5,000 educational hubs to be linked online: Pitroda

The move is meant to facilitate easy access to research findings and other resources for further research.

The National Knowledge Commission (NKC), a high-level advisory body to the Indian prime minister has recommended linking of at least 5,000 educational hubs across the country through broadband.

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"We have recommended for broadband networking of 5,000 knowledge hubs including universities, colleges, libraries, laboratories, medical centres and research hubs all over India," Sam Pitroda, chairman, NKC said on Wednesday in New Delhi.

"The central government has also been advised to connect all the research centres of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). Once connected people can easily access the research findings and other important resources to read, write and develop it further," Pitroda said on the sidelines of an Indian-American physicians' programme.

Pitroda also said that several telecom players have expressed their desire in this project and they can be roped in for this nationwide 100-megabit broadband networking.

"It could be a public-private partnership involving several telecom service providers like Bharti, Reliance, BSNL."

He said India has a huge pool of fibre optics and it should be utilised to "update, improve and upgrade our knowledge sources".

"We have given our recommendations and in all likelihood things should start moving by the end of this year."