Free Internet Facility for Students of Karnataka Govt Colleges, Polytechnics
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

BANGALORE, July 16: In a novel initiative, students of Karnataka’s all Government colleges and polytechnics will shortly be able to free high-speed, unlimited internet facilities in their respective campuses.

The Department of Collegiate Education and Department of Technical Education have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a private company in Bangalore on Thursday to kick-start the unique public-private initiative taken up to promote computer literacy among Government college students.

Under the programme, an estimated 3 lakh students, most of whom studying in government colleges and polytechnics situated in rural areas will be able to access unlimited internet facility free of cost with the opening of cyber kiosks offering high-speed broadband Internet will be set up in 170 Government colleges, including nine government engineering colleges and 59 polytechnics during the next one year.

Karnataka's Higher Education Minister Aravind Limbavali, who briefed reporters after the signing of the MoU, said the private company NETHOTZONE has agreed to install four computers with a 19 inch LCD monitor connected to high speed broadband internet in government colleges and polytechnics.

Emphasising the need for promoting internet accessibility among students to enhance their knowledge and information, he said a printer will also be installed in the kiosks to facilitate the students to download study material.

Even though internet browsing is free, the students will have to pay a nominal fee for printing the study material. ``This initiative will supplement the 2,500 computers provided by the Department of Higher Education to various Government colleges,’’ he said adding that there were totally around 4,500 computers in various government colleges, engineering colleges and polytechnics.

Commissioner for Collegiate Education Nagambika Devi, who was also present on the occasion, said necessary steps will be taken to cover all the 356 Government colleges under the initiative in the next phase.

She said the Government will make necessary arrangements for electricity back-up to ensure uninterrupted power supply to the cyber kiosks, particularly in rural areas plagued by power scarcity.

The Government will also train the college staff, who will man the kiosks and help the students access the internet. The use of internet will be governed by the cyber law guidelines, she added.

The private company NETHOTZONE, which is implementing the entire initiative, will derive benefit out of the digital advertisements put on display in the LCD monitor through a customised browser. The scheme has been successfully running in Ahmedabad for the last 18 months, according to Ravin Vyas, CEO and promoter of NETHOZONE,

`A horizontal and vertical band that appears on the LCD monitor through our browser will display digital advertisements. We control the advertisements that appear on the screen when the students browse the Internet,’’ NETHOTZONE representative Chetan Ingole explained.