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ISRO spends Rs 9 crore to help States bring literacy to rural areas
NEW DELHI: A sum of approximately Rs 9 crore has been spent over the last three years by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) to provide the necessary satellite bandwidth to respective State Governments under the Gramsat Scheme.
The expenditure towards content generation and transmission is borne by the State Government of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Karnataka for the operation in their respective states.
The details of the programme transmitted under the scheme have been under the purview of the concerned State Government. Generally, these programmes cover areas such as mass education, tribal culture, anganwadi workers’ training, fisheries, forest and environment.
The State Governments concerned formulate the programmes to be transmitted on the Gramsat network and include programmes such as ‘Kuch Soche Kuch Samjhe’, ‘Bhor Honewali Hai’, Kahani Baba’, ‘Ek Tha Raja’, ‘Baat Hamari’, to promote tribal development and culture.
The dedicated Gramsat satellite is being used by ISRO in keeping in mind the urgent need to eradicate illiteracy in the rural belt.
The Gramsat satellite carries six to eight high powered C-band transponders, which together with video compression techniques can disseminate regional and cultural specific audio-visual programmes of relevance in each of the regional languages through rebroadcast mode on an ordinary TV set.
The high power in C-band has enabled even remote area viewers outside the reach of the TV transmitters to receive programmers of their choice in a direct reception mode with a simple dish antenna.
The salient features of GRAMSAT projects are its communications networks are at the state level connecting the state capital to districts, blocks and enabling a reach to villages; providing computer connectivity data broadcasting, TV-broadcasting facilities having applications like e- governance, development information, teleconferencing, helping disaster management; and providing rural-education broadcasting.
The Gramsat projects have an appropriate combination interactive training at district and block levels employing suitable configuration; broadcasting services for rural development; computer interconnectivity and data exchange services; and tele-health and tele-medicine services.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
