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Union Minister of Communications and IT <keyword id="6354886" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ravi-Shankar-Prasad">Ravi Shankar Prasad</keyword> will inaugurate the dot <keyword id="2470822" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bharat-Domain-Name">Bharat domain name</keyword> on August 21 in New Delhi, which would facilitate multi-lingual <keyword id="6357247" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Internet">Internet</keyword> access. 
 National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) and the <keyword id="64489" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Centre-for-Development-of-Advanced-Computing">Centre for Development of Advanced Computing</keyword> (C-DAC) will enable dot Bharat ccTLD that can be registered in Devnagari script. 
 
C-DAC is also working together with NIXI and they have set up a committee on International Domain Names (IDNs) to introduce domain names in Indian languages. 
 
Internationalised Domain Name in Indian languages will be represented in the characters of the language concerned. Such domain names could contain letters or characters from non-ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) scripts. ASCII is a character-encoding scheme based on the ordering of the English alphabet. 
 
In India, the IN Registry has been mandated for registering, operating and managing IDN in the Indian languages. 
 The number of Internet subscribers was 238.71 million in December 2013. Himachal Pradesh, with 2.04 million users, had the lowest number of Internet users, <keyword id="2470821" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Telecom-and-IT-Minister">Telecom and IT Minister</keyword> Ravi Shankar Prasad recently informed the Lok Sabha.

Telecom Minister To Inaugurate Dot Bharat Domain Name

Aimed at bringing 300 million people online, search giant <keyword id="6355629" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Google">Google</keyword> has partnered content providers along with government agency, <keyword id="541856" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="CDAC">CDAC</keyword> to make regional content available on Internet. 
 It has announced the creation of the Indian Language Internet Alliance (<keyword id="2582343" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="ILIA">ILIA</keyword>), and through this group it is looking at promoting the growth of Indic-language content online. The ILIA is composed of Times Internet Limited, Patrika Group, Process Nine Technologies Pvt Ltd, Prost Innovation Pvt Ltd, Reverie Language Technologies Private Limited, Ver Se Innovation/NewsHunt, Webdunia.com etc in addition to Google. Under this alliance, Google also launched a new website called www.<keyword id="6357660" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="hindi">hindi</keyword>web.com which curates content from these content partners in Hindi language. 
	 

	In order to provide Internet connectivity to 300 million by 2017, Google will also offer voice search service in Hindi. Going forward, Google also plans to include other Indian languages such as Tamil, Marathi and Bengali. 
 

	"India has about 200 million Internet users with about 5 million new users being added every month with 100 percent coming through mobile devices. At this pace, India will overtake the US in terms of number of users in the next 12 months," Google India Vice President and Managing Director Rajan Anandan said.
 

	“However, only 198 million people in the country are estimated to be proficient in English with most of them already on the Internet. The group is committed to promoting the growth of Indic- language content online. The Indian Language Internet Alliance (ILIA) hopes to enable 300 million Indian language speakers to become highly engaged Internet users by 2017," he added.
 

	Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar welcomed this move and expressed hope that if Internet becomes available in Indian languages, then the number of Internet users in the country will go up to 50 crore. “This will help in realisation of digital India initiative of the government. It is an important initiative," he said. 
	Disclaimer: Business Insider India is run by Times Internet Ltd. which is part of the ILIA

Google Has A New Gameplan To Win More Internet Users In India

Are you tired of carrying ‘n’ numbers of cards as soon as you leave your house? The government has come out with a solution. The <keyword id="162100" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Ministry-of-Urban-Development">Ministry of Urban Development</keyword> has launched a NCMC model to enable seamless travel by metros and other transportation systems across the country. 
 
You can use the same card based on the Smart National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) model for shopping as well. This card does away with the need for carrying separate cards for banking and transit requirements. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Urban+Development+Minister+M+Venkaiah+Naidu+">Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu</a> has approved the 'EMV Open Loop Card with stored value' for this initiative. 
 
