Smart Gram Panchayat

Context:The Union Minister of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj will be launching a groundbreaking initiative known as the ‘Smart Gram Panchayat: Revolution towards Digitization of Gram Panchayat’.

Smart Gram Panchayat: Revolution towards Digitization of Gram Panchayat:

• The Union Minister of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Giriraj Singh, launched a project called ‘Smart Gram Panchayat’ in the Begusarai District in Bihar.
• This endeavour aims to access Wi-Fi to all Gram Panchayats in the district through the PM-WANI project by 2026.
• With this effort being a part of the government plan empowering the rural people via digital initiatives.
• The minister of Health emphasised on the need of embracing technology which brings about a drastic impact and change in the community.
• While leading the race, Begusarai has emerged as the first district in Bihar to offer free WiFi in all Gram Panchayats.
• The government is going to it by establishing rural Wi-Fi services, and it will bring about positive transformations in various sectors of rural life.
• Mr. Sing, the Union Minister has again reiterated the priority of the Government to inclusive growth and empowerment for which the target is to bring 3 crore women socially and financially independent.
• The speaker talked on how tech could bring some kinds of progress in the villages and let them become Smart Panchayats and smart communities at the end.
• They stressed the gradual pace of this type of modification and the twin role of technology in addressing the needs that morph in rural areas.
• The clarity of application of the speaker, as expected, never failed to highlight the need for a gradual adoption and consistent use of technology as a form of development for the rural areas around the country.
• The Union Minister explained how user-friendly and uninterrupted Wi-Fi services have the power to bring about transformation, especially in rural areas.
  • He emphasised the positive impact these services can have on various sectors of society, such as women self-help groups, Aajeevika Didis, Banking Correspondent Sakhi, farmers, and students.
  • He emphasised their crucial role in the development of a developed India.
  • Shri Giriraj Singh highlighted that the availability of Wi-Fi in rural areas will stimulate growth in various sectors and greatly improve those that already exist.
  • He praised the PM-WANI Scheme as groundbreaking, as it offers uninterrupted internet access to promote Digital India and support the vision of a self-sufficient India.

Key Aspects:

• The project will be funded through the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) and is overseen by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
• Its aim is to expand the Prime Minister’s Wi-Fi Access Network Interface (PM-WANI) service to 455 Gram Panchayats across 37 Blocks in the Districts of Begusarai and Rohtas in Bihar for the Financial Year 2023-24.
• The purpose of this project is to promote inclusivity and empowerment in rural areas.
• It is significant because it will help bridge the digital divide between rural and urban areas and improve accountability and efficiency in local self-governance.

Prime Minister Wi-Fi Access Network Interface (PM-WANI):

• The Ministry of Communications & Information Technology aims to increase the number of public WiFi hotspots in order to improve digital communication infrastructure, particularly in rural areas.
• The PM-WANI ecosystem currently consists of 136 PDO aggregators, 83 app providers, and 132,529 public WiFi hotspots.
• The Public Data Office (PDO) establishes WiFi hotspots and provides internet access, while the Public Data Office Aggregator (PDOA) handles authorization and accounting services.
• The App Provider displays available hotspots nearby.
• The Central Registry, overseen by the Centre for Development of Telematics, maintains information on App Providers, PDOs, and PDOAs.

Advantages:

• Increasing internet access in rural areas can lead to more income opportunities and reduce the digital divide.
• This can create jobs in small- and medium-scale sectors and contribute to the development of digital India by providing affordable internet access.

Conclusion:

• Shri Giriraj Singh is confident that bringing Wi-Fi services to rural areas will have numerous advantages for different industries and lead to positive changes in society and the economy.
• The government’s initiation of the pilot project, named ‘Smart Gram Panchayat: Revolution towards Digitization of Gram Panchayat’, showcases their dedication to this objective.

Source: PIB

Practice question:

Q. Which of the following are the three tiers of Panchayati Raj recommended by the Balwant Rai Mehta Committee?

1. Gram panchayat
2. Panchayat samiti
3. Zila parishad
4. Nagar panchayat

Select the correct option from the codes given below:

1. 1, 2 & 3
2. 2, 3 & 4
3. 1, 4 & 3
4. 1, 3 & 4

Ans- “a”

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