In order to promote and strengthen rural knowledge empowerment M S Swaminathan
Research Foundation (MSSRF) – a non-profit research organisation has been implementing
Village Resource Centres (VRCs) and Village Knowledge Centres (VKCs)/ Community
Technology Learning Centres (CTLCs) programmes since 1992. In 2003 MSSRF established
the Jamsetji Tata National Virtual Academy (NVA) to scale up the VKC / CTLC programme.
The mission of the NVA is “To promote sustainable rural livelihoods through digital
empowerment based on a pro-poor and pro-women orientation to technology choice and
dissemination, and human resource development.” The NVA programme intends to bring
together the experts and grassroots level communities in two-way communication with the
objective that knowledge should reach every home and hut.