A yatra to take IT to villages

The Kerala leg of the Bharat Vikas Yatra, organised by the Confederation of NGOs of Rural India (CNRI), will start from the Gandhi Park in Thiruvananthapuram on December 1. The yatra will focus on educating the rural masses on the nation’s achievements in the science and technology sector and promoting the use of Information Technology for social development. It seeks to popularise community legal services and create awareness about the Right to Information Act and the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.

The yatra also highlights the need for empowerment of women, school education and village knowledge centres.The campaign will cover 650 panchayats across the State before concluding at Kasaragod on December 31. The 40-member team will join hands with NGOs, panchayats, elected representatives and Kudumbasree units to conduct public meetings, science exhibitions, quiz programmes for children, street plays and people’s adalats.

The campaign is supported by the Union Ministry of Science and Technology, the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), Ministry of Consumer Affairs and the Ministry of Small Industries.