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Govt scripting Rs 100-billion plan for Internet in schools

Bipin Chandran & Anjan Mitra

The government is planning to invest Rs 100 billion to improve Internet connectivity in educational institutions across the country.

While Rs 60 billion will be spent on providing Net connectivity in schools, another Rs 40 billion has been proposed for upgrading Education and Research Network (Ernet).

According to the blueprint drawn up by the ministry of information technology, multilateral funding agencies like the World Bank would be roped in as a partner. The IT ministry is, however, yet to approach the finance ministry for support, sources said.

The Rs 60 billion project called 'Schoolnet' proposes to provide 128 kbps connectivity in 60,000 schools in the first phase besides networking them. In the second phase, the government proposes to add another 40,000 schools, taking the total number to 100,000.

On Ernet - the network that interconnects the universities and research and development institutions in the country - the government is also looking at the possibility of private sector participation.

The upgradation of Ernet would involve increasing the available bandwidth and upgrading the computer infrastructure as also providing value-added services like educational content, setting up an educational portal, networking for engineering institutions and implementation of UGC net.

"Considering the magnitude of the projects, the IT ministry is of the opinion that it will be difficult to implement the project on its own," said an official.

IT ministry along with the ministry of communications and educational institutes had earlier signed a memorandum of understanding with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to set up Sankhya Vahini which was to provide high-speed data link between educational and research institutes. The project has, however, been put on the backburner.

At present, Ernet provides ISP services to universities and research institutions and also undertakes research and development activities in the area of computer networking.

The satellite network of Ernet is operating on one-fourth transponder space in the C-band of Insat-II DT since December 1998. At present 750 institutions are connected through Ernet.

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