For connecting all the universities, libraries, laboratories, hospitals, agricultural institutions through broadband with gigabit capabilities, the National Knowledge Commission (NKC) will launch the National Knowledge Network within next 90 days.
According to Sam Pitroda, chairman, the network would allow sharing of data and resources across the country. According to experts, the Rs 1,000 crore investment in the infrastructure is expected to generate a business of at least Rs 50,000 crore ($12 billion) for companies in IT, pharma and agro-processing within the next five years.
?We will build the high-speed broadband network with 5,000 nodes across the country over the next few years,? Pitroda said. Initially NKC would be launching 100 nodes in collaboration with state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and National Informatic Centre under the ministry of information technology. The knowledge network is one of the recommendations of the NKC to Prime Minister which according to Pitroda would ?encourage sharing of resources and boost collaborative research?. Finance minister P Chidambaram had proposed to provide Rs 100 crore to the ministry of information technology for establishing the network.
?National Knowledge network through an electronic digital broadband network is expected to give boost to research and development activities in the country and would also catch up with the pace of research from other countries,? Pitroda said. These nodes would be super information highways of education, he said. BSNL would be providing the fibre network while NIC would be provide the hosting space. ?We propose to have atleast 8-10 nodes in a district,? he said.
On the investment pattern and ownership of these nodes, he said they are working out the details along with the office of scientific adviser to Prime Minister. NKC in its recommendation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in December 2006 had proposed capital investment of around Rs 1,000 crore for setting up nodes under the national knowledge network programme. NKC had specifically proposed creation of special purpose vehicle (SPV) consisting of many stakeholders – government, industry and other stakeholders.
?Despite that substantial funding would be from the government, its ownership is not desirable in such venture in ICT sector,? NKC had recommended. Pitroda while advocating for knowledge in open domain said ?government is not good at sharing information and it should be more open about sharing information with public.? Earlier speaking at Confederation of Indian Industry, Pitroda said Indian had the potential to become the workforce supplier to the world. ?In the next few decades, India will probably have the largest set of young people in the world. Given this demographic advantage, we are optimally positioned to leapfrog in the race for social and economic development,? he said
He said the NKC was a unique effort that seeks to give the country the ?knowledge edge?, ensuring that India becomes a leader in the creation, application and dissemination of knowledge. ?Education and skills development is therefore critical if India is to reap the benefits of the demographic dividend,? he said.