Jacques van Oene
October 19th 04, 10:49 AM
Prime Minister Inaugurates Village Resource Centre (VRC) Project
October 18,2004
The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh inaugurated today (October 18, 2004),
the Village Resource Centre (VRC) Project established jointly by the Indian
Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the M S Swaminathan Research
Foundation (MSSRF). This satellite based project, ISRO-MSSRF-VRC, aims for
digital connectivity to remote villages for providing multiple services such
as telemedicine, tele-education and remote sensing applications through a
single window.
Inaugurating the VRC Project via INSAT link from New Delhi, the Prime
Minister said that "Since Independence, with the great vision of Pandit
Jawaharlal Nehru, India has made significant progress in Science and
Technology and set up several institutions of repute". He added that no
other institution has brought greater laurels as the Department of Space,
which has become a role model for other institutions to emulate. He said
that unless we take the benefits of science and technology to the villages,
we cannot get rid of poverty, ignorance and diseases. The setting up of VRC
is yet another saga of adventure that has been taken up by ISRO with MSSRF
to benefit the rural society. He commended ISRO and MSSRF for this important
endeavour.
Mr Prithviraj Chawan, Minister of Space in Prime Minister's Office and Mr T
K A Nair, Principal Secretary, were present during the inaugural function.
Mr G Madhavan Nair, Chairman, ISRO briefed the Prime Minister on the salient
features of the VRCs. A live demonstration showing interaction between the
VRCs located at Thiruvaiyuru in Tanjavur District, Thankatchimadam in
Ramanathapuram District and Sempatti in Dindigal District, MSSRF at Chennai
and Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Centre at Chennai was held
during the inaugural function.
The VRC concept has been evolved by ISRO and implemented through a
partnership with MSSRF by integrating ISRO's capabilities in satellite
communications and satellite based earth observation to disseminate a
variety of services emanating from the space systems and other Information
Technology tools to address the changing and critical needs of rural
communities. The VRC is a totally interactive VSAT (Very Small Aperture
Terminal) based network. To start with, the network consists of four nodes
located at Thiruvaiyuru, Thankatchimadam, Sempatti and Chennai. The central
node is located at the MSSRF office in Chennai. The network uses one of the
Extended C-band transponders of the INSAT-3A satellite. Users located at one
node of this network can fully interact with others located at another node
through video and audio links. Each of the four nodes can be further
extended using other technologies like Wi-Fi, Wireless and Optical Fibre.
These extensions may serve as local clusters around the areas where the VRC
is located.
The information provided will be in the form of geo-referenced land record,
natural resources, suitable sites for drinking water as well as sites for
recharging to replenish ground water, water harvesting, wastelands that can
be reclaimed, rural employment creation, watershed, environment,
infrastructure, alternate cropping pattern, and so on. By suitably blending
the information derived from earth observation satellites with ground
derived and weather related information, locale-specific community advisory
services can be provided. Community based vulnerability and risk related
information, provision of timely early warning and dissemination of severe
weather related information can lead to reliable disaster management support
at the village level.
VRCs can also provide a variety of services like tele-education,
telemedicine, online decision support, interactive farmers' advisory
services, tele-fishery, e-governance services, weather services and water
management. By providing tele-education services, the VRCs act as virtual
community centric learning centres. At the same time, VRCs will provide
connectivity to speciality hospitals thus bringing the services of expert
doctors closer to the villages.
In addition, VRCs will facilitate access to spatial information on important
subjects like land use/land cover, soil and ground water prospects which can
enable the farmers to get support in taking important decisions based on
their query. Besides, VRCs will enable online interaction between the local
farmers and agricultural scientists. Fishermen can obtain information on sea
state and wave heights. Provision of information on many governmental
schemes, location and farming system specific action plans based on weather,
community specific advice on soil and water conservation are the other
services rendered by VRCs.
Thus, ISRO-MSSRF VRC project strives to promote a need based single window
delivery system for providing services in the areas of education, health,
nutrition, weather, environment, agriculture and livelihoods to the rural
population to empower them to face challenges.
