Digital India to reach out to rural India for local solutions – Col Rathore

Pune – Digital India should reach out to rural areas to make them more developed. There is a need to encourage local solutions for problems of rural India. This was stated by Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Col Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore while inaugurating the 5th Bhartitya Vigyan Sammelan and Expo organized at Fergusson College in Pune on Friday 12th May.  The Vigyan Sammelan and expo was orgnised by Maharashtra Government, Vigyan Bharti and Deccan Education Society. State Education Minister Shri Vinod Tawade, Eminent Scientist, Prof. M. M. Sharma, Dr. Govind Swaroop and other dignitaries were present.

The Minister emphasised the need for indigeneous development and investment in research. He said that Prime Minister’s initiative for Make in India will give a boost to self sufficiency in defence production. He also stated that rural research should be tailored to the needs of the rural people and local solutions should be found. The world is praising India’s progress in digital technology for development, he added.

During his Pune visit the minister visited the National film Archive of India where he saw the book library, documentation section, projection facility and the main theatre. He also interacted with the staff and took an overview of the ongoing projects at NFAI including the National film Heritage Mission.

The minister also visited the Film and Television Institute of India(FTII). He said that quality and affordable cinema education should be made accessible to all. He said that short courses being started by FTII are the way forward to take quality cinema literacy outside the campus to commoners.

Interacting with the students of the 42nd Film Appreciation Course, Col Rathore said that when someone works with passion, the work which results is not ordinary but exemplary. He said that he hoped that the course will enable students know finer nuances of appreciating a film. The MoS visited Prabhat Studio on the campus, the oldest studio which is still in use. The Minister also visited FTII’s sound studio which is one of the world’s only Dolby Digital training studio.