Chapter 4: COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Introduction

Digital India Mission - 2019

Dept of Electronics and Information technology [ DEITy] is nodal ministry for this scheme.

It has 9 pillars:

Fig 1: Pillars of Digital India Mission

Broadband Highway

1. BharatNet is connecting 2.5 lakh villages with optical fiber cables to provide high speed internet.
2. Kerela's idduki district first to connect all villages in it.
3. States given option to bear cost and then get reimbursed.
4. Urban areas to have IT infrastructure in all new buildings.
5. National information infrastructure to integrate SWAN [ state wide area networks ], NKN [National knowledge network], BharatNet.

Public internet Access

1. Common service centers
2. Public WiFi hotspots, Railway station WiFi.

Universal mobile connectivity

1. Universal service obligation fund, National telecom plan.

E-Governance

1. Business process reengineering
2. Electronic forms, database
3. Automated workflow in office, grievance redressal systems
4. Digital locker for documents.

E-Kranti

1. e- healthcare, e-farming, security, e-healthcare, e-justice,financial inclusion

Information to all

1. Government to send messages to all via social networks and email or mobile. Information regarding important plans and events.

Zero imports by 2020

1. Convergence of Make in India, Atal innovation mission, SETU.
2. Foreign trade policy, incubation centers, tax incentives to electronic manufacturing units.

IT Jobs

1. Train 1 crore IT ready workforce in rurban areas.
2. Telecom companies to train people for their own rural penetration.
3. BPO promotion scheme in north east.
4. IT trainers at schools, polytechnics, skill centers.

Early harvest programs

1. mygov.in for communication to government employees.
2. biometric attendance for staff
3. standardised government file template
4. mass messaging application for elected officials.
5. secure email service for internal communication by government staff.

Spectrum Allocation / Auction

Government divided India into 22 circles and is auctioning spectrum in these regions. 2G scam was since companies with no experience were given license to spectrum on a first come first served basis. These companies then sold licence to others to make windfall gains e.g. SWAN, UNITECH. Hence the Supreme court cancelled 122 liscences and this affected foreign investor sentiments and hurt economy.

National Telecom Policy

1. Rural teledensity increased to 100 by 2020 using Universal Service Obligation Fund.
2. Make mobile a socio - economic empowerment device.
3. Right to 2 Mbps broadband speed.
4. All India mobile number portability.
5. Allot spectrum in a fair and transparent manner.
6. Make India into a telecom manufacturing hub. Simplify mergers and acquisitions in telecom industry.
7. Delink license from spectrum.

Miscellaneous

MNC's working in the field of universal wireless communications access.

Project loon - Google

Facebook -internet.org

Microsoft - White Fi

• India's experience in rocketery began in ancient times when fireworks were first used in the country, a technology invented in neighbouring China, and which had an extensive two-way exchange of ideas and goods with India, connected by the Silk Road.




• Military use of rockets by Indians during the Mysore War against the British inspired William Congreve to invent the Congreve rocket, predecessor of modem artillery rockets, in 1804. After India gained Independence from British occupation in 1947, Indian scientists and politicians recognised the potential of rocket technology in both defence applications, and for research development.




• Recognising the fact that a country as demographically large as India would require its own independent space capabilities, and recognising the early potential of satellites in the fields of remote sensing and communication, these visionaries set about establishing a space research organisation.




• Phases of the Indian rocket program:




• Phase 1Pandit Nehru, Dr Sarabhai (father of Indias space program) and Dr. Homi bhabha (father of Indias atomic program) were instrumental in creation of Indian space program. Recognising the need for indigenous technology, and possibility of future instability in the supply of parts and technology, the Indian space programme endeavoured to indigenise every material supply route, mechanism, and technology. India's geographical proximity to the equator also made India a favorable rocket launching destination.




• Phase 2India started designing and creating an independent launch vehicle. Meanwhile, India also began development of satellite technology, anticipating the remote sensing and communication needs of the future. India's first foray into space began with the launch of its satellite Aryabhata in 1975 by a Soviet booster. By 1979, the SLY was ready to be launched from a newly-established second launch site, the Sriharikota Rocket Launching Station (SRLS). The first launch in 1979 was a failure, attributed to control failure in the second stage. By 1980, this problem had been worked out. The first indigenous satellite launched by India was called Rohini.




• Phase 3The PSLV has become the workhorse launch vehicle, placing both remote sensing and communications satellites into orbit, creating the largest cluster in the world, and providing unique data to Indian industry and agriculture.

Quiz

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