[ppi] [ppiindia] India: A village where IT is a way of life

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Rozie



A village where IT is a way of life=20

By S. Vijay Kumar=20




=20
A 70-year-old man in Pathinettangudi, mailing a photograph of his eyes to t=
he Aravind Eye Hospital, Madurai, through Webcam for consultation. =97 Phot=
o: K. Ganesan=20

MADURAI APRIL 21 . Pathinettangudi some 35 km from Madurai, which presents =
the look of just another underprivileged village. However, a silent IT revo=
lution is brewing in the tiny hamlet where the illiterate farm workers use =
webcams, voice mail and e-mail regularly.=20

Similar is the communication technology spread in at least 30 other village=
s around Pathinettangudi, paving the way for the caste-conscious Melur to b=
ecome the first cyber taluk in the country=97 courtesy the Sustainable Acce=
ss in Rural Internet (SARI) project.=20

Villagers no longer run from pillar to post to get caste, birth and death c=
ertificates here. They simply download the application online and forward i=
t through e-mail to the tahsildhar. The acknowledgement is received within =
hours and the certificate issued in a week.=20

``Earlier, we had to shell out at least Rs. 250 to get an income certificat=
e or old age pension. Now, the cost is only Rs. 29, which includes a printo=
ut of the e-mail acknowledgement from the tahsildhar,'' says 70-year-old Mo=
ndi of Pathinettangudi.=20

`Public Access Internet Kiosks' have been established in 30 villages under =
the SARI project in association with the ``n-logue''. This government-publi=
c-private-institution partnership programme also involves the IIT Chennai, =
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Harvard University.=20

Even as a good number of youth in Melur taluk are employed in the Middle Ea=
st, their dear ones are no longer scared of ISD bills. It's just Rs. 25 an =
hour to see their wards live on screen through the interactive webcam. This=
, of course, besides the voice mail, chatting and e-mail.=20

That is not all. The agricultural labourers get their queries clarified onl=
ine as well, thanks to the Madurai Agriculture College and the Research Ins=
titute of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University which is providing free co=
unselling. The villagers also get close-up colour pictures of their eyes ex=
amined by specialists in the Aravind Eye Hospital in Madurai and fix up app=
ointments for surgeries.=20

``We are planning to provide online train, air and bus ticket booking. A fr=
ee consultancy on veterinary sciences is also on the anvil,'' says S. Prem =
Anand, deputy manager of the ``n-logue'', who has been doing background wor=
k based at Melur for nearly two years now.=20

The man behind this achievement is Ashok Jhunjhunwala of the IIT Chennai, w=
ho developed the Wireless and Local Loop (WLL)-based Chordless Digitally En=
hanced Telephony, says Mr. Anand.=20

The constant support and review of the SARI project by the Collector, S. Ra=
machandran, instils confidence in the villagers.=20

The technology provides highspeed Internet wireless access to more than 1,0=
00 systems within a radius of 25 km radius. The kiosks have been establishe=
d by individuals who took the risk of investing Rs. 50,000 in computer and =
multi-media and other accessories. Now the owners, who have installed the u=
ser-friendly Tamil softwares `Padhami', `Padhakkam' and `Minnal', make an a=
verage income of Rs. 2,500 a month and the patronage is growing steadily. A=
s of now, a chunk of villagers in these 30 villages have e-mail identities,=
 which they use for seeking assistance from the Government under various sc=
hemes. The SARI project has evoked excellent response from the Government a=
nd the public.=20


The technology is expected to take root all over the State soon, claim offi=
cials.



Khairurrazi
Aligarh Muslim University
Uttar Pradesh, India

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