Lokshiksha Sanchar

For the first time in the history of West Bengal, Roopkala Kendro in collaboration with Department of Panchayat and Rural Development and Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is setting up the Training and Development Communication Channel (TDCC) which is based on the interactive learning technology at Salt Lake, Kolkata. The state governments of Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa have also adopted this technology successfully for their capacity building and communication needs.

This set-up requires three elements—a Teaching End, Classroom End and a satellite that connects the two. ISRO’s INSAT satellites will be used to connect a teacher(s) and a classroom(s) through teleconferencing. Teleconferencing can be either 'a one way video, two way audio' or of the 'two way video audio type'.

Though the P and RD Department will be the principal user of this system, the teaching end can also be used by Government departments, Universities, teaching institutions, NGOs who are interested in transmitting development communication messages to people at the classroom ends. The areas may involve inputs of primary education, school education, preventive health care, technical education, disaster management, women’s mobilization and empowerment activities, environment and sanitation etc. Roopkala Kendro will provide specialized inputs for classroom ends.

The Gramsat Project in West Bengal is expected to generate the following benefits: -

• Direct capacity building of Panchayat Raj Institution functionaries and village level organizations by state level resource persons.
• Coverage of all relevant issues in an interactive format across a large number of geographically dispersed areas.
• Dissemination of information, policy guidelines and legal clarifications and messages during emergency and critical situations.

Through this system, the people in the remote areas can share their viewpoints, experience and problems with the policymakers at Kolkata. ISRO will provide installation technology and supervision in the initial period.