8-Nov-2021: Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh launches first-ever Mentorship Programme for Young Innovators to mark the 75th Year of India’s Independence

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh today launched the first-ever Mentorship Programme for Young Innovators to mark the 75th Year of India’s independence.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Government is taking a number of steps to promote scientific temper among the masses, particularly youngsters, by strengthening scientific research and innovation efforts in the country. He said, this is a pan India Scheme that envisages Star College in every district of the country supported by the Department of Biotechnology.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that the DBT-Star College Mentorship Programme will help towards the concept of networking, hand holding and outreach. The plan envisages organizing workshops, meetings per month; handhold at colleges particularly in the rural areas or lesser endowed areas and conduct outreach activities with government schools. He said, the activities will enable newer colleges which have begun their journey under the scheme to come up as per the mandate of Star college scheme. The Star Status Colleges will help in incorporating the vision of DBT towards strengthening of UG Science Courses throughout the country by mentoring the newer colleges through hand-holding and peer learning and bringing them under the aegis of Star College Scheme, the Minister added.

Addressing the Students, Teachers and Principals at the launch event, Dr. Jitendra Singh informed that the Mentorship Programme by Star Status Colleges under Star College Scheme is in line with the Prime Minister’s Independence Day address wherein he emphasized that the roadmap for the next 25 years will be determined by the scientific and technological innovations and scientific prowess in all walks of life and called upon young scientists to walk the talk. He added that this will be possible only through a very well-articulated Vision, Mission and Goals, driven through a set of well-defined strategies and a clearly laid out implementation Action plan.

Dr Jitendra Singh informed that a total of 278 undergraduate colleges across the country are currently being supported under the DBT Star College Scheme. He said, the categorization of the scheme into urban and rural categories during 2018-19 has ensured a level playing field for applicants hailing from rural and urban areas of the country. He noted with satisfaction that presently 55 colleges from rural areas and 15 colleges in Aspirational districts are being supported under the scheme in a short time period of two years.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that more than 1.5 lakh students were supported in the last five years and also a comprehensive support was provided to colleges participating in the Star College Scheme. He said, this support is not limited to procurement of equipment, but the scheme also supports training of faculty and laboratory staff, lectures by eminent scientists, visits to research institutes and industry etc. This type of holistic support is expected to create enabling environment for students to get motivated and pursue science education, the Minister added.

The Minister asserted that there is a need for focusing on increasing numbers of beneficiaries in human resource related schemes like Star College Scheme, Skill Vigyan Programme(Skill Development Programme) in Biotechnology, Biotech Industrial Training Programme and doctoral & post-doctoral and Re-entry Schemes & Fellowships, and other similar schemes.

22-Jul-2022: Progress of National Broadband Mission

Progress of the National Broadband Mission is as below:-

1. Broadband Connectivity to Villages –Under the BharatNet Project 1,77,550 Gram Panchayats (GPs) have been made service ready till June 2022. The scope of BharatNet on 30.06.2021 has been extended upto all inhabited villages beyond GPs in the country. Timeline of the BharatNet Project is upto 2025.
2. Availability of Broadband Speeds (Mbps) -Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has been obtaining Crowd-sourced data about download and upload speed for different service providers through TRAI My speed App (https://myspeed.trai.gov.in/). It is envisaged to achieve broadband speeds up to 50 Mbps by 2024-25.
3. Fiberization (Lakh Kms) Cumulative – Total Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) laid is approximately 34.62 Lakh Km as on June 2022. It is envisaged to be increased up to 50 Lakh Km by 2024-25.
4. Towers (in Lakhs) Cumulative – 7.23 Lakh towers have been installed up to June 2022. It is envisaged to be increased up to 15 Lakh towers by 2024-25.
5. Fiberization of Telecom Towers/ Base Transceiver Station (BTS) (%) Cumulative – Approximately 35.11% of Telecom Towers/ BTSs are fiberized as on June 2022. It is envisaged to be increased up to 70% by 2024-25.
6. Mapping of Fiber Cumulative –10 Lakh Route KMs of Optical Fibre Cable laid by the PSUs is mapped on the PM GatiShakti NMP Portal.

Under the BharatNet Project 19,663 Gram Panchayats (GPs) have been made service ready during 2021-22. As per the information available in TRAI Performance Indicator reports 2020 and 2021, 2.49 Crore internet connections were extended by all Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in rural areas in the year 2021.

On 30.06.2021, Union Cabinet has accorded in principle approval for extending BharatNet to cover all inhabited villages in the States and UTs. The revised strategy includes creation, upgradation, operation, maintenance and utilization of the BharatNet. The asset created under BharatNet can be utilised to provide Broadband Services such as Wi-Fi Hotspots, Fibre to the Home (FTTH) connections, leased lines, Dark fibre, backhaul to mobile towers etc. Timeline of the BharatNet Project is upto 2025.

All Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) are encouraged to increase fiberisation of Towers/ Base Transceiver Station (BTSs) by utilising the existing fibres laid by PSUs, fibre laid under BharatNet and fibre sharing amongst TSPs.

Optical Fibre Cable Network of approximately 10 Lakh Route Kms laid by PSUs [Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), Bharat Broadband Nigam limited (BBNL), RailTel, Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL), GAIL (India) Limited] and approximately 5.73 lakh telecom towers installed by Telecom Service providers (TSPs) have been mapped on the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan Platform.

Out of 104293 Wi-Fi hotspot installed under BharatNet, 53600 Wi-Fi hotspot are active at present. The work of providing broadband facility (Wi-Fi hotspots and Fibre to the Home connections) in Phase-I GPs, is implemented with funding from Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF). For BharatNet Phase-II, the respective Implementing Agencies are responsible for the utilisation of the created network. Regular review & monitoring of the project is done with the Implementing Agencies for expeditiously making the Wi-Fi hotspots active/operational.

17-Dec-2019: Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad launches National Broadband Mission

The Minister for Communications, Law & Justice and Electronics and Information Technology, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad has said that the National Broadband Mission is to fulfill all aspirations of the people and enables fast track growth of digital communication infrastructure. He was addressing the gathering after launching the National Broadband Mission (NBM) at an event. He also launched the Logo of the NBM & a Booklet on this occasion.

The vision of the NBM is to fast track growth of digital communications infrastructure, bridge the digital divide, facilitate digital empowerment and inclusion and provide affordable and universal access of broadband for all. Some of the objectives of the Mission which is structured with strong emphasis on the three principles of universality, affordability and quality are:

• Broadband access to all villages by 2022
• Facilitate universal and equitable access to broadband services for across the country and especially in rural and remote areas
• Laying of incremental 30 lakhs route km of Optical Fiber Cable and increase in tower density from 0.42 to 1.0 tower per thousand of population by 2024
• Significantly improve quality of services for mobile and internet
• Develop innovative implementation models for Right of Way (RoW) and to work with States/UTs for having consistent policies pertaining to expansion of digital infrastructure including for RoW approvals required for laying of OFC
• Develop a Broadband Readiness Index (BRI) to measure the availability of digital communications infrastructure and conducive policy ecosystem within a State/UT.
• Creation of a digital fiber map of the Digital Communications network and infrastructure, including Optical Fiber Cables and Towers, across the country
• Investment from stakeholders of USD 100 billion (Rs 7 Lakh Crore) including Rs 70,000 crore from Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF)
• Address policy and regulatory changes required to accelerate the expansion and creation of digital infrastructure and services
• Work with all stakeholders including the concerned Ministries / Departments/ Agencies, and Ministry of Finance, for enabling investments for the Mission

Snapshot of growth in Telecom Parameters