അക്ഷയ - അതിരുകളില്ലാത്ത അവസരങ്ങളിലേക്ക്

On 18th November 2002, H.E. The former President of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, ല unched Akshaya, an initiative powerful enough to transform the lives of 65 lakhs in the state. Under this project, one person from every family in Kerala will be familiarized with the basic use of computer and empowered to access innumerable services that Information and Communication Technology offers. The project involves setting up around 3000 multi purpose community technology centres called Akshaya e- kendras across Kerala. Run by private entrepreneurs, each e-kendra set up within 2-3 kilometres of every household, will cater to the requirements of around 1000-3000 families to make available the power of networking and connectivity to common man. Akshaya is a social and economic catalyst focusing on the various facets of e-learning, e-transaction, e-governance, information and communication. The project piloted in the district of Malappuram is being replicated all over the state in phases making Kerala the foremost knowledge society in the country and model in development for the whole world. The Wireless broadband connectivity infrastructure that has been established through project Akshaya affords several value added services in the district of Malappuram. Since the locations of these e-kendras are strategically planned and spatially distributed to cater to the people in even the remotest part of the district, they form a powerful network to bring the benefits of all e-governance initiatives to common man. The e-kendras have the potential to provide G2C, G2G, C2C, B2B and G2B services and act as decentralised information access hubs and service delivery points. Collection of utility bills and taxes done through FRIENDS centre is integrated with Akshaya e-kendras thereby minimize transaction costed and time to citizens. A variety of corporate services like Business Process Outsourcing, hardware sales and services, travel and tour arrangements, multimedia aided training programmes, IT enabled vocational training, product selling and financial services including rural e-banking have been made available to rural population through e-kendras.

Benefits

A. After the pilot stage, • At least one person in every family in Malappuram district has been made e-literate, making it the first fully e-literate district in the country. • 351 functional e-kendras in Malappuram providing computer education, e-pay, e-krishi and socially relevant content to the Public • Creation of around 500 direct and 2500 indirect employment. • Rural Internet Banking & Financial Services have been made available to the entire population of a district. B. After the completion of the project, • At least one computer literate person in every home in the state • Network of 3000 e-kendras throughout the state • Delivery of public service and e-governance applications through these e-kendras • Unmatched access for the rural population to ICT services • Generation of locally relevant e-content • 3000 direct employment opportunities and investment of over Rs.100 crores • Cheaper Communication through Internet telephony, email, chat etc • ICT 4 D tools in Telehealth, Agriculture, Resource Management etc • Increased PC and ICT applications penetration • E-pay of utility bills at one counter • e-learning, e-krishi and e-commerce at the doorsteps of the citizen

“There are many good projects – sponsored by State Governments and NGOs – which are admirable; but nowhere has the kind of vision and strategy been as demonstrable as in Akshaya. Neither do I think any other state has the wherewithal for accomplishing these because without literacy, without commitment on the part of the people concerned, without a certain level of social justice, these things would be very difficult to achieve” Prof. Kenneth Keniston, Founder and Director of MIT India Programme.