VRC Concept & Prime Minister Inauguration

The VRC concept has been evolved by ISRO and implemented through a partnership with MSSRF by integrating ISRO's capabilities in satellite communications and satellite based earth observation to disseminate a variety of services emanating from the space systems and other Information Technology tools to address the changing and critical needs of rural communities. The VRC is a totally interactive VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) based network.

VRCs can also provide a variety of services like tele-education, telemedicine, online decision support, interactive farmers' advisory services, tele-fishery, e-governance services, weather services and water management. By providing tele-education services, the VRCs act as virtual community centric learning centres. At the same time, VRCs will provide connectivity to specialty hospitals thus bringing the services of expert doctors closer to the villages. (Acknowledgement ISRO)

Prime Minister Inaugurates Village Resource Centres (VRC)

The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh inaugurated the first cluster of Village Resource Centres (VRC) in Tamilnadu on October 18, 2004. ISRO has established these satellite based VRCs jointly with the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), Chennai.

One of the VRCs in Tamilnadu

Inaugurating the conference from Delhi, the Prime Minister recalled the visionary leadership provided by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, in laying emphasis on the development of science and technology and establishment of institutions of excellence in science and technology since independence. He said that among the various institutions created since independence, no department or institution has brought greater laurels and credit to India than the Indian Space Programme. He commended ISRO for its commitment to excellence and making the space programme socially relevant.

Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh with Mr G Madhavan Nair, Chairman, ISRO (left) while inaugurating the VRCs from Delhi

ISRO – MSSRF VRC Network concept

“India lives in villages and therefore, unless we take the benefits of modern science and technology to our villages, we cannot get rid of the mass poverty which has affected millions and millions of our people for centuries. The space applications in the last two to three decades have made it possible to address the problems of low productivity of our agriculture, inefficient use of our land and water resources as well as bring the benefits of modern medicine, modern educational technologies to the remotest parts of the country.” He said and added that he is convinced that in the years to come, VRC can help in a vigorous national effort to improve agricultural productivity, improve agricultural yields, launch a new programme for the control of pest and diseases and, at the same time, ensure through distance education not only to modernise our school system of education but also make a more frontal attack on adult illiteracy.

VRC concept was evolved by ISRO by integrating its capabilities in satellite-based communications and of earth observation. ISRO-MSSRF VRCs aim to provide a variety of services emanating from the space systems and other information technology tools to address the needs of rural communities. VRC is a totally interactive VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) based network.

VRC capabilities

To start with, ISRO-MSSRF network consists of four nodes located at Thiruvaiyaru, Thankatchimadam, Sempatti and Chennai. The central node is located at MSSRF office in Chennai. The network uses one of the Extended C-band transponders of ISRO’s satellite INSAT-3A. Users located at one node of this network can interact with others located at another node through video and audio links. Each of the four nodes can be further extended using technologies like Wi-Fi, Wireless and optical fibres. These extensions may serve as local clusters around the areas where the VRC is located.

Mr.Ganesh Raj Deputy Director ,ISRO, Bangalore in the central node at MSSRF - Chennai

The information provided through VRCs will be in the form of geo-referenced land records, natural resources, suitable sites for drinking water as well as sites for recharging to replenish ground water, water harvesting, wastelands that can be reclaimed, rural employment creation, watershed, environment, infrastructure, alternate cropping pattern, etc. By suitably blending the information derived from earth observation satellites with ground derived and weather related information, locale-specific community advisory services can be provided. Community based vulnerability and risk related information, timely early warning and dissemination severe weather related information could lead to a reliable disaster management support at the village level.

By providing tele-education, VRCs act as virtual community centric learning centers and by providing connectivity to specialty hospitals, VRCs can bring the services of expert doctors closer to the villages.

With access to spatial information on land use/land cover, soil and ground water prospects, VRCs can enable the farmers to get support in making query-based decisions. Besides, VRCs will enable online interaction between the local farmers and
agricultural scientists. Fishermen can obtain information on sea state and wave heights. Information on governmental schemes, location and farming systems, specific action plans based on weather, community specific advice on
soil and water conservation will also be provided by VRCs.

Thus, ISRO-MSSRF VRC can empower the village community with information and services.

By suitably blending the information derived from earth observation satellites with ground derived and weather related information, locale-specific community advisory services can be provided. Community based vulnerability and risk related information, timely early warning and dissemination of severe weather related information could lead to a reliable disaster management support at the village level.By providing tele-education, VRCs act as virtual community centric learning centers and by providing connectivity to specialty hospitals, VRCs can bring the services of expert doctors closer to the villages.

VRCs – informative and interactive

ISRO has also entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Kochi, for setting up VRCs. As a follow up to this MOU, several prominent IT industries are associating with Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham by providing ground infrastructure and other IT based systems for the VRCs. To start with, 25 VRCs will be set up across the country. Later, these nodes could be
extended further.