VRC Programme in Madhya Pradesh

VRC Programme is based on ISRO’s assistance. NCHSE, Bhopal is implementing this programme in Madhya Pradesh.


Several Information Kiosks shall be established at the village/block level. These shall be equipped with the latest audio-visual equipment. The centres shall be linked through the satellite (VSAT) link.
Background:
The Honourable President of India Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, placed an idea before the Govt. of India of establishing Knowledge Centres / Resource Centres at the village level to provide information, knowledge and guidance to the village population on varied subjects so as to bring the Rural population into the main stream. 
To fulfill this dream, there were two challenges, one- what sort of equipment should be put up at these centres considering the functional requirements, secondly, how and what kind of experts should be linked to the Centres for supporting by way of online/offiline guidance. 

Introduction to VRC Programme:
(i) Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Department of Space, Govt. of India took up the challenge to establish the Kiosks (Information Centres) and to create the network for mutual interaction amongst the Centres. ISRO is providing technical support to the entire programme.
(ii) In Madhya Pradesh, in the districts of Hoshangabad and Ujjain, the Bhopal based NGO, National Centre for Human Settlements and Environment (NCHSE) is the associate agency with ISRO for implementation of the programme. NCHSE shall establish and run about twelve centres at the Block head quarters level. The following are the locations selected:

VRC Locations:

District                                               Location

Hoshangabad cluster                        1. Pipariya

                                                         2. Seoni Malwa

                                                         3. Sohagpur

                                                         4. Babai

                                                         5. Hoshangabad District HQ

                                                         6. Harda District HQ  

Ujjain cluster                                     1. Mahidpur

                                                         2. Ujjain

                                                         3. Tarana

                                                         4. Khachrod

                                                         5. Ghatia

                                                         6. Badnagar 

To support the network of centres, one Expert centre will also be located at Bhopal. The centre shall work as the conductor of all types of services including the main counseling and consultation hub.

 

(iii)  Under the programme, ISRO is providing a large variety of hardware, software and information. The satellite connectivity shall be used for networking. This connection shall be established using VSAT antenna set up at each VRC.

(iv)  All these equipment are quite modern and advanced, and the VSAT connectivity itself isquite an expensive component of the project. VSAT helps connectivity without use of wire or any other direct medium.  This way any part on the globe, anywhere, can be linked. This is the most vital feature of the project.

Services to be provided from VRC:

1. ICT Based services: By definition, these are such services where computer and communication equipment are used. This includes internet, computer based word processing, tabulation, data entry work, film projection, presentation, games, etc.

A. Computer Based services

Ø       Computer Typing, Games, Films, Presentations- Education, CD/Software, driven/pre stored Advisories/FAQs.

Ø       Agriculture related information like Weather, Environment, Optimization of agricultural inputs, Seeds, Fertilizer, Use of Insecticides, pesticides, Pests and diseases, Adopting water efficient cropping patterns

Ø       Animal Husbandary, Poultry/Goatery/Fishery, Disease prevention in animals, Disease control

Ø       Water related programme, Soil and water conservation, Rainwater harvesting, ground water recharge, participatory watershed management, legal and consumer matters.

Ø       Social issues like social issues through awareness, Gender issues, Women, empowerment, Government related Programmes, Development projects by government, Services available through government agencies

Ø       Livelihood Programmes: Animal husbandry, Animal husbandry and livestock, Self-Help Group (SHGs), Employment opportunities / Rural Employment, Poverty Alleviation.

Ø       Education related opportunities, Schools, College level, Proffessioinal studies, Proffessional exams related information, General and professional employment opportunities 

Ø       Other activities like print out, Write media (CD writing/copying), Photocopy, Scanning, Advertisement, Horoscope

 

B. Internet Based

Web Surfing, General E-mailing, E-mail based Grievence redressal by Govt., General Chatting .         

C. Portal Based

Presentations, Access Information on Employment opportunities/Rural Employment, E-mail based Advise, E-mail based Grievence redressal, E-Goverance, Informaion regarding doctors, Hopitals/ Clinics, medical stores,


2-     Video Conferencing based activities: The video-conferencing based activties shall be mianly conducted from Bhopal and/or from the district based offices of Hoshangabad and Ujjain. These stations shall be linked with block centres. The tele-education and tele-health services shall be run under the network.


A. Health Consultation (Tele-Health): Talk to NCHSE engaged health providers, Talk to Ujjain/ Hoshangabad based Health Provider, Talk to ISRO Health Providers, Refer with Data Report, Doctor to Doctor, Connectivity to speciality hospitals.


B. Educational Programme (Tele-education): Attend publicity seminar on video, Talk to an expert, Coaching Classes (PMT / PET), IIT, AIEEE, MBA, MCA etc. and other programmes like Spoken English & Personality Development Classes, Bank coaching, Clerical coaching, Virtual community centric learning, Female literacy, Adult education.


C. Training Programme for IG Activities (Tele-training): Horticulture, floriculture related training programmes, Entrepreneurship activities for income generation.

 

3-     The GIS and Remote sensing based services: NCHSE Bhopal has a sphisticated GIS centre. This centre shall make available all its strengths to design and host a district level GIS for each district. The remote sensed data to be provided by the NRSA, shall be put to use to generate thematic maps suvh as landuse, water resources/drainage, etc. The out puts will be provided on print or CD forms.

Block and Khasra level queries by farmers / other concerned people, watershed study, Soil Water Conservation, change detection, Watershed activities impact assessment, Ground water prospects, Query based decision support, better productivity results, sustainable utilization of resources. Thematic mapping like Geomorphology / Landforms, Lithology, Soil, Structural mapping, Landuse / Land cover maps, Cadastral boundries, Road network, Drainage netwok etc.

 

4-  Non-ICT based services: These are such services where the ICT equipment are not used. These would include activities like sale of items (cosmetic products, stationery, arranging fertlisers, pesticide, etc.). Also the training programmes on income generation activitiies for SHG members, women and economically weker people shall be organised by VRCs. 

 

The following will be available: Price lists of various products, Informaition on Govt. schemes print media, Ticket reservation status, Train schedule, Business and Departmental informations, Various loans and other programmes, Rural employment services, Application Formats for different services / jobs

 

5-  Special projects/Assignements: Government Programmes: Govt. and Non-govt. Programmes/ Schemes

Assignments: for NGOs or pvt sector.