newspaper reports; articles; photographs;

(Video CD content development)

2. Discussion with legal experts (especially on womens law)

3. Brain-storming session

Local Resources:

1. Visit to court2. Local lawyers3. Legal experts near village4. Local police authorities5. Panchayat Members6. Local MLA/MP (if possible)


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6. Multimedia Video CD on : Scientific Literacy

1. Social and seasonal events and activities. Their origin. Relationwith natural phenomena.

2. Social and superstitions.3. A womans various rituals and their examination from the

standpoint of science and technology.

4. How should binoculars, microscopes, charts, map, news, etc beused in inculcating the scientific temper?

5. Everyday Science :i. Days nights and seasons : festivals related with the

seasons.

ii. Ecology; protection of environment.iii. Science in social forestry, horticultural, sericulture,

agriculture, floriculture, post-harvest technology, food-

processing, food preparation, etc. (According to local

contexts)

iv. Daily use of science and technology. Significance ofcommonly used terminology; electricity (Switch, bulb,

pin, plug wire, tube, socket, etc.), radio, TV, bus, truck,

tractor, pump, motor, train, photo, camera, doctor, X-ray,

operation, hospital, etc) (Video CD content development)

v. Technology for reducing womens drudgery (biogas,gobar gas, flour-mill, water pump, smokeless Chula, hot-

box, cookers, etc.) (Video CD content development)

vi. The structure and operation of machines used in daily life,repairs and maintenance; handymans jobs)

Teaching learning techniques:

1. Experiments: Air and water purification magic-tricks todemonstrate use of chemicals, principals of physics, etc.


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2. Discussing the solar system, the eclipse, the earth space-ships, etc. with the help of models and pictures.

3. Interaction with workers of Lok Vidnyan group.4. Interaction with technology groups/ organizations.5. Stories of deception by God-Men, Sadhus, Magic-healers

witch-doctors, etc. (Video CD content development)

6. Environmental observation & discussion.

Local Resources:

1. Teachers2. Doctors3. Village Panchayat4. Meeting village people cheated by sadhus5. Womens help group6. Youth centre7. Library (if any)8.

School-equipment

7. Multimedia Video CD on : Daily Affairs

1. General alertness and security in day-to-day affairs:i. Post-office procedures

ii. Banks (Saving, loans, other developmental schemes)iii. Co-operative movement (milk, land, house, fertilizers, etc)

2. Checking weights and measures. Consumer-protection.3. Daily house-keeping and accounts.4. Travel and transport (rates, rules, etc)5. Rationing, Groceries6. Different types of applications (how to write and send to and

through whom, etc.)


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1. Visits to the nearby government and other concernedoffices.

2. Posters: Safe travel, rationing information, etc.3. Exhibitions, discussion informative folders. (Video CD

content development)

4. Visits and discussions with government officers, bankmanagers, etc.

Local Resources:

1. Officials, traders, knowledgeable person, etc2. The village Panchayat

8. Multimedia Video CD on : Responsible Parenthood

1. The role of parent and guardians, particularly the mother, in thechilds upbringing.

2. Child-development cognitive, affective, psycho-motor factors;linguistic skills; social skills. The role of the parents and the

community in the upbringing of a child. The community as a

socializer.

3.

Right and wrong beliefs about child- specialization (Punishment,

awards, expectations form a child, etc)

4. Spacing between two children, population control and familywelfare; decisions taken by women of the household and the

mother; community participation in this decision-making process,

the role of the Animator in this process.


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5. Education

Importance of girls education. Misconceptions about it.

(Animator should give the examples of well-educated women and

their success stories).

6. Playing with the children: songs, stories, small toys (how to makehome-toys for children), the role of the parents, parent training in

play-way methods of brining up children. Special attention to

girl-child. (Video CD content development)

7. The role of the parents in upbringing of the physically andmentally handicapped children.

8. Putting an end to sex-discrimination between boys and the girls.Scientific facts about male and female biology, intelligence,

physical, temperament, etc.

9. Anganwadis, Balwadis, Day-care centers, pre preschools.Teaching-learning techniques:

1. Role play2. Discussion with the experts3. Exhibitions and Discussion pictures4. Slide-show, audio-cassettes, Video-cassettes5. Discussion with health-personnelLocal Resources:

1. Village Panchayats2. Mahila Mandal3. Youth Club4. Teachers5. Preschool/Anganwadi/Balwadi6. Jan Shikshan Nilayams

Boys

Girls


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9. Multimedia Video CD on : Recreation and Social Life

1. Importance of recreation and social life in day-to-day life(physical/ psychological/social), the present situation and

recreation (want of recreation and its disadvantages).2. How recreation increase the creative ability.3. Traditionally ways of rural recreation (for men and women),

Games, sports, athletics, yogasanas.