Earlier, Naidu had set up a committee chaired by the additional secretary in the ministry to find an inter-operable mobility card that can be used across different transport systems in India and which can also be used as a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=credit+or+debit+card+">credit or debit card</a> as well. 
 This committee had representatives of <keyword id="6373306" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="National-Informatics-Centre">National Informatics Centre</keyword> (NIC), <keyword id="1306047" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Centre-for-Development-of-Advance-Computing">Centre for Development of Advance Computing</keyword> (C-DAC), <keyword id="59330" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Bureau-of-Indian-Standards">Bureau of Indian Standards</keyword> (BIS), National Payment Corporation of India (NCPI) and the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Ministry+of+Finance">Ministry of Finance</a>. 
 
After studying different models used across the world, the committee has recommended the EMV Open Loop Card with stored value. 
 
This Smart Common Mobility Payment Card addresses the deficiencies associated with other cards being used in <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Singapore+">Singapore</a> and other countries. This card meets travel needs based on stored value of money. The card can be used for travelling by any means of transport and also enables account based retail applications. 
 Globally, there is no nationwide common card except in <keyword id="6356662" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Singapore">Singapore</keyword> where in inter-operability is confined to the city only. The committee has therefore recommended the EMV Open Loop Card with stored value for use across the country. 
 The ministry has decided to task the <keyword id="394949" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="National-Payments-Corporation">National Payments Corporation</keyword> of India with indigenous development and management of clearing and settlement of payments, simulating cards, terminals and network, a support base of vendors for providing certified tools, cards, terminals and other services, in line with the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=%27Make+in+India%27+">'Make in India'</a> initiative. 
 
(Image: Indiatimes)

Now travel anywhere within India using the same card!

Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers (<keyword id="50359" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="ICANN">ICANN</keyword>) has said that the <keyword id="1984591" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="future-of-internet">future of internet</keyword> depends on increased engagement of <keyword id="3424047" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="regional-language-users">regional language users</keyword>, even as setting standards for using languages online is a complex problem that needs assistance from different stakeholders in India. 
 <keyword id="682813" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Domain-name-system">Domain Name System</keyword> (<keyword id="108448" type="TECHNOLOGY" weightage="100" keywordseo="DNS">DNS</keyword>) for Indian languages is being evolved and a specialized panel has been set up for working on developing <keyword id="3424049" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="internationalised-domain-names">internationalised domain names</keyword> (<keyword id="489038" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="IDNs">IDNs</keyword>) and internet standards that would enable different scripts and languages in India for being used online. "IDNs will help to pave the way for a truly multilingual and accessible internet. In India, where we have 22 constitutional languages, IDNs will open up opportunities for the non-English speaking Indian communities to come online. The formation of the <keyword id="3424050" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Neo-Brahmi-Generation-Panel">Neo-Brahmi Generation Panel</keyword> is the first step towards a multilingual Internet for India," Professor Udaya Narayana Singh, chair of the Neo-Brahmi Generation Panel, told <a href="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/internet/future-of-internet-to-depend-on-bringing-more-regional-language-users-online/articleshow/52789079.cms">ET</a>. 
 
The panel, which started working in May 2015, consists of professionals from the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), private sector companies, linguists and policy experts. As of now, the dedicated panel is working on ways to develop IDNs, or domain names in local languages- such as ".bharat" in Hindi, following which users will be able to read and write ".bharat" in Assamese, Gujarati, Punjabi, Tamil or other Indian languages. 
 
This is not a cakewalk, since there are 122 languages with over 1,576 mother-tongues spoken in India, most of which are written in 13 different scripts, with 53 more minor writing systems, and all these are in addition to the languages constitutionally identified in India. 
 
The Indian IT industry is also facing issues because it lacks representation at internet governance forums such as ICANN, which helps organise the Internet with the allotment of domain names such as.com, .org and .net. 
 