--
---------------------------
Jacques :-)
www.spacepatches.info
October 18,2004
The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh inaugurated today (October 18, 2004),
the Village Resource Centre (VRC) Project established jointly by the Indian
Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the M S Swaminathan Research
Foundation (MSSRF). This satellite based project, ISRO-MSSRF-VRC, aims for
digital connectivity to remote villages for providing multiple services such
as telemedicine, tele-education and remote sensing applications through a
single window.
Inaugurating the VRC Project via INSAT link from New Delhi, the Prime
Minister said that "Since Independence, with the great vision of Pandit
Jawaharlal Nehru, India has made significant progress in Science and
Technology and set up several institutions of repute". He added that no
other institution has brought greater laurels as the Department of Space,
which has become a role model for other institutions to emulate. He said
that unless we take the benefits of science and technology to the villages,
we cannot get rid of poverty, ignorance and diseases. The setting up of VRC
is yet another saga of adventure that has been taken up by ISRO with MSSRF
to benefit the rural society. He commended ISRO and MSSRF for this important
endeavour.
Mr Prithviraj Chawan, Minister of Space in Prime Minister's Office and Mr T
K A Nair, Principal Secretary, were present during the inaugural function.
Mr G Madhavan Nair, Chairman, ISRO briefed the Prime Minister on the salient
features of the VRCs. A live demonstration showing interaction between the
VRCs located at Thiruvaiyuru in Tanjavur District, Thankatchimadam in
Ramanathapuram District and Sempatti in Dindigal District, MSSRF at Chennai
and Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Centre at Chennai was held
during the inaugural function.
The VRC concept has been evolved by ISRO and implemented through a
partnership with MSSRF by integrating ISRO's capabilities in satellite
communications and satellite based earth observation to disseminate a
variety of services emanating from the space systems and other Information
Technology tools to address the changing and critical needs of rural
communities. The VRC is a totally interactive VSAT (Very Small Aperture
Terminal) based network. To start with, the network consists of four nodes
located at Thiruvaiyuru, Thankatchimadam, Sempatti and Chennai. The central
node is located at the MSSRF office in Chennai. The network uses one of the
Extended C-band transponders of the INSAT-3A satellite. Users located at one
node of this network can fully interact with others located at another node
through video and audio links. Each of the four nodes can be further
extended using other technologies like Wi-Fi, Wireless and Optical Fibre.
These extensions may serve as local clusters around the areas where the VRC
is located.
The information provided will be in the form of geo-referenced land record,
natural resources, suitable sites for drinking water as well as sites for
recharging to replenish ground water, water harvesting, wastelands that can
be reclaimed, rural employment creation, watershed, environment,
infrastructure, alternate cropping pattern, and so on. By suitably blending
the information derived from earth observation satellites with ground
derived and weather related information, locale-specific community advisory
services can be provided. Community based vulnerability and risk related
information, provision of timely early warning and dissemination of severe
weather related information can lead to reliable disaster management support
at the village level.
VRCs can also provide a variety of services like tele-education,
telemedicine, online decision support, interactive farmers' advisory
services, tele-fishery, e-governance services, weather services and water
management. By providing tele-education services, the VRCs act as virtual
community centric learning centres. At the same time, VRCs will provide
connectivity to speciality hospitals thus bringing the services of expert
doctors closer to the villages.
In addition, VRCs will facilitate access to spatial information on important
subjects like land use/land cover, soil and ground water prospects which can
enable the farmers to get support in taking important decisions based on
their query. Besides, VRCs will enable online interaction between the local
farmers and agricultural scientists. Fishermen can obtain information on sea
state and wave heights. Provision of information on many governmental
schemes, location and farming system specific action plans based on weather,
community specific advice on soil and water conservation are the other
services rendered by VRCs.
Thus, ISRO-MSSRF VRC project strives to promote a need based single window
delivery system for providing services in the areas of education, health,
nutrition, weather, environment, agriculture and livelihoods to the rural
population to empower them to face challenges.
--
---------------------------
Jacques :-)
www.spacepatches.info