INDEX

KURUKSHETRA – DECEMBER 2018

1. MODERN TECHNOLOGY IN IMPLEMENTATION OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT PLANS ...... 3

2. TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION FOR SOIL CONSERVATION ..................................................... 4

3. KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT THROUGH DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES................................. 5

4. DIGITAL HEALTH SERVICES:KEY INITIATIVES ..................................................................... 7

5. DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY IN FINANCIAL INCLUSION.............................................................. 8

6. USE OF ICTs IN EDUCATION...................................................................................................... 9

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 KURUKSHETRA – DECEMBER 2018

1. MODERN TECHNOLOGY IN Electronic Fund Transfer Order

IMPLEMENTATION OF RURAL (FTO).
DEVELOPMENT PLANS  Rural Housing Knowledge Network
(RHKN) has been started in
What are the steps taken in utilising
collaboration with IIT Delhi.
the modern technology?
 It was started with the objective to
 The Ministry of Rural Development
prepare the multilingual web-portal in
has been making sincere efforts to
the public sector.
bring prosperity and well being to the
 It’s another objective is to prepare
villages through its programs and
comprehensive nationwide
schemes.
compilation of information related to
 Greater emphasis has been laid on business houses, institutions and
adopting modern technologies, practices associated with affordable
scientific method and cutting-edge and sustainable solutions of rural
techniques to achieve the desired housing.
results of all rural development Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana
schemes.
 PMGSY II has been started with the
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana- Gramin objective to improve the existing rural
road networks.
 PMAY-G was launched to achieve
 A mobile application Aarambh has
housing for all by 2022.
been developed which helps in
 The use of modern technology in this
collecting the necessary data for
scheme has ensured transparency as
preparation of inventory of roads.
well as helped in pace of
 The app also collects data regarfing
implementation process.
GIS based mapping for survey of road
 In each stage of housing construction,
surface, cost estimation and annual
information technology based MIS-
road maintenance plans and
AwaSoft, mobile based app Awas app
monitoring works.
and space technology are being used
 National Institute of Rural
on a large scale for monitoring
Development and Panchyati Raj has
purpose.
issued guidelines on technology
 All transfers of fund to the
initiatives for promoting cost effective
beneficiaries are done through the
technology in the construction of

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 rural roads using new materials,  It is natural organo-mineral product
waste materials and locally formed by natural forces and
available material. maintained by the interaction between
 Further Meri Sadak app is in place to micro organisms and plants.
resolve the complaints related to
What is Soil Health?
PMGSY roads.
 Soil health is defined as the capacity
MGNREGA
of a specific kind of soil to sustain
 It is the scheme of providing at least plant and animal productivity.
100 days of unskilled manual labor to  However the function of soil is within
each family in the form of guaranteed natural or managed ecosystem
employment. boundaries.
 Under an exclusive initiative called  It is also about the quality of
Geo MGNREGA space technology is maintaining or enhancing water and
used for geo tagging of all assets air quality and support human health
created through MGNREGA. and habitation.
 Jan MGNREGA was launched with a  Soil health concept involves
large scale feedback mechanism for integration of physical, chemical and
the public. biological properties of a soil.
 In the case of simplifying the fund
What are the good practices for soil
flow system Ministry of Rural
health preservation?
development has launched National
 The measures such as Soil nutrient
Electronic fund Management
balance and Cycles, Mitigating Soil
System (NEFMS).
Salinization and Alkalinization,
minimizing soil contamination and

2. TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION FOR conserving soil biodiversity can be

SOIL CONSERVATION useful conserving the soil health.

‘If we feed the soil it will feed us and Some of the measures are discussed as

only productive soil can support a follows

prosperous people’ Prevent Soil erosion

 Soil is dynamic system, consisting of
 Soil erosion causes the loss of top
organic and mineral matters, air,
layer soil containing organic and
water and living organisms along with
mineral nutrient pools
their interactive processes.

