Nokia to develop 500 smart villages in India
New Delhi, May 16: In line with the government's Digital India programme, Nokia on Wednesday launched a "Smartpur" digital village project with the aim of developing 500 digitally integrated villages across the country in five years.
"India is on the brink of a phenomenal digital journey which can only be successful if it is all inclusive," said Ambassador of Finland to India Nina Vaskunlahti after inaugurating a pilot of the project in Tain village of Nuh district in Haryana.
"Smartpur project is a significant step in that direction which will integrate these villages and rural communities, providing digital tools and Internet connectivity for social and economic impact that truly makes a village smart and fosters a digitally inclusive society," she added.
With the Smartpur project, Nokia said it aims to create a sustainable ecosystem in villages where community members can leverage digital tools to bring efficiency in daily lives, transparency in governance, economic prosperity for households and ease of access to various government services and information.
The project will work under the five key areas of development - health, education, livelihood, governance and finance - to build a holistic, digitally integrated village, the Finnish telecom gear maker said.
"The Smartpur initiative is our contribution to delivering the benefits of broadband infrastructure and services to the 'telecom-dark' areas and support the government's vision of Digital India for a more inclusive growth," said Sanjay Malik, head of India for Nokia.
According to the International Telecom Union ICT (information and communications technology) Facts and Figures, 20 per cent of households in developed countries and as many as 66 per cent of households in developing countries do not have Internet access, leaving almost four billion people from developing countries offline.
Nearly a billion of these unconnected people live in India, mostly in rural India.
"At Nokia, we believe connecting the unconnected opens up opportunities in many areas and has tremendous potential to enable socio-economic empowerment of individual as well as communities," Malik said.
In the first phase of the project, 20 villages will be digitally integrated in Haryana and Tamil Nadu in a "hub and spoke" model.
Tain village in Nuh district of Haryana and Asoor in Kanchipuram district, Tamil Nadu, will serve as hub which will host a digital centre with telecom connectivity to provide ICT-enabled, primary services.
The spoke centres will further extend these services to nine other villages from each hub, Nokia said.
In the second phase, the project will be scaled-up to up to another 80 villages across various states and subsequently, it will be extended to another 400 villages over a period of five years, it added.
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Use Carnatic music to promote Kannada language: Nirmala Sitharaman
Mysuru (Karnataka), Nov 8: Kannada language through 'bhakti sangeetha' touches the core of the heart directly, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said here on Friday.
Sitharaman was speaking at Mysuru Sangeetha Sugandha Festival being organised by the Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and the Sangeet Natak Akademi to showcase Karnataka’s musical and cultural heritage.
The festival, which was inaugurated on November 8 will be held till November 10.
Sitharaman during her keynote address said Mysuru Sangeetha Sugandha should aim not just promoting Dasa Keerthana or Carnatic music, but should also use the platform to promote Kannada language.
"I understand a lot of emphasis is placed on Carnatic music, on the GI (geographical indication) items from around this area. But personally, I strongly believe Kannada language, through bhakti sangeetha, is something which touches the core of one's heart directly," said Sitharaman, urging the organisers to use that to promote Kannada.
She also said Mysuru is the right place for the Sangeetha Sugandha festival, for it is not only home to many stalwarts of Carnatic music but even one of its royal family members – the last ruling Maharaja of Mysuru Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar – was an ardent musician, who has composed a lot of songs.
But she said the state government should make all the efforts possible to ensure the festival reaches many outside Karnataka digitally.
"If we can build through word of mouth, through media, through our contacts so that all Kannadigas, wherever they live, link through digital mode and enjoy the beauty of this language and the beauty of this sangeetha,” added Sitharaman.
She also said the Central government too has put in a lot of thought in preparing for the event.
"That is why the events are also going to be held in many places, including the National Gallery of Modern Art in Bengaluru, where a Carnatic vocalist will be singing," said Sitharaman.
According to her it is also going to be held in Aparameya Swamy temple in Doddamalluru of Ramanagara district, Sri Rama Mandira in Rudrapatna of Hassan district and even in Araga of Shimoga district, the birthplace of Purandara Dasa, considered the father of Carnatic music.
Sitharaman also said in future many events are being planned around Karnataka Rajyotsava.
"From here on, every year on the first weekend in November – Friday, Saturday, Sunday – this festival for promoting Mysuru, Kannada and sangeetha will be undertaken on behalf of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture," she said.
She urged people to come and support these efforts as they have always had.
"The artists do not need anything more than the recognition, which you, as a city of culture, have always had. I appeal to you to keep that momentum up. Support these artists. Promote Karnataka, promote Carnatic music and promote the sweet Kannada language," added the finance minister.
Earlier, a man had interrupted the event to make a request to Sitharaman.
He walked up to the stage where Sitharaman was seated and insisted that 'guarantees' should not be announced in the poll-bound Maharashtra. He was escorted out of the auditorium and the programme continued.
The event was also attended by Karnataka Social Welfare Minister H C Mahadevappa, Union Minister Suresh Gopi and Mysuru MP Yaduveer Krishnadutta Wodeyar.
Smt @nsitharaman addresses the audience at the inauguration of 'Mysuru Sangeetha Sugandha 2024' Festival in Mysuru, Karnataka.
— Nirmala Sitharaman Office (@nsitharamanoffc) November 8, 2024
Also present on the occasion are Shri Suresh Gopi (@TheSureshGopi), Hon'ble Minister of State for Tourism & Petroleum and Natural Gas, Shri Yaduveer… pic.twitter.com/fgGTTUa2KE