"The critical part is the technology itself...The fact that India is such a large part of the (online) user base and the fact that we're not part of that conversation should worry us. There's opportunity for academics, IT companies, and companies which have digital R&amp;D on these subjects. It is imperative that Indian companies get engaged," Samiran Gupta, head of India, ICANN, told ET. 
 
<a href="http://www.tristar.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/connectivity-concept-with-tablet-620-1740x700.jpg">Image source</a>

Internet would flourish better by engaging more regional language users

<ul><li><keyword id="19912297" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Nvidia" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Nvidia" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Nvidia">Nvidia</keyword> wants to partner with <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India" source="keywords">India</keyword> to develop new <keyword id="20830356" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="AI-chip" source="keywords">AI chip</keyword></li><li>The discussions are in prelim stage</li><li>Nvidia hasn't announced anything officially</li></ul> When it comes to AI, Nvidia is one of the frontrunners in the race. In the last few months, we have heard ample reports about how much Nvidia's AI chips are in demand. Now, latest reports say that the tech giant is looking forward to partner with India and use its huge talent pool to develop a new AI chip. According to a report in ET, Nvidia is looking to forge a partnership with India to create a new semiconductor chip tailored to the nation’s technological needs. As per the report, this initiative was discussed earlier this year between <keyword id="19979316" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jensen-Huang" source="keywords">Jensen Huang</keyword>, Nvidia’s CEO, and Indian Prime Minister <keyword id="19895781" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi" source="keywords">Narendra Modi</keyword>. The collaboration aims to blend India’s robust semiconductor design skills with Nvidia’s cutting-edge technology to meet the increasing demands of the Indian tech market. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113902265" title="Nvidia’s ChatRTX could be your alternative to ChatGPT for reading long documents, and it doesn’t need an internet connection" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> As Nvidia’s graphics processing unit (GPU) chips continue to play a crucial role in the AI revolution, the company’s valuation has skyrocketed, now standing as the second most valuable company globally. Ashwini Vaishnaw, India’s union minister for electronics and IT, confirmed that discussions are underway, although they remain in the early stages. He told ET, “Yes, we are discussing with Nvidia the development of an AI chip; discussions are at a preliminary stage.” Meanwhile, Nvidia has not said anything yet. With around 19% of the world’s chip designers based in India—many working for renowned global firms—Nvidia is reportedly eager to leverage this rich talent pool. The partnership would focus on developing chips that cater to specific requirements within India, including AI-driven solutions for government initiatives, enhancements in infrastructure, and support for startups. Meanwhile, <keyword id="20553835" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="huang" source="keywords">Huang</keyword> is scheduled to visit India soon, marking his annual trip, during which he hopes to deepen ties with the nation. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="114040583" title="I talked to an AI-powered NPC thanks to Nvidia! True to her character, she surprised me with her princess attitude" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> The report added that the envisioned chip would be specifically tailored for Indian applications, potentially enhancing systems like the Kavach security initiative for Indian Railways. This collaboration aims to provide the government, startups, and various businesses with a chip that supports diverse applications in line with India’s AI mission. Currently, the government is working on details such as cost, benefits, and use cases related to this co-development effort. If this chip collaboration materialises, Nvidia plans to design the core components in partnership with firms like Arm or AMD, while Indian entities, including the <keyword id="20051560" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="centre-for-development-of-advanced-computing" source="keywords">Centre for Development of Advanced Computing</keyword> (C-DAC) and private firms, would handle the customisation of the top 10-20% of the chip design, the ET report added.

Nvidia eyes partnership with India to develop a new AI chip, all you need to know