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  Mulching, minimum tillage, no-till by Advantages of CA
direct seeding, strip cropping, agro-
 Reduction in cost of production
forestry, shelter belts and reduced
 Reduced incidence of weeds
stocking rates and grazing intensities
 Environmental benefits
are the measures to prevent it.
 Crop diversification
Increase soil organic matter content

 It plays a central role in maintaining 3. KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

soil functions and preventing soil THROUGH DIGITAL
degradation. TECHNOLOGIES
 Applying animal manure or other
What is knowledge management?
carbon rich wastes, using composts
 It is a process of leveraging collective
and implementing crop rotation are
knowledge in a particular domain or
the ways to increase the organic
institution or organization.
content matter.
 It traditionally includes four processes
Technological Options: Conservation
1. Knowledge Creation : bringing
Agriculture
together new knowledge, useful
 It refers to the system of raising crops to solve problems or making
without tilling the soil while retaining decisions
crop residues on the soil surfaces. 2. Knowledge storage and
 It permits the management of soils for retrieval : process of storing
agricultural production without the knowledge for the later
excessively disturbing the soil. access
 It is a concept for optimizing the crop 3. Knowledge transfer :To deliver
yield, economics and environmental the new knowledge to the target
benefits. group from time to time
4. Knowledge application: gain
Features of Conservation Agriculture
benefit from the knowledge by
 Minimum Soil Disturbance by solving problems with the help
adopting no tillage of that knowledge acqurired by
 Maximum soil covers by leaving and the community

managing the crop residues on the soil Do the digital technologies

surface revolutionizing the knowledge
 Adopt spatial and temporal crop management?
sequencing.

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  Traditional Knowledge Management  It is a dynamic power house of
such as Class room teaching and Knowledge.
distance mode programs resulted in  Mobile services are handy and
Knowledge push but had less facilitate content creation.
interactivity.  It also plays a major role in storing,
 These systems were process centric accessing and sharing the information
rather than people centric. anytime, anywhere.
 However due to the affordability of  Other than voice calls smart phone
internet and mobile phones in rural supports useful services like
India, there is a paradigm shift in messaging, internet based data
reaching out information and services and Apps.
knowledge to rural communities.  These services make the community

What are the various ways by which connected and knowledge empowered.

digital technologies are Expert System

revolutionizing knowledge
 An expert system is basically a
management?
software application
Web Portal
 It is a virtual expert tool providing
 It is a powerful knowledge solutions for common problems.
management tool.  It attempts reproduce the
 It is specially designed single access performance of an expert in a
points to information collected from particular domain.
diverse sources.  For instance ‘Plantix’ is a mobile
 Example: Vikaspedia, Indian based plant disease diagnostic tool.
Panchayat Knowledge portal E-Learning
Social Media
 It is a solution for large scale capacity
 It is a cost effective tool for knowledge building and plays a major part in
sharing. Knowledge sharing and application.
 Rural development process demands  It includes the online courses, remote
continuous interaction among classrooms, video conferencing, etc.
multiple stakeholders.  Popular Massive Online Open Cources
 Social media provides a platform for (MOOCs) such as SWAYAM, Course
such interactions. era. Khan Acdemy are latest trends in
Knowledge dissemination.
Smart Phones
Community Radio

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  It is a broadcasting system  It also helps in improving their
established by the efforts of a specific communication skills.
community, operated by them for the  It is cost effective, efficient and
purpose of the community’s welfare. reduces the need to travel to update
 Rural Community radio stations focus their skills.
on creating awareness and providing  It has been launched in Jharkhand,
knowledge on community MP, Rajasthan and Uttrakhand.
development problems.
Kilkari app
4. DIGITAL HEALTH
 It delivers free, weekly, time
SERVICES:KEY INITIATIVES
appropriate 72 audio message about
m-Sakshi pregnancy, child birth and child care.

 It is a mobile app.  It delivers directly to the families’

 It is an all-in-one job aid and mobile phones from second trimester

electronic medical record system. of pregnancy.

 It helps the health workers in  It has been launched in Jharkhand,

providing high quality health care to Odisha, Uttra Pradesh, Uttrakhand

the families in the remotest part of the and High Priority Districts of Madhya

country. Pradesh and Rajasthan in first phase.

 It replaces the paper based tools and ANM On Line (ANMOL)

help health workers get access to
 Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) On
latest training and Information.
Line aims to improve the quality,
 Through this app health workers
timeliness and effectiveness of the
1. Can update their skills
delivery of service.
2. Stay in touch with their
 Especially to ensure better healthcare
supervisors
for women and children.
3. Track and report important
 The application aims at bringing
data about health issues in
awareness about initiatives on health,
their communities
maintenance of good hygiene, basic
Mobile Academy health care and precautions.

