Empowering Villagers by ICT (23 Nov 2006- article published in FPJ newspaper, mumbai)

Empowering Villagers by ICT ICT - Information & Communication Technology – "Information and communications technologies (ICT) are the computing and communications facilities and features that variously support teaching, learning and a range of activities in education. When we think of villages, what comes before our eyes is the filmi depiction --- green fields full of crops, numerous big trees and plants, small ponds, lined huts, grazing cattle, green grass, meandering roads, birds chirping, children playing and people dressed in simple clothes. The mere thought of a village takes us back to our roots. The fragrance of the soil brings a fresh aroma in the air. But the real picture of village life is quite different, making villagers face the harsh realities of Poverty and Unemployment. India is a country of villages. About 627,000 of them scattered through the country. Most of these are very small with a population of about 1000 people. The primary occupation being agriculture