<ul><li>India Post Payments Bank Limited (IPPB) has opportunities for job seekers with 132 executive positions available on a contractual basis. </li><li>The Indian Air Force (IAF) has invited unmarried Indian male and female candidates to apply for the selection test for Agniveervayu intake. </li><li>The Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has recently advertised 55 job openings for the position of Project Scientists. </li></ul>Indians often prefer <keyword id="6362949" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="government-jobs" source="Orion">government jobs</keyword> due to the perceived job security and various benefits, including pensions, healthcare, and other allowances, which are seen as stable and reliable compared to some private sector positions. Additionally, government jobs are often considered prestigious and socially esteemed in Indian society, further attracting individuals seeking stability and status in their careers. We look at Government vacancies available in the month of August 2023. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="India Post" comment="subhead" text="India Post">India Post</cmsannotation> India Post Payments Bank Limited (IPPB) is presenting an opportunity for job seekers with 132 executive positions available on a contractual basis. Those seeking to advance their careers in the financial sector can submit their applications for these vacancies through the official website ippbonline.com. The application deadline is August 16, 2023. To qualify for these executive roles, applicants must fulfil specific requirements. As of June 1, 2023, candidates should be aged between 21 and 35 years. Moreover, a Bachelor's degree in any field is mandatory, and preference will be given to candidates with prior experience in financial product sales or operations. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Indian Air Force" comment="subhead" text="Indian Air Force">Indian Air Force</cmsannotation> The Indian Air Force (IAF) has invited unmarried Indian male and female candidates to apply for the selection test for Agniveervayu intake 01/2024, under the Agnipath scheme. Interested individuals can apply through the official website of IAF Agniveervayu at agnipathvayu.cdac.in. The application process started on July 31 and will close on August 17. To be eligible, candidates must have been born between June 27, 2003, and December 27, 2006. Educational qualifications vary based on the subject stream. Science subjects require candidates to have passed Intermediate/10+2/Equivalent examination with specific subjects and marks, while Other than Science Subjects applicants should have completed their Intermediate/10+2/Equivalent Examination in any stream/subjects with minimum marks in English. The candidates need to meet specific medical standards concerning height, weight, chest measurements, hearing, and dental health, as outlined by the Indian Air Force. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Defense Research and Development Organisation" comment="subhead" text="Defense Research and Development Organisation">Defense Research and Development Organisation</cmsannotation> The Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has recently advertised 55 job openings for the position of Project Scientist. Those interested in applying can do so through DRDO's official website at drdo.gov.in. The application process is entirely conducted online, and the deadline for submission is August 11. This recruitment aims to fill a total of 55 vacancies. Notably, male candidates belonging to the General, other backward class (OBC), and economically weaker section (EWS) categories are required to pay an application fee of ₹100, while scheduled caste (SC), scheduled tribe (ST), person with disability (PWD), and women candidates are exempt from any fee. The age limit for Project Scientist F is 55 years, for E it is 50 years, and for D, the maximum age allowed is 45 years. Aspiring candidates looking to join DRDO, a crucial part of the Ministry of Defence, should take note of these vital details during the application process. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Staff Selection Commission" comment="subhead" text="Staff Selection Commission">Staff Selection Commission</cmsannotation> The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) has issued a notification for the Junior Engineer (JE) Examination, including civil, mechanical, and electrical branches. The online registration process commenced on July 26, and candidates can apply for the SSC JE 2023. The last date of submitting the application form is August 16. Through this recruitment drive, the SSC aims to fill 1,324 vacancies for junior engineers in various central government departments such as Military Engineering Services(MES), Border Roads Organisation (BRO), Central Public Works Department (CPWD), National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO), and others. Aspiring candidates need to pay an examination fee of Rs 100. However, candidates belonging to SC, ST, PWD, women, and ex-servicemen eligible for reservation are exempted from paying the fee.