4. How to use traditional games of recreation in a new way.5. How the community can be a source of recreational activities.6. Mass media and folk-media as recreation7. Social and national values through recreation and social life

events


1. Getting acquainted with the festivals, songs, plays, folk-artand folk-media, Bhajani Mandals, etc. in the community

(Video CD content development)

2. Performance by local folk-artistes and womens groups.3. Traditional games4. Simple Yogasanas5. Audio-visual aids6. Performance by Animators and TrainersLocal Resources:

1. Local folk artistes2. Mahila Mandals3. Bhajani Mandals4. Youth clubs5. Village panchayat6. Schools (Primary, secondary)7. Libraries8. Gymnasia9. Jana Shikshan Nilayam


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9.8 FUTURE PERSPECTIVES AND EXPECTATIONS OF THE

RURAL COMMUNITY

The interviewees stressed that for a true revolution to occur, farmers must be

able to get information delivered to them at a time and place of their choosing.

Mobile telephony, as our survey bears out, can be a powerful tool to help meet

this need. The survey, of course, has been more in the nature of an initial

impact study and a more rigorous assessment of the benefits of mobile

telephony with a much larger sample size is necessary to help provide policy

inputs. Nevertheless, it is indicative of the contribution that mobile telephony

can make towards improving not only agricultural productivity in the country

but also Rural Formal Education at large. The farmers benefit from the

introduction of mobile enabled information services is also borne out by the

increasing number of subscribers.

Over the course of the study, the researcher found a number of emerging ideas

and applications for mobile phones that showed potential for the future.

One example involved the use of camera phones to photograph crop

diseases/pest infestations and send them to experts immediately

(www.esagu.com). This visual information can improve diagnosis and advice

SMS messages are sent to users mobile phones every morning with the offers

and grades available for purchase on that day (www.smsone.com). At the end of

the day, users receive a text message with details of what actually took place.

9.9 RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS

1. Since the rural areas still not covered are in very remote regions in thecontext of connectivity, the government should provide a higher subsidy

to the operators or else set up the telecom infrastructure in these areas

itself and then lease it out to operators. More projects need to be

implemented on a public private partnership basis, such as BOT (Build,

Operate, Transfer) since it will expedite the provision of telecomservices in the rural areas.


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2. All telecom stakeholders, including the government, operators,equipment vendors and local bodies, need to collaborate to tap this

market. Operators need to collaborate with companies in other

industries, such as financial services and consumer goods, to develop

innovative offerings and extend their traditional distribution channels.

Operators also need new marketing strategies and customized products

to tie up more rural subscribers.

3. 3G Proliferations will happen first in urban areas and slowly the servicewill penetrate the rural and remote regions as 3G applications suitable

for the rural perspective are yet to be developed. Another key barrier is

the high cost of handsets. Telecom companies should actively work on

some solutions so that handsets are available at affordable costs to the

rural consumer.

4. Despite rural teledensity having risen considerably over the past fewyears through the efforts of the government and private companies, the

urban-rural divide continues to widen. 3G is the technology likely to

expedite rural telephony. 3G uptake in rural areas will be based on the

mobile broadband connectivity offered in future.

Researcher also recommends that the various government functioning

arms, including Ministry of Information Bureau, and journalists can use

3G as a substitute to satellite phones. This can also be used for tele-medicine, tele-education, etc.

5. The industries, non-governmental agencies and private enterprisesshould provide the necessary equipment, infrastructure and supply of

ICDs (Information and Communication Devices) to facilitate ICT and

for effective teaching and learning in primary and secondary schools in

India.


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6. Companies, government and other international organization shouldprovide fund and take the social responsibility for providing ICT

equipments, computer systems and related programmes to improve the

poor state of instruction delivery in schools.

7. The government should post a minimum of three trained ICT expertsand technical teachers to the secondary schools to enable them make

effective use of the available ICI' equipment and seek the advice from

qualified teachers for effective implementation of the course curriculum.

8. Supervisors and inspectors from ministry of education should be sent forinspections and ascertaining the degree of utilization of the ICT

equipments and related programmes provided by the government and

other private organizations.

