General

Introduction
Motivation
Achievements
cost
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The Akshaya project
 
Introduction
 
The Akshaya project in the rural Malappuram district of Kerala, India, is the first district-wide e-literacy project in India, and one of the largest known Internet Protocol (IP) based wireless networks. Through a test network of over 600 village telecenters, known as e-Centers, Akshaya has conducted one of the world's largest computer literacy drives, claiming to reach over 600,000 households, representing more than 3.6 million people, in less than 6 months. The project has created a unique brand of state-funded computer access centers, and simultaneously led to a massive wireless infrastructure, providing a wide range of services and making way to many future opportunities. This paper analyzes Akshaya's approach to e-literacy, telecenter sustainability and entrepreneurship, and its goals of using the technology infrastructure to piggyback a number of social services. The project is a state-private partnership, in which the state agency Kerala State IT Mission (KSITM) planned the project, set up the connectivity infrastructure, marketed the idea, developed an e-literacy program and created an initial suite of applications. The physical space, equipment, and operations of the telecenters (known as e-Centers) were responsibilities of local entrepreneurs, selected by the state government in conjunction with local village council members.
 
 
 
E-literacy
 
E-literacy was the first phase of the project, during which every household could send one member to the local e-Center to acquire training in the basics of computing. The state paid about 85% of the cost of this training as incurred by the entrepreneurs. Following the e-literacy phase, all the e-Centers were free to operate as cyber cafés (with recommended rates for charging), and as training centers for a variety of services for the local areas including online payment and e-government services.

 

 

Achievements

  • e-literacy- 5.8 lakh people trained in e-literacy, 60 % of the people trained are women
  • District Panchayath along with Akshaya Project, prepared a CD ROM on SSLC Examination after identifying the hard spots, ( Malappuram District has got the lowest pass percentage in SSLC). 20000 students trained in that programme, and the results go up by 12 percentage points.
  • Programme to improve Capacity building of the students- career counseling, general knowledge update with CD etc

 

Expected Direct Benefits
 

At least 1 computer literate person in every home in the state

Network of 6000 modern Community Information Centres across the state

Convenient access for the common man to information services within 2Kms.

Social and economic empowerment of Local Community

Generate locally relevant content

Generate over 50,000 direct employment opportunities in three years

Generate direct investment of over Rs. 500 crores in 3 years

 

 

Akshaya  Present Status

Akshaya Centres in the district now connected with a minimum connectivity speed of 16 kbps to 64 kbps. Intranet facility is also working in Malappuram to enable Centre to Centre communication and Centre to Government Communication and it is almost free. New technologies like Vides Streaming through the centres, where e-learning and e-health is possible. Number of e-governance activities including e-parathi (District Collector’s Grievance Redressal System), Enrich (Platform for Grass root level data collection and publication through a website run by NIC), Service Delivery System using Enrich. Local Self Governments in the district is using Akshaya network to digitize more than 30 lakh birth, marriage and death registrations. Collection of Government dues through a sophisticated web enabled system with State Bank of India as partner for Internet Banking is also enabled in the district. Now Akshaya Centres are colleting dues of KSEB and BSNL which can be extended to another eight departments of Government of Kerala. Projects are under discussion with Agriculture, Fisheries and Health department to roll out their extension programmes through Akshaya Centres. The corporate sector is trying to use Akshaya Centres for their product display, promotion, sales and for cash collection. 450 Akshaya Centres are working well in the distr

 

 

 

  PROJECTS

Azim Premji
Digital Equalizer
akshaya
gyandoot