From Indian Air Force to DRDO – Government jobs up for grab in August

Did you always long for an <keyword id="2073152" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="India-focused-Wikipedia">India-focused Wikipedia</keyword> that would provide all relevant information about the country? Well, you are there, almost. A couple of days ago, the <keyword id="44734" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Indian-Government">Indian government</keyword> has launched <a href="http://vikaspedia.gov.in/index">Vikaspedia</a>, a multi-lingual portal that enables access to crucial information across six key areas – <keyword id="6355165" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Agriculture">agriculture</keyword>, <keyword id="6354750" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="health">health</keyword>, <keyword id="6355445" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Education">education</keyword>, <keyword id="6356140" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="social-welfare">social welfare</keyword>, <keyword id="6357014" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="energy">energy</keyword> and <keyword id="6391682" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="e-governance">e-governance</keyword>. The site also features a handful of <keyword id="2073193" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="G2C">G2C</keyword> (<keyword id="2073195" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Government-to-citizen">government to citizen</keyword>) and <keyword id="2073194" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="G2B">G2B</keyword> (<keyword id="2073196" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Government-to-business">government to business</keyword>) services besides discussion forums, impact stories/case studies, <keyword id="2073160" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Learning-resources">learning resources</keyword>, mobile app downloads, and news &amp; events. 
 <keyword id="2065138" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Vikaspedia">Vikaspedia</keyword> is currently available in five languages including Hindi, English, Assamese, Marathi and Telugu. But going forward, there are plan to make it accessible in all 22 Indian languages. 
 The portal is a part of the <keyword id="2073165" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="India-Development-Gateway">India Development Gateway</keyword> (<keyword id="209592" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="IDG">IDG</keyword>) initiative, aimed at offering information and ICT-based knowledge products and services in the <keyword id="2073167" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Social-development-domain">social development domain</keyword>. IDG is being run by the <keyword id="260126" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="department-of-electronics">Department of Electronics</keyword> and <keyword id="6363148" type="TECHNOLOGY" weightage="100" keywordseo="information-Technology">Information Technology</keyword> (<keyword id="382618" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="deity">DeitY</keyword>). Vikaspedia has been developed by the <keyword id="64489" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Centre-for-Development-of-Advanced-Computing">Centre for Development of Advanced Computing</keyword> (C-DAC), Hyderabad. 
 
So how does Vikaspedia bring value to our everyday life? Since it is a government-run information portal and not a crowd-sourced Indian Wiki, don’t expect to find interesting ‘Leaks’ here that will give you an insight into State documents and policy-making. But this one promises to be better than the run-of-the-mill government repositories. 
 For one, authorities say it is part of the initiative to <keyword id="2073175" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Democratise-information">democratise information</keyword>, leveraging the power of the Internet. And that claim is true to some extent. Earlier, fast, hassle-free access to real-time and crucial data was quite unthinkable and people had to pay for it as well. But from now on, most of it will be made available for free. Of course, that doesn’t mean that the paid <keyword id="6356198" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="RTI">RTI</keyword> (<keyword id="55120" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Right-To-Information">Right To Information</keyword>) services will be scrapped any time soon. But with Vikaspedia in place, one can access the essential information for free. 
 Moreover, the portal gives you a fair idea of what’s currently happening in the e-governance space. The section on ‘Mobile Governance’ is especially relevant, given the fact that India has around 110 million mobile Internet users, out of which 25 million are in <keyword id="6355185" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="rural-india">rural India</keyword>. In fact, 70% of rural India’s active Internet population access the Web via mobile phones while 42% of rural India’s users prefer using the Internet in local languages. 
 “As the rural landscape in India is set to take the advantage of the flourishing <keyword id="2073177" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="ICT-initiatives">ICT initiatives</keyword> pioneered by various institutions, more specifically the <keyword id="775561" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Common-Service-Centres">Common Service Centres</keyword> (CSCs), Vikaspedia offers the much required content and services in local languages that makes the difference in the lives of the people,” the site says. That essentially underlines that Vikaspedia can enter the big league as the information portal supports regional languages and focuses on e-governance services/mobile seva available across the country. The site also features a number of utility apps for free download including <keyword id="1559456" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="ask-an-expert">Ask An Expert</keyword>, <keyword id="2073179" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="SHELTOR">SHELTOR</keyword> (<keyword id="2073180" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Student-HostEL-locator">Student HostEL locator</keyword>) and <keyword id="21785" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="mother">MOTHER</keyword> (<keyword id="2073182" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="MObile-based-maTernal-HEalth-awaReness">MObile based maTernal HEalth awaReness</keyword>), an app for monitoring maternal health. 
 