9. Computers, equipments, tools, gadgets provided by the governmentshould be installed in different locations will enable the teachers to use

ICT for teaching during the practical classes/demonstrations. The

rehabilitation of the secondary school buildings and provision of ICT

equipments and facilities should be carried out to improve the learning

environment.

10. The Researcher highly recommends the proven role of TelecomTechnology Options in promoting Rural Education (Basic Education,

Primary Health Awareness and Agricultural Information Updates).

9.10.1 Education

a) Distribution of multimedia contents to remote areas (CD-ROM,

video films).

b) Use of the videoconference system in classroomsc) Use of wireless mobile broadband for rural penetration


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d) On-line access to the academic data bases and library information

e) Establishment of a telecommunications network designed

exclusively for exchanging e-mails and holding on-line dialogue-

style discussions with educational experts.

f) Broadcasting of educational programs on mobile (educational

contents, such as those on Basic education, agriculture

environment, Public health and science).

g) Submission of examination answers by using e-mail.

h) Supply of educational contents on Web sites.

9.10.2 Public Health and Medical Treatment

a) Broadcasting of primary health programs on mobile and

distribution of information on public health to rural medical

institutions like primary health center.

b) Distribution of information on prevention of diseases to ruralcommunities.

c) Input of patients data into a database for remote areas.

d) Access to medical experts through the remote consulting system.

e) Distance X-ray examination, distance ultrasonic-wave

examination, distance Electrocardiogram Monitoring, etc.

The Researcher would also like to propose certain schemes to

overcome the rural networking problems:

Necessary conditions for rural communication system

a. The system can be constructed at a low cost.b. It is desired that the system is flexible and can be expanded

easily.

c. The power source can be secured. (This is a major problem.)


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The Systems that can be considered appropriate under ordinary

circumstances

a. To establish a multi-purpose center in the most conspicuousplace in the community (a Mobile System is also appropriate).

b. To create, according to the situation in each community, aone-way or interactive network by making the center the base

of the network.

c. To form a cable or wireless local loop as a network.d. To apply the mobile telecommunications technology to the

wireless network.

e. To use the wireless mobile broadband technology and VSATto the nearest telephone office.

The Researcher would also like to recommend the New Futuristic

Telecom Technologies

a. To establish the Internet Protocol (IP)-based network (IPtelephone).

b. Application of the IMT2000 (the third-generation mobilecommunications system) (WCDMA).

Further, the Researcher would also like to propose the following educational

model for the rural based education program:

It is estimated that in a village of 1500, one can earn a minimum of Rs.4500 per

month with these services.


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Education Model :

Basic computer course:-

SHISHU (6-9yrs): 6 hrs, BAL VIKAS (6-9 yrs), certified: 26 hrs, YUVA

(10-17yrs), certified: 20 hrs, TARUN (17+yrs), certified: 72 hrs

Mobile based 9th and 10th Std Online Test and Tutorial (TN):-

- Focused on passing exams- Mobile based Spoken English on video (TN)New multimedia options:-

MITRA English Programme, Childrens Club and Computer Graphics

Tutorial

Potential for Vocational Courses:-

Audio/video editing, Graphics and animation, Web development

9.11 MAIN FRAMEWORK FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF ICT

BASED RURAL EDUCATION PROGRAM:

9.12 THE RESEARCHER PROPOSES THE MOBITECHPROJECT FOR THE ICT BASED RURAL EDUCATION

PROGRAMME.

The objective of this Research is to help in finalizing the scope of the Mobile

Base Technology Solution for Indian Rural Farmers. It is necessary to keep

track of time and changes in technology. It is always a challenge to keep pace

with the ever-changing expectations of the farmers and end users amid new

ICT channels and technologies. Today farmers are aware of what they want.

They also have a variety of options. Now it has become important for the Rural

Farmers to understand their end customers better and use this understanding to

cultivate superior quality crops, agro-based products and services as per the

changing customer needs. This is to build abiding relationships, that extend

beyond the product/offering to the end users as well.


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It is also necessary to understand the competitors, customers and vendors

who already have started deploying such technologies to boost their sales

in the market.

Guidelines adopted for the MobiTech Project:

During our visit and detailed discussions with the Sarpanch/Mukhiya, the

research team focused on MobiTech solutions and carried out Preliminary

studies. While developing the solutions of MobiTech, two main criteria were

taken into account:

1. Farmers are located in remote areas where power is not available.2. No Technology infrastructure like Internet, PC, Server is available resulting

in communication problems.

