By Mayank Chhaya
IANS
Chicago : A network of all knowledge institutions in India will be one of the most consequential outcomes of the National Knowledge Commission, its chairman Sam Pitroda says.
Five months after presenting the commission's first report in January, Pitroda said the government had begun to coordinate the creation of the National Knowledge Network with gigabit capabilities.
"The idea is to interconnect all universities, libraries, laboratories, hospitals and agricultural institutions in order to share data and resources across the country," Pitroda told IANS in an interview.
Pitroda said the knowledge network ties into the global trend where research and development activities and innovations are becoming "multi-disciplinary and collaborative".
"In order to work across institutional and even country boundaries, it is important to create significant computational power. It is in this context that the knowledge network will have a far reaching impact," he said.
"Modern research demands live consultations as well as data and resource sharing. To be able to achieve that objective we have to provide broadband connectivity nationwide in a single seamless way," he said.
Pitroda said the knowledge network is just one visible example of the kind of work the commission has been involved in.
"More often than not people do not quite understand what it is that the commission actually does and how what it recommends can eventually impact people in their daily life. The knowledge network is a great tangible example of how our recommendations will eventually impact people in rural and urban areas," he said.
The network will connect some 5,000 nodes covering all major institutions but the commission proposes a phased approach where 500 to 1,000 nodes could be set up in the first phase.
The commission is considering four networking options. The first is hiring and lighting dark fibers that have been laid extensively across the country by telecom service providers.
The second could be for lit fibers in order to avoid requisition of transmission equipment and its maintenance. A third option could be to use the existing commercial networks and save on investing on equipment.
The fourth approach is hybrid in nature where there are two layers – the higher speed layer is wholly owned by the stakeholders while commercial service providers provide the lower layer.
The commission's report to the nation appears to prefer the option that calls for the use of the existing commercial networks.
"In the last 10 years the entire nature of research and development, education to some extent and innovation has changed fundamentally. In order for India to not just compete globally but even acquire primacy as a knowledge society it is crucial that we provide our institutions world-class broadband network and in return expect them to do world-class work," Pitroda said.
Among the many things that the network seeks to achieve is to provide institutions with access speeds of 100 mbps and higher to enhance collaborations both within and outside the country.
Pitroda said India has a "unique window of opportunity" to transform itself by using a combination of technology and knowledge.
"Our knowledge base currently is quite diffused and scattered. The knowledge network can consolidate that base and create an enormous intellectual asset," he said.
Before the Knowledge Commission took up the issue of nationwide network, there were up to 10 separate attempts being made simultaneously to create networks. The commission recognized that these different efforts would prove costly and even non-starter. Even if some of them did come up, they would not be able to form one integrated network that was cost effective.
The commission enlisted the services of a former chairman of the Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL) who was also a former member of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) for an interface with some 40 other experts for six months.
A white paper was submitted to the commission on the basis of these discussions, leading to 10 specific recommendations.
Asked to answer the criticism that the commission was engaged in an elitist and armchair exercise, Pitroda said: "It is anything but that. The result of the commission's work will be visible in areas such as improved rural schools and libraries, better agricultural and medical research as well as improved access for small and medium scale industries. Each of these areas has direct bearing on ordinary people's everyday life. Of course, this is a long-term process."