 
 While launching the portal, <keyword id="409418" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="J-Satyanarayana">J Satyanarayana</keyword>, Secretary of DeitY, noted that <keyword id="71187" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Wikipedia">Wikipedia</keyword>, an <keyword id="2073183" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Information-repository">information repository</keyword> built on online crowdsourcing of content, is so popular that it is being used for official and legal purposes. Although Vikaspedia is not in the same space, it will be a single-point reference for the above six fields, featuring content specific to the Indian context. 
 
Those still pining for an Indian Wiki will be pleasantly surprised when you find a few similar features even on Vikaspedia. For instance, you can <a href="http://vikaspedia.in/register">register</a> here as a <keyword id="2073188" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Content-contributor">content contributor</keyword> that will allow you to add a new page of content, edit the existing content and create discussion topics. We are still not sure if the portal is open to <keyword id="2073184" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Content-crowdsourcing">content crowdsourcing</keyword> and editing just like Wikipedia does, but this option looks quite suggestive. Registering as a member is a breeze but last we tried registering as a content contributor, an error message came up persistently. Does it mean the feature is not currently available to the masses? 
 That’s not exactly democratising data but we feel that at the initial stage, only authorised institutions/organisations can deliver and edit content, instead of individual contributors. But even then, an interactive repository of developmental data (after all, members can still participate in discussions and provide <keyword id="154361" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="feedback">feedback</keyword>), along with easy access, could just be the first step towards more <keyword id="2073190" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Transparent-governance">transparent governance</keyword> and <keyword id="1857924" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="People-Empowerment">people empowerment</keyword>. Vikaspedia can bridge the <keyword id="2073191" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Knowledge-divide">knowledge divide</keyword> and therefore, the <keyword id="2073192" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Opportunity-divide">opportunity divide</keyword>, which may gradually ensure the economic and social well-being of India’s 1.3 billion-strong population. 
 
Main image: Thinkstock Photos/Getty Images

This Portal Is
Not An Indian Wikipedia, But Claims It Is Democratising Data For People
Empowerment

The growth of the <keyword id="6375224" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="higher-education">higher education</keyword> system in India has been relatively steady for a period of over 20 years, beginning from 1985-86. Recently, student enrolment has picked up speed, from an approximate 16 million in 2009-10 to well over 26 million today, and it is slated to hit 40 million by the year 2020. But the focus of the policy-makers during this period has largely been on issues of expansion, of access and equity, and relatively less so on excellence. Even back in 2007, <keyword id="222693" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="The-National">the National</keyword> Knowledge Commission described the situation in the higher education arena (undergraduate, postgraduate and vocational education after 12th grade, age group 18 years and above) as ‘a quiet crisis that runs deep.’ Fortunately, there is a ray of hope in the new National Higher Education Mission (2013) announced by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) of the <keyword id="6377129" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Government-Of-India">Government of India</keyword>, also called the Rashtriya Uchchatam Shiksha Abhiyan or RUSA. 
 <keyword id="6362476" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="investments">Investments</keyword> in relevant quality education not just produce robust economic returns but also strengthen the democracy by creating an enlightened citizenry. The <keyword id="1862062" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="RUSA-mission">RUSA mission</keyword> will attempt to bring the focus back to where it ought to be – on the quality of higher education delivered at the educational institutions that are under the purview of the state governments. Mainstream English language media prefer to cover the institutions run by the central government – the top favourites being the IITs and IIMs, the central universities, IIITs, AIIMS and many others, to a lesser extent. And yet, these institutions account for just 2.6% of the student intake! So, what about the remaining 97%? 
 
