Part of the Prime Minister’s vision for the India of tomorrow…is “digital literacy” for all who live in India, no matter how remote their corners. Thus, in order to see his vision turn to fruition, on 8th Feb, 2017, the Union Cabinet that was chaired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister, approved the ‘Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan’, which aims to empower 6 crore rural households by imparting them digital literacy.
In fact, on several occasions, the Prime Minister has made it absolutely clear that when he refers to ‘Digital India’, he is not just talking about the urban clusters or the rich of this country. His vision for the country entails making the poor, including the marginalized sections of the society, digitally literate. In fact, the mandate of the campaign is absolutely clear: (1) address the digital divide, and (2) enable and empower people to participate and partake in governance.
Of course, this is easier said than done, with reaching the rural poor in remote locations being a big constraint. Which is why the move of Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII) in Gandhinagar needs both a special mentioning and a special reckoning. The EDII recently launched the ‘World on Wheels’ project, which aims to deliver digital literacy right at the doorsteps of the rural poor.
With five buses to currently ply in five states (which includes Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh), the buses will function as a mobile teaching unit to educate the rural masses on special Union Government initiatives, like ‘Digital India’, ‘Start Up India, Stand Up India’, and others.
EDII intends to keep these teaching-buses stationed at various villages, depending on the needs and demands of the villagers looking for entrepreneurial and financial and digital literacy. The curriculum will also focus on important issues like Sanitation, Water Conservation, Health and Hygiene, Pre-natal and Post-natal health of women and children, Basic Mathematics, Science, etc. Moreover, these buses will conduct classes mostly in the evenings so that women too could participate and become digitally literate in the process.
Knowledge of ICT will help integrate the rural population in remote areas to the urban clusters. In addition, it will enable them to gain information and help provide access to the various initiatives and schemes launched by the Government of India for their betterment. Alternatively, the access to internet will also help them participate in the overall governance by providing them a platform to voice their opinions.
Truth be told, the ‘World on Wheel’ initiative by EDII is a well-thought out move that needs to be replicated across the country. After all…with good schools being in such short supply, there is a dearth of good educational facilities, especially in our rural clusters. Hence, with the help of these mobile teaching buses, it finally becomes possible to take education right to the doorstep of the rural poor, thus eliminating the need for them to travel great distances in search of better educational facility. This, by itself, is a huge achievement!
