Sibal launches National Knowledge Network

Updated on: Tuesday, February 08, 2011

The Union Minister for Communication and Information Technology Kapil Sibal has launched the logo and website for the National Knowledge Network (NKN).

Sibal said, “The NKN is a significant step towards ushering a knowledge revolution in the country and poses a challenge to the ways we think and work. Technology is an enabler but efforts beyond that are required to inform, educate and empower people of the country.” He added that we need to work even harder to reap the benefits of this kind of network and put it to the use of children and people in remote parts of India.

The NKN aims to connect all higher centres of learning and research by bringing together all stakeholders from science, technology, higher education, healthcare, agriculture and governance to a common platform.

Initially, the decision to set up NKN was announced in 2008-09 with an allocation of Rs 100 crore to the Department of Information Technology. The NKN had been inaugurated on April 9, 2009 by President Pratibha Patil.

Speaking from Chicago through a video conferencing, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Public Information Infrastructure and Innovations Sam Pitroda appreciated and thanked the entire team for making the NKN possible in a very short period. He also emphasised the need to take fiber based connectivity to all the 2, 50, 000 panchayats and all the municipalities in the country.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister of State for Communication and Information Technology Sachin Pilot said later, "In this era of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) influencing every life, NKN will enable Indians to reach new heights."

He further added, “The Government's endeavour is that with best IT infrastructure India must keep an edge over the world to be the super power in the field of information technology. This NKN will equip young Indians to face the global challenges in the times to come.”

Representatives from the Indian Institutes of Technology at Indore, Hyderabad, Guwahati, Madras, Indian Institute of Science-Bangalore, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Ministry of Earth Sciences and Bhabha Atomic Research Center (BARC) participated in the live interaction.

Speaking on the occasion, the Department of Information and Technology Secretary S K Sharma said that the NKN will transform the knowledge landscape of the country.

The implementation of NKN is currently underway and aims to accomplish connectivity to more than 550 institutions across the country by March, 2011.

Sibal launches National Knowledge Network

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