The skew between the central government-run institutions and those controlled by the state governments is not just in the number of students enrolled. The quality of higher education imparted at the state government-run institutions is relatively inferior in almost every discipline. Figures regarding youth employability from TeamLease show that 57% of the young people suffer from some degree of unemployability and 53% of the employed youth suffer from some degree of skill deprivation. These are staggering figures that are already hurting the health of the nation. The private sector, which runs over 60% of the educational institutions but accounts for just 40% of the enrolment, has not lived up to expectations either, in terms of quality. 
 The state governments will point to the fact that the Central institutions have been heavily funded at the expense of all others, but the problem extends beyond that. The states have paid little attention to higher education, spending far too small a portion of their GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product) on it, just 0.5% on an average. A few states like Maharashtra spend as little as 0.14%! The RUSA mission of MHRD aims to correct this skew in <keyword id="6357455" type="EVENT" weightage="40" keywordseo="Funding">funding</keyword> by providing the states with block grants, against the state-wide perspective plans for spending and for the outcome prepared by the state higher education councils. The difficulty here is that some of the state higher education councils, Maharashtra for instance, are not active. So these states could end up wasting precious time in claiming their share of funds. Indeed, the sense of urgency for bringing about change appears to be missing, be it the MHRD or the state governments. 
 
The fragmentation of our higher education system necessitates a strong focus on scalable solutions. We have 690 universities/university-level institutions and nearly 37,000 colleges, educating approximately 26.6 million students. Compare this with China where just 4,000 universities and colleges cater to a similar number, 25.4 million students (as per 2010 data)! 
 
It is well known that addressing problems at scale requires a completely different approach – one needs to begin differently. The regulatory regime has also contributed in no small way to the erosion of quality and needs to be reworked. Governments need to focus on creating an enabling framework within which the management and the faculty can be empowered to innovate and deliver desired outcome. Complete autonomy to institutions, supported by an appropriate accountability regime, will help unleash the creativity and energy of the faculty and students. Fortunately, giving autonomy to colleges is a key goal of the RUSA mission. 
 
The management and regulation of education ought to be a space where there is active engagement of a large number of academics – teachers, educators, researchers, scientists and social scientists – all active practitioners in their respective fields. Expertise and experience are critical and decision-making bodies must be expanded and made more inclusive. They must also be made more accountable. The focus must shift from processes towards outcome. For instance, researchers, who by definition need to do things that have never been done before, ought not to find themselves constrained by cumbersome processes set up in the interests of preventing the misuse of funds. 
 
Also, many years of functioning in an extremely constrained environment has robbed the faculty of much of their capacity to take charge of quality education delivery. This problem will have to be taken head on and the capacity will have to be painstakingly rebuilt. Being expected to specify the outcome and working towards delivering the same are what the faculty must get used to doing. Governments and managements of institutions must correspondingly ensure that their working conditions are conducive. 
 Unfortunately, a large number of faculty members are employed on contract basis for years on end and they are paid poorly. Worse still, many are even hired on ‘clock-hour-basis’ and are paid paltry sums such as Rs 250 for a 50-minute lecture! Teaching has long ceased to be a profession of choice. The attractive salaries of the <keyword id="54272" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="6th-pay-commission">6th Pay Commission</keyword> are available only to a small group of tenured faculty. Sadly, it is this group that is vocal in its opposition to autonomy. 
 
How well the RUSA mission is implemented will be a reflection of how diligently we discharge our collective responsibility to the future generations. As most reforms take a minimum of a decade to show results, many international experts have pointed out that India’s window of opportunity is already slipping away. It is entirely up to us to revive it. 
 Dr Leena Chandran-Wadia is a Senior Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation Mumbai. She received her PhD in Physics from IISc Bangalore and did her post-doctoral at ETH Zurich, <keyword id="103" type="COUNTRY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Switzerland">Switzerland</keyword>. She has been a researcher at several places in India and abroad including NCST Mumbai (now CDAC), EPFL and CERN in Switzerland, and IIT Bombay. Most recently, she has served as the Senior VP and CTO at Netcore Solutions Pvt Ltd, a start-up company in the space of mobile value-added services. At ORF, she is engaged in research and advocacy, primarily in the areas of Higher Education and Research, but also in Public Health, Sustainable Agriculture and Renewable Energy.

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