Infrastructure requirements of MobiTech Project:

During our visit we had a meeting and detailed discussion to identify the key

features of MobiTech from the rural perspective:

Web enabled multimedia interface systems for providing basic education onMobile

Support for Basic Individual Health & Medication. Web based procurement & distribution of Agro based commodities. Web enabled updates of Weather and Crop Related Information Access to web based Agro Expert Consulting

Potential bottle necks for MobiTech implementation

Farmers are not educated Farmers are Poor and unaware of technology Acute Power Shortages No developments in village being in remote areas.


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Scope of the MobiTech Project:

Based on the understandings, the researcher focused on specific areas like

Web based MobiTech Solution system which gets integrated with the Weather

Forecasting, Food Index, Health and Insurance, Agro portals where by the

required information for theses specific villages (Buldhana/ Latur) could be

extracted and made available to the farmers.

Feasibility of Solution implementation:

The Researcher as discussed before identified 2 villages and worked with 50

farmers each for the pilot project. Upon successful implementation, the

MobiTech Solution can become a National Model. The solution provides a

competitive edge and enables MobiTech to be the first Web based solution that

integrates

50 Farmers from village Rameshwar, District Latur, Maharashtra

50 Farmers from village Kurkheda, Taluka Shegaon, District Buldhana,

Maharashtra

The farmers in this project are using Java Enabled phones which has a facility

of Support GPRS, GIS Technologies and selection of local language. These

Mobile Handsets will be useful for them to get used with the technology.

Considering the power shortage, the researcher has identified Mobile Sets

which have Solar Charging batteries capacity. As a Pilot project the Researcher

will try to cover the following areas in the Feasibility Study of Implementation:

1. Providing basic education of Mobile Operations.2. Providing Health Information to Individual Farmer/Family Members3. Crop Information and preventive measures.4. Mobile based Agro Information and awareness programme during

Lunch/Dinner Time

5. Import / Export related information (BajarBhav) on agriculturalcommodities.


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The information flow in MobiTech will only be through the mobile handset and

Servers located at district levels using SMS, MMS and Video Transmission

Technology whereby the Farmers can get continuous feeds from the main

server. The data related to their farming will be kept on servers and time to

time information about crops, soil condition, weather condition will be stored,

updated and Broadcasted at regular intervals. This information will be useful

for the Farmer as well as the Agro exporter who will be working remotely

through MobiTech.

9.13 PROPOSED SOLUTION FOR RURAL EDUCATION

MANAGEMENT

Figure 9.2 PROPOSED SOLUTION FOR RURAL EDUCATION MANAGEMENT

Buldhana

district

Mobile UsersMIT Pune

Latur District

Mobile Users

Internet

Third party

Server

Centralized InformationApproval from any location

Health Education

Agro Education

Bringing Farms Together by

Uplifting them economically

Co-Op Banks,

Fertilizer Dealers,

Agro Expert,

Finance, Weather

Forecasting

Internet

Internet


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9.14 RECOMMENDATIONS PUT FORTH BEFORE THE POLICY

MAKERS AND REGULATORY AUTHORITIES OF INDIA

Policy thrust - A Rural ICTEducation programme should be initiatedby the government committed to the following:

1. Develop and sustain a modern information and communicationtechnology to support private sector-driven growth and economic

development and to improve the quality of life and reduce the level of

poverty significantly.C3

2.

Improve access to internet connectivity, and raise the level of mobileand computer usage and literacy.

3. Facilitate the development of a national multimedia super corridor,including provision of appropriate incentives for private sector

involvement.

4. Aggressively promote information and communications technology asan instrument of mass education, growth, and rural development.

Targets - Rural ICT Education programme should set the following

targets:

1. More increase in telephone density to one telephone per 5 people.2. Make telecommunication accessible to a wider range of Indians,

regardless of where they live.

3. Develop a national communications and telecommunication backbone,inducing a national multimedia super corridor.

Strategies - Rural ICT Education programme should adopt the

following strategies :

1. Use a combination of fiscal and financial incentives to encourage privatesector investment in service provision in the industry.

C3

2. Enforce intellectual property rights, and property entrepreneurship,training, and partnerships.


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3. Pursue a local content policy in the manufacture of electrical andelectronic' equipment and communications and telecommunications

equipment, including handsets, accessories, and components.

4. Facilitate access to special financial support through co-operative banks,SIDBI, IDBI and other institutions, for private sector-driven wireless

telephone and internet connectivity development in rural areas.

