Monday, February 13, 2006

Sphere packing and my vision of rural development

Many people asked me about my approach to rural development. Here I dont give what exactly is my plan but vague description of the net-result that I expect to happen after my efforts.

Sphere Packing: I read this concept about in my coding theory course. It is a very interesting concept. However now, I wish to explore it to our concern.

Problem: Imagine a room and you are asked to fill the room with various sizes of balls (spheres) so that all the space in the room is filled-up.

Now I see this problem in another manner, room is my nation. Radius of each of those spheres (balls) is the community of people who work for social development cause. And their access is the sphere volume. So now the problem is restated as:

Problem: Increase the communities working for social development so that they cover the entire nation.

Raja
OSP India Information Security Private Limited (OSP Global, LLC)

Sunday, February 12, 2006

Social Entrepreneurs : drivers for economy in rural areas

Here is a report on six social entrepreneurs, who bear witness to the fact that profit is not the only driver of innovation.

Raja
OSP Information Security Private Limited (OSP Global,LLC)

Transparent delivery for Government Schemes in Rural India

As ET reports :
Self Help Groups (SHGS) are today considered the answer for the transparent delivery of a host of government schemes, from education to credit. But SHGs are no different from the state’s much touted and now discredited cooperative credit societies.

The SHG channel for delivery of credit especially in the rural areas and the Nabard’s preference for this channel are well known. However, a note of caution is also being sounded. “What is the difference between a credit society and an SHG? This is new wine in an old bottle since group dynamics play in both cases.

Credit societies have shown their unsustainability. Inn future, politicians could use them as a forum for exploitation,” Porwal stated.

He was speaking at the Nabard’s state credit seminar here. Supporting Porwal’s stance, S C Basu, chairman and MD, Bank of Maharashtra, said the farmer needs support from multiple agencies. While SHGs have been eulogised everyhwere and are successful now, there is a need to look if there are any inherent defects in them.

Thursday, February 02, 2006

Low cost technologies : Rural India powered

One of my post discusses, how rural Indians without formal education could innovate low cost technologies. Here is another news that low-cost lamps brightening the rural India.

"Rural Access Service to Internet" is a low-cost tech project in rural tamilnadu to install tele-kiosks, to offer more than 60 services, including those relating to agriculture, education, healthcare, utility and entertainment.


Raja
OSP India Information Security Pvt Ltd

Rural India : Heaven of Oppertunities even for biggies

Microsoft & Oracle etc have got their eye in right direction. What Prahlad wanted to convey is all about this only. As you look at the downwards of the pyramid, volume speaks. That is, fortune at the bottom of the pyramid.

Now rural India is going to enjoy the timely information provided by companies of social motive : Drishti, Jaikisan and n-Logue. Microsoft does "software daan" to these companies & moreover it will also provide technical support to the rural youth in this pioneering initiative. On the other hand, Oracle is also vying for rural India. Then our Godrej is betting on rural India by pouring money, billions of Rupees.

Raja
OSP India Information Security Private Limited