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21st December 2006
Dear Mr.
Prime Minister,
The National Knowledge Commission (NKC) strongly feels that to optimally utilise the
potential of institutions engaged in generation and dissemination of knowledge in various
areas, such as research laboratories, universities and other institutions of higher learning,
including professional institutions, it is important to connect them through a high speed
broadband network. In order to explore the feasibility of establishing broadband
connectivity among such institutions, NKC spent six months studying various issues and
alternatives. We conducted extensive consultations with experts, potential users, telecom
service providers, government officials and various educational and research institutions
(list attached) to understand the requirements, implementation issues and benefits of
creating an integrated National Knowledge Network.
The purpose of such a knowledge network goes to the very heart of the country's quest to
build quality institutions with requisite research facilities and create a pool of highly
trained persons. Considering the enormity of the challenge, NKC believes an immediate
objective of the network will be to share the existing content, coursework, expertise,
ideas, innovations, equipment and facilities available in the limited number of centres of
excellence, with a wider group of institutions, educators and students.
Globally, research and development activities and innovations are increasingly
multidisciplinary, collaborative, and require substantial computational power. The key to
successful research today demands live consultations, data sharing and resource sharing.
Therefore it is essential to provide broadband connectivity to our knowledge institutions
to improve access, quality and quantity of R&D activities.
The primary objective is to interconnect all our knowledge institutions in various fields,
and at various locations throughout the country, through an electronic digital broadband
network with adequate capabilities (minimum access speed of 100mbps or more) to
encourage sharing of resources and collaborative research.
We commissioned an expert to examine what it would take to create a National
Knowledge Network. NKC also held detailed discussions with the office of the Principal
Scientific Advisor (PSA) to the Government of India. The discussions yielded a
consensus on the optimal approach to be adopted for setting up such a network, whether
it is for a broad range of institutions as envisaged by the NKC or a specific community of
S&T research institutions. A detailed report by the expert outlining the need for such a
network, the optimal architecture and the organizational structure required to manage this
network, is being circulated separately to the concerned ministries. Based on the various
discussions NKC recommends the following:
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