New Delhi: Union Minister for Communication and Information Technology Mr. Thiru A. Raja, today, announced that by the end of 2012, all Gram Panchayats, Government High Secondary Schools and Public Health Centres will be provided broadband connectivity and for providing internet access, one lakh information kiosks in rural areas are being planned.

He was inaugurating the National Round Table Conference on 'Telecom Sector in Education Development' at Tagore Bhavan, SCOPE Complex organized jointly by the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) and Communication & Manufacturers Associations of India (CMAI).

The Minister added that an important aspect to education development with the help of broadband in rural areas will largely depend upon the development of rich content in local language.

"It is heartening to note that efforts have already been initiated in this direction. We need to make available free tools and fonts to the public for all the major Indian languages. Then only, the domain of knowledge can be easily extended to our common man", he added.

He further said, "We are also leveraging our existing infrastructure for provision of all Information and Technology services to our citizens across the length and breadth of India. While, the principal focus would remain on voice, adequate telecom infrastructure is being created to have adequate capacity for broadband services. This would help in extending the benefits of e-governance initiatives to the common man."

"The Universal Service Organisation (USO) Funds is being extensively deployed on a large scale to increase the broadband connectivity in rural area. We are making continuous efforts and committed to extend communication facilities with broadband connectivity at each block and village level. Once these facilities are in place, the broadband connectivity will be available on demand", Mr. Raja emphasized.

"We understand the cost of end equipments including PC is quite prohibitive. For extending the full benefits of broadband to the common man, we are making efforts to make broadband ready devices available at an affordable cost. For increasing the penetration of broadband, we are also planning to launch bundled schemes of broadband along with customer premise equipments including PCs with the subsidy support from USO fund", he said.

In his key note address Dr. Praveen Vishakantaiah, President - Intel, India said, "Intel recognizes that the internet is capable of transforming lives and the future of our country. We believe that connectivity will be a driver and education will be the enabler in this transformation. Under the Intel World Ahead Program, we aim to empower people with uncompromised access to technology improve access to quality healthcare facilities, and educate teachers and students on applying technology in man's everyday life. Intel facilitated a collaborative movement called 'Connected Indian' in August 2008, where government, industry associations and private enterprise have came together for the common cause of connecting teeming millions of Indians with faster broadband adoption, public outreach activities and consumer-friendly devices."

IGNOU Vice Chancellor Prof. V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai, in his address, stated that education delivery being the sole concern of the university, the IGNOU think-tank is tapping all modes of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs).

"The moves are mostly novel. As a result of this new paradigms are emerging in the education delivery systems, and the IGNOU is having its hands full with new mission. The tie-up with the CMAI has opened just another paradigm, and the shift is well discernible. The day is not far-off when the examination papers where objective questions would suffice the purposes would be taken and accepted on mobile phones. The modalities and the processes are being addressed", Prof. Pillai said.

Mr. N.K. Goyal, President of CMAI emphasized that Mobile Value Added Services (MVAS) has become the extension of persona.

"The mobile phone undergoes a metamorphosis-from a device that allows you access to voice and text messaging, it transforms into one that helps you access accredited educational content, take mock tests on the move, regardless of geographies or physical constraints", he said.