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Rural Informatics

Rural Informatics. A presentation on aAQUA (Allmost all question answered): 2005 21 st September, Bangalore. Rahul Swami Developmental Informatics Laboratory/Media Lab Asia – IITB KReSIT. Summary. Introduction to Developmental Informatics and partners (Vigyan Ashram, Kvk Baramati)

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Rural Informatics

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  1. Rural Informatics A presentation on aAQUA (Allmost all question answered): 2005 21st September, Bangalore Rahul Swami Developmental Informatics Laboratory/Media Lab Asia – IITB KReSIT

  2. Summary • Introduction to Developmental Informatics and partners (Vigyan Ashram, Kvk Baramati) • Need of AQUA, • Field Deployment • Challenges • What Works • Learnings

  3. Introduction Appropriate Technology….. New Media….. ICT4SD… T&BP for Participatory Wealth Creation

  4. Applications and Artifacts

  5. Farmer KeyLekh aAqua Q&A Bhav Puchiye Agro Explorer Internet Crawler Internet Hardware Browser Poly Sensor Deployment Plans Farm Accountant Mobilus aAqua IVR DigitalLibrary

  6. Are kiosks and Internet enough? People in urban areas turn to the World Wide Web for almost all their information needs. Unfortunately, the Web does not cater well to needs of the rural population due to the lacunae on four important fronts: a. Content: little relevance & also, mostly mono-lingual b. Search and access: abundant coverage but low relevance / precision c. Dissemination: delivery protocols assume good connectivity and high bandwidth d. Affordability: computing devices developed in the west settle at price points comfortable for their populations, after with the R&D effort is focused on adding more and more features for the same price. As a result, India and other developing countries have been left out (from the internet as we know it in 2005).

  7. Summary of Challenges • Business Case • Realistic expectations • Adequate support and handholding • Inter-disciplinary • Collaboration • Ground realities • Maintenance • Accountability • Design Gaps • Government Subsidies can discourage entrepreneurship; they can also be a big customer

  8. Web Based Applications • IIT-DIL’s aAQUA: Online Agri-Vet Consultancy • IIT-DIL’s Bhavpuchiye: Online Commodity Price Information • IIT-DIL’s AgroExplorer • Univ of Waikato’s Greenstone Digital Library • Google’s Desktop Search • IIIT-Hyderabad’s eSagu

  9. Deployments: Innovations • Farmer Clubs • Kiosk Operator Association • Trained computer operators: Moderators • Linkages with Market, traders • List of fertilizers and medicines locally available • No subsidies, check what people are willing to pay • Cost and Revenue model

  10. Learnings There is no doubt that ICT-based solutions, if designed for rural use, will significantly benefit the village/town economy (and we have observed this from our own experience). Good design implies: • Sturdy machines and network equipment that are fault-tolerant to the extreme conditions of a rural environment • Machines, Networks and Software that are simple and easy to use. • ICT solutions that deliver services relevant to the village economy (distance learning and educational CDs being good examples). • ICT project personnel (esp. decision makers) who are trained and sensitized to local needs of the people and understand the potential and limitations of these technologies.

  11. Dissemination • Publications on www.mlasia.iitb.ac.in • Open Source Discussion Forums • All web services are free to use • Course on ICTs for Development • Workshop at Kisan 2005 for farmers in December • ICT R&T workshop at IIT in April ’05 • Interviews with Agriculture and Industry Survey Magazine (Februrary 2005) • Articles in various Marathi news media • FM radio transmission by KVK from April 1, 2005

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