M S Swaminathan Research Foundation

Elected Panchayats and local bodies can play a dynamic role in the information,
knowledge and skill empowerment of rural women and men if they are
empowered to do so. The National Alliance for Mission 2007: Every Village a
Knowledge Centre, which is a Consortium of government, non-government
organizations, academic institutions, business and industry, financial institutions,
and multi-lateral and bilateral donor agencies, has chosen the elected Panchayati
Raj Institutions as the major instruments for bringing the benefits of information
communication technologies (ICT) to rural communities. The aim of Mission
2007 is to ensure that everyone of the over 600,000 villages in the country
experiences the benefits of the digital revolution and knowledge connectivity
by 15 August 2007, which represents the 60th Anniversary of our independence.