 It is a free audio training course M-cessation

designed to expand knowledge base of
 This program aims at reaching out to
Accredited Social Health Activists
those willing to quit tobacco use.
(ASHA).

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  It supports them towards successful  It is to ensure that everyone benefits
quitting through text messages sent from the economic growth.
via mobile phones.  The people are added in the
mainstream economy and encouraged
e-Hospital
to save, safely invest in various
 It is an online registration services
financial products and to borrow from
framework portal.
the formal channel when they need to
 It is the portal where people can avail
borrow.
online services such as
 Financial inclusion includes banking
1. registration and appointment
services and other financial services
2. pay fees,
such as insurance, equity products
3. view diagnostics reports
and pension products.
4. check for the availability of
blood in government hospitals How the digital technologies are

 It was introduced by Government of

useful in achieving Financial

India to connect and empower people. Inclusion?

Steps taken by Government

Mera Aspataal
 The most crucial of the several steps
 It is an initative by Ministry of Health
taken by the government is JAM
and family welfare.
Trinity- Jan Dhan, Aadhar and Mobile
 It is to capture the patient feedback
number.
for the services received at the
 A National Mission on Financial
hospital through user friendly
Inclusion named as Pradhan Mantri
multiple channels.
Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) was
 The collected feedback is compiled,
launched to increase the penetration
analyzed and visualized to improve
of the banking services.
the delivery and quality of services.
 Effective use of technology is
inevitable to achieve deep penetration
5. DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY IN of banking services.
FINANCIAL INCLUSION  The Banking ecosystem operating on
What is Financial Inclusion? core banking mode, and ability of
National Payments Corporation of
 Financial Inclusion is the way the
India to scale up issue of debit cards
Governments strive to take the
has enabled effective implementation
common man into the formal channel
of PMJDY.
of economy.
Steps taken by Reserve Bank of India

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  RBI has allowed nonbank entities to  The primary focus of the educational
open ATMs called White label ATMs technology in education remains the
to expand the network of the ATMs. learning.
 RBI started Business Correspondent  The central concern is to improve the
Model in 2006. quality of education and ensure joy of
 Business Correspondents are learning.
representatives appointed by the  The educational technology should
banks to act as their agents who also aim to make learning
provide the services in the remote constructive, critical, inclusive and
locations, where the bank may not collaborative.
have its presence.
What are the digital initiatives
 The two major technological
undertaken at the national level?
components involved in the business
e-Pathshala
correspondent model are
1. Hand held offline device  Governemnt of India has launched
thorough which financial the e-Pathashala portal and app in
services are offered 2015.
2. Smart card to the customers  It is a joint Initiative of Ministry of
which records each Human Resources and NCERT.
transaction.  It has all the textbooks of NCERT
 Further Rupay Kissan Cards by in digital form.
NABARD is propelling the cashless
NROER
transaction among the farming
community.  National Repository of Open
 Payment Banks are new model of Educational Resources is a store
banking to provide the services to the house of all types of e contents
underserved and un-served arranged thematically and mapped
community of the country. according to the NCERT
 Finally, digital inclusion is the curriculum.
foundation of the financial inclusion. SWAYAM PRABHA Initiative
6. USE OF ICTs IN EDUCATION
 IT is an initiative to telecast high-
What is the primary focus of quality educational programs on a
Information and Communication bouquet of channels on 24 x 7
Technology in Education? basis ising GSAT 15 satellite.

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  The contents are provided by
NPTEL, IITs, UGC, NCERT,
IGNOU.

SWAYAM

 The Study Webs of Active-Learning

for Young Aspiring Minds
(SWAYAM) is a digital platform
which hosts several courses by te
bet teachers of
universities/colleges/schools.
 It is a massive open platform
which provides courses free of
cost.
 It provides Video Lectures, self
assessment test and oline
discussion forums.

ShaGun portal (Shala- School and

Gunvatta – quality)

 It was launched by the Ministry of

Human Resources Development
(HRD) to monitor the progress of
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA).
 It is planned to make the portal in
to a repository of best practices,
innovations, success stories and
resources available in the
states/union territories.
 Similarly Shala Darpan is an e-
government platform for all
Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV) schools to
improve quality of Learning,
efficiency, governance and service
delivery.

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