Context: The Union Minister of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj   Shri Giriraj Singh launched a pilot project ‘Smart Gram Panchayat: Revolution towards Digitization of Gram Panchayat’ to extend PM-WANI Service in Gram Panchayats of Bihar’s Begusarai District.

About the pilot project

• Now, Begusarai has become the first District in Bihar to equip all its Gram Panchayats with Wi-Fi services under the PM-WANI Scheme.

• The scheme emphasizes the necessity for Panchayat representatives and functionaries to embrace technology for the empowerment, growth, and holistic development of Gram Panchayats. 

• The scheme will help meet the Government’s commitment to ensuring inclusive growth and empowerment, including the ambitious goal of making 3 crore women ‘Lakhpati Didis’.

• The scheme emphasizes the importance of adopting technology-driven solutions to address the evolving needs of rural areas.

• The scheme also focuses on the transformative potential of user-friendly and uninterrupted Wi-Fi services, particularly highlighting their benefits to various segments of rural society including members of women self-help groups, Aajeevika Didis, Banking Correspondent (BC) Sakhi, farmers and students

• Gram Panchayats can facilitate various developmental initiatives and empower their communities in numerous ways such as education, healthcare, agriculture, e-governance, skill development as well as economic opportunities.

• Gram Panchayats play a pivotal role in bridging the digital divide and fostering inclusive growth, and a reliable Wi-Fi internet service is a catalyst for socio-economic development in Gram Panchayats.

About PM WANI

• PM-WANI Scheme is revolutionary, providing seamless internet connectivity to promote Digital India and bolster the vision of a self-reliant India.

• This framework takes forward the goal of National Digital Communications Policy, 2018 (NDCP) of creating a robust digital communications infrastructure. 

• The scheme launched by the Department of Telecommunications, aims to set up Public Wi-Fi Networks by Public Data Office Aggregators (PDOAs) to provide public Wi-Fi services through the Public Data Offices (PDOs) spread across the length and breadth of the country to accelerate the proliferation of Broadband Internet services through Public Wi-Fi networks in the country.

• There shall be no license required from DoT(Department of Technology) for providing Broadband Internet through these public Wi-Fi networks.

• DOT will assist all the stakeholders in the implementation and proliferation of PM-WANI.