5. Foster an enabling environment for developing software and hardwarecapacity.

6. Provide incentives to develop industrial parks in informationcommunications technology.

9.15 CONCLUSIONS

1. The Indian web based distant learning market is slated to grow to Rs.1,092 crores by 2012.

2. Low mobile penetration and relatively higher IT costs have contributedto a rural-urban divide.

3. The government's focus area should be to shore up IT infrastructure inrural areas, while at the same time bringing service costs down. This

will help in the free flow of knowledge from qualified urban

academicians to the needy rural knowledge seekers.

4. Future telecom technology options for the Indian Rural Education canbe e-Learning 2.0 which has the potential to transform the learning

environment from the prevalent "instructional" mode to more interactive

and participative mode.

5. Resources pointed out that information and communication technologyas well as, all that is involved in gathering and processing information

using modern communication technologies such as computers, mobiles

and other related equipments, generated services that can reach all at

reasonable cost and in proper time to the overall benefit of mankind.


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6. The training of rural youth in the schools is aimed at equipping themwith useful skills and at improving the knowledge in their desired areas

of study. To facilitate effective training of the rural youth in acquiring

knowledge and skills, it should be the desire of the government to

integrate ICT in the rural education systems.

9.16 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

ICT in Rural Education Perspective:

1. The present application of Information and Communication technology(ICT) to all the activities of the world confirmed the fact that the use of

ICT is becoming an indispensable tool for modern advancement in

knowledge and skills. With the present day computerizations of the

activities in education, the focus is now on introduction of ICT in

schools at all levels.

2.

The inclusion of ICT in Indian education and the National Policy onEducation is highly necessary as we launch into the new millennium and

targeting the millennium development goals.

3. As a telephonic device, the mobile enables access to information sourcesthat may not otherwise be reachable. As an information platform to

receive SMS, menu or voice message information, mobiles provides the

ability to get connected to new knowledge and information sources for

rural education not previously available with the possibility of real-time,

highly tailored information delivery.

4. There is so much that a teacher has to learn to become competent in theuse of ICT for teaching tasks. There is also the prospect of having to

keep up with developments in technology.

5. ICT teacher training should be considered as a continuing process, withthe need for continuing support. The initial training may take place as

part of pre-service training, or it could be part of in-service training.


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6. Teachers must believe that the benefits of ICT for student improvementand teacher fulfillment have been proven through academically justified

studies.

7. The teacher training agencies must concentrate on providingcompetency-based training to the teachers to enable them in acquiring

the technology competencies.

8. Even at this early stage, mobile phones are being used in Indianagriculture and are starting to improve the rural literacy, an impact that

is enhanced by the new mobile-enabled information services. The most

common benefit of mobile telephony found in the research was derived

from the use of mobile phones as a basic communications tool for

educating the rural masses.

ICT in Agricultural Sector Perspectives:

1. The customers are not fully informed about the existing services andvarious facilities under these services. Creating awareness among

farmers regarding the range of services provided may help the service

providers to increase their subscriber base.

2. Greater customization and frequent updating add substantial value.Generic information triggers dissatisfaction and reduces the frequency

with which farmers access the service. The most frequent criticism one

may feel or hear is that information is old and routine.

3. Text messaging offers significant advantage over voice-based deliveryin terms of convenience and content flexibility. Wherever literacy is a

concern, 3G enabled mobile video broadband service is the only answer.

4. Information should be in the local language and easy to understand. Fewof the farmers the researcher interviewed were prepared to pay for

information services as long as they felt that they would get the

information they wanted in a timely and reliable manner.


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5. Policy changes may also be needed to encourage better access to high-quality inputs and credit for small farmers. Increased extension services

and capacity-building efforts can complement information dissemination

via mobile phones and associated services to accelerate the adoption of

new techniques.

6. Social networks may play an important role in building the trust andconfidence required to influence the adoption of new mindsets and

actions by small farmers. Additionally, basic information will need to be

supplemented by a range of other activities such as demonstrations and

broader communication efforts.

7. However, even in the case of poor farmers facing significant constraints,researcher found that there were still opportunities to realize

productivity gains from the adoption of new farming practices and

actions to mitigate crop losses. There were, in addition to economic

benefits, safety benefits and enhanced quality of life from decreased

isolation and vulnerability.

9.17 MANTRA FOR FUTURE OF THE INDIAN RURAL

EDUCATION

To solve the problems of Power Cut-Off, Huge Transportation Costs, Difficulty

in Backhaul Connectivity, Lack of Infrastructure Sharing, High Operation and

Maintenance cost, Low ARPU and Literacy Levels, wireless broadband mobile

technology is the only solution, in the true sense.

