EDUSAT has been successfully launched by ISRO on 20th September 2004 and is likely to become operational before the end of the year. The power of EDUSAT lies in its ability to provide quality education to even difficult-to-reach target groups through, inter-alia:

- High band-width, two-way interaction

- Simultaneous multiple networks, and

- Small size, low-cost ground receive terminals

2. Making optimal use of this very powerful resource for promoting education in India - with special focus on Elementary Education, Teacher Training and Literacy - is a major challenge, and Central as well as State Governments have to rise to the occasion.

3. At the National level, to meet this challenging task, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has been designated as the nodal agency to coordinate all activities concerning the utilization of the facilities offered by EDUSAT. A National Core Group has been constituted for this purpose with Vice-Chancellor, Indira Gandhi National Open University, as the Chairman and representatives of ISRO, UGC and NIEPA as members.