The Hindu : National : Networked village resource centre project launched

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Oct 19, 2004

National

National

Networked village resource centre project launched

By Our Special Correspondent

BRIDGING THE GAP: The Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, inaugurating the ISRO-M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation Village Resource Centre Project via satellite link from New Delhi at the MSSRF in Chennai on Monday. — Photo: N. Balaji

CHENNAI, OCT. 18. Gandhimathi, a 37-year-old agricultural labourer in Tiruvaiyaru near Thanjavur, began complaining of breathlessness about four months ago. "I could not work. I was finding it difficult to go through everyday chores," she said.

Today, she consulted a specialist in Chennai — without stepping out of her village.

A village resource centre (VRC) project, established by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), made it possible for her to consult the Vice-Chancellor of the Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Centre, S. Thanikachalam.

The cardiologist wanted to see her echocardiogram and this was instantly flashed on the screen from Tiruvaiyaru.

Dr. Thanikachalam confirmed his diagnosis of a defective value and reassured Gandhimathi:

"There is nothing to worry about. You don't need surgery. The medicines that we give will suffice," he told her in Tamil.

The interaction was part of a live demonstration of the on-ground effectiveness of the VRCs located at Tiruvaiyaru in Thanjavur district, Thankatchimadam in Ramanathapuram district and Sempatti in Dindigul district and at the MSSRF and SRMC in Chennai.

Range of uses

Tele-medicine is not the only application of the project inaugurated by the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, from New Delhi, today.

As Dr. Singh watched from the capital, a wide range of interactions took place between the experts at the MSSRF, Chennai and farmers and fishermen in the villages.

This satellite-based project, ISRO-MSSRF-VRC, aims for digital connectivity to remote villages for providing 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 the Department of Space had become a role model for other institutions to emulate. Unless the benefits of science and technology were taken to the villages, the country could not eradicate poverty, ignorance and diseases. The setting up of VRCs was another venture taken up by the ISRO with the MSSRF to benefit the rural society.

The ISRO chairman, G. Madhavan Nair, briefed Dr. Singh on the salient features of the VRCs.

The concept was evolved by ISRO and implemented through a partnership with the MSSRF. ISRO's capabilities in satellite communications and satellite-based earth observation to disseminate a variety of services emanating from the space systems have been integrated with other information technology tools to address the changing and critical needs of rural communities. The VRC works on an interactive Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) network.

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