Telecom Technology Options for Indian Rural Education based on 3G

technology enabled solar-powered handsets, providing a Mobile

Multimedia Learning (MM-Learning) environment, can offer a perfect

knowledge delivery mechanism suitable for enriching the lives of rural

masses with features of access ANYWHERE, ANYTIME, ANYBODY.


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NOTES AND REFERENCES:

A) Newspaper Articles:

1. A pro-people agenda in telecom TK Arun ; Thursday June 18, 2009,07:17 AM

2. Next ICT wave will optimize life-styles: Padma Warrior; 11 Nov 2009,1621 hrs IST, PTI

3. Can telecom story remain intact?; 16 Dec 2009, 0535 hrs IST, AshwaniWindlass

4. Government of India plans to launch SME helpline; 14 Jul 2009, 1856hrs IST, ECONOMIC TIMES.COM

5. Technology for rural India; 13 Mar 2008, 0232 hrs IST, Kiran Karnik,6. Rural connect: The cooperative way; 15 Jun 2006, 0213 hrs IST, Mohan

Mishra,

7. VidyaGyan: A New Model for Improving Rural Education?; Published:December 17, 2009 in India

8.

It is about Education in Rural Areas; How to take browser basededucation to rural areas

9. Virtual Bus Research Project Description-- Another REVA genome;Thursday, 16. April 2009, Warana Wired Village, Kolhapur,

Maharashtra

10. Impact of ICT on Poverty Alleviation in Rural Pondicherry (India);Project Leader: S. Senthilkumaran.Pandit,

11. Ambika. "Tsunami villages reach out, via ICT." The Times of India.July 11, 2005.

12. Arunachalam, Subbiah. Reaching the unreached: What role can ICTsplay in rural development? Media Lab Asia, New Delhi. (paper

presented at the Asian Regional Conference of UN ICT Task Force on

April 25, 2002)

13. Establish knowledge centres in villages: Kalam; Business Line, NewDelhi , March 7
http://my.opera.com/abhishekshankar/blog/2009/04/16/virtual-bus-research-project-description-another-reva-genomemailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://my.opera.com/abhishekshankar/blog/2009/04/16/virtual-bus-research-project-description-another-reva-genome


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14. Exit PC, enter Mobile: Thomas K Thomas; Business Line : Monday,Nov 16, 2009

15. Telecom: A revolution in progress: T. H. Chowdary; Business Line :Wednesday, May 17, 2006

16. Harnessing IT for Indias growth; 13 Jul 2009, 0145 hrs IST, RajanAnandan,

17. Social sector offers Rs 10k-cr business to IT sector: Study; 14 Dec 2009,0114 hrs IST, N Shivapriya ET Bureau- ET

18. Rural Telecom, The Cable Way.; 17 Jan.2006, 0330 hrs IST,RajeshKalra.

B) Research Articles:

1. S. Cisler,Planning for Sustainability: How to Keep Your ICT ProjectRunning; available from http://www2.ctcnet.org/ctc/Cisler/sustain.doc;

accessed 4 August 2002.

2. International Society for Technology in Education. 2000. NationalEducational Technology Standards for Teachers. International Society

for Technology in Education (ISTE). Eugene, Oregon, USA. [Online].

Available: http://www.iste.org [2002, January 24].

3. Teacher Training Agency. 2002. Information and CommunicationsTechnology (ICT). Teacher Training Agency, London, UK. [Online].

Available:http://www.canteach.gov.ukinfo/ ict/index.htm [2002,

January 24].The British Computer Society. 2002. Home Page of The

British Computer Society, Swindon, UK. [Online]. Available:

http://www.bcs.org.uk [2002, January 24].

4. The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. 2002. Home Page of TheQualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA). London, UK. [Online].

Available: http://www.qca.org.uk/ [2002, January 24].

5. UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education. 2000.Informatics for Primary Education. UNESCO Institute for InformationTechnologies in Education, Moscow.


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C) Websites:

1. www.itu.int2. www.ictineducation.org3. www.icrier.org4. www.airtel.in5. www.bsnl.co.in6. www.mtnl.net.in7. www.ideacellular.com8. www.vodafone.in9. www.rcom.co.in10. www.tataindicom.com11. www.shyamtelecom.com12. www.nokia.co.in13. www.motorola.com

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