RAJIV GANDHI PROJECT – A PILOT TO PROVIDE EDUCATION THROUGH
MASSIVE SATELLITE CONNECTIVITY UP TO GRASSROOT LEVEL

IGNOU has been extensively using various technologies like television telecast, inter active video conferencing and interactive radio transmission for education and training. The details may be seen at Electronic Media Production Centre. Availability of Gyan Darshan channels on Direct to Home (DTH) has considerably extended our reach. A pioneering pilot project has been just launched covering almost all primary schools of one district in Madhya Pradesh (Sidhi) and one block each from the states of Uttar Pradesh, Chhatisgarh and Bihar. This project is unique in the sense that the Receive only and Interactive Terminals are both supported by Solar Panels or UPS to ensure continuous connectivity.

The focus of the project is on development of district level networks for interactive online modes of communication particularly for educational purposes. The district networks will connect more than 862 Schools, District Institute of Education and Training (DIET) and Block Resource Centres (BRCs) in the districts of Sidhi in Madhya Pradesh, Sonbhadra in Uttar Pradesh, Koria in Chhatisgarh and Hajipur in Bihar to meet the district level requirements for education and training. Edusat networks with extensive reach and connectivity will effectively empower teachers and improve quality of elementary education in the schools selected in Sidhi and other identified Districts.

1.   Apex Core Goup - An Apex Core Group has been constituted. It consists of representatives from MHRD, IGNOU, DEC, ISRO, concerned State Governments, Indian Institute of Information and Technology, Jabalpur etc.

2.   Technical Facilities - (a) Teaching End – The teaching end comprises of a video studios with proper acoustic, airconditioning & lighting system. It has high quality 3-camera setup and a video production system which provides advanced features like audio video transitions, titling for superimposing the text information & recording on a computer based workstation.

(b) Classroom End – Attached to the studio is a classroom equipped with a receiving system and a large screen projection system for viewing telecast of IGNOU and Jabalpur networks. The classroom can accommodate about 40 students who may interact with the studio using a high quality camera and microphone. Besides, the classroom can receive all the television channels available in DTH bouquet of Doordarshan.

3.   Teachers Training Programme – (a) 736 School Teachers were trained during seven orientation programmes, as per the details given below:

       Dates

Venue

No. of Teachers

September 26-28, 2005

PSM Jabalpur

96

November 5-7, 2005

DIET, Sidhi
BRC, Waidhan

71
81

November 16-18, 2005

DIET, Sidhi
BRC, Waidhan

94
114

November 19-21, 2005

DIET, Sidhi
BRC, Waidhan

128
152

Total

736

 

(b)

 Of these trained teachers, 42 teachers have been given 5 days intensive training in development of courseware in the utilization of Edusat at EMPC, IGNOU, New Delhi.

4.   Main Location for Hub, Studio and Administrative Office

The Hub or Earth Station: The uplink facility for the National Broadcast under this project, using Edusat Satellite, is located at Jabalpur. These broadcasts can be live as well as recorded. The Hub is also equipped to relay the programmes of IGNOU Edusat network including its Gyan Darshan Channels. 

     Administrative Office   –            Prantiya Shikshan Mahavidyalaya (PSM), Jabalpur 
                                              Phone: 0761-5533569
                                              Fax:    0761-5533569
                                              Email:  edusathubjabalpur@indiatimes.com

5.   Inauguration - The network was inaugurated on 17th December 2005 by Hon’ble Sh. Arjun Singh, Ministry of Human Resource Development.

6.  Collaborators – Indian Space Research Organisation, Indira Gandhi National Open University, Ministry of Human Resource Development and the State Governments of Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Chhatisgarh and Uttar Pradesh are the main collaborators. The content is being developed by blending grassroot capabilities of the motivated and committed teachers with ICT competencies to facilitate high quality learning. IGNOU, DEC, Pt. D.P. Mishra Indian Institute of Information & Technology, Jabalpur and Department of Computer Science, Rani Durgawati University, Jabalpur are the major content providers of the project.

7.   Tele Medicine – Under the Project, facility of tele-medicine is also provided by connecting District Hospitals of Sidhi & Netaji Subhash Chander Bose Medical College of Jabalpur and few other Hospitals.

8.   Schedule of Programmes