IT for Change Case Study
Village knowledge centres:
An initiative of MSSRF
IT for Change
2008
This case study is part of a research project that sought to analyse how different telecentre models approach
development on the ground, proceeding to elaborate a typology based on the cornerstones of participation
and equity. To conduct this assessment, four telecentre projects were examined: the Gujarat government’s
E-gram project, the corporate-led venture by ITC called e-Choupal, the private enterprise model of Drishtee,
and the community-owned telecentres of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF). Two main
criteria were used in selecting the case studies – the diversity of ownership models, and the requirement of
a sufficient scale of the intervention. In addition to the field research conducted in 2008 using qualitative
methods, the research also built on secondary sources.
A review of the literature in the field of Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICTD)
showed that while telecentres are viewed as contributing positively to development in general, they are largely
not really seen as a space for catalysing transformative social change. Instead, there remains in the notion
of telecentres for development a perpetuation of market-led approaches, wherein telecentres are viewed
as a strategic means for expanding markets in rural areas, especially for corporates. In this approach, poor
communities are repositioned as an opportunity for business, with ICTs as the most effective way of connecting
them to the global market system. This espouses a version of inclusion that instumentalises disadvantaged
sections, overlooking the potential of telecentres to serve as a tool for equitable and participatory development.
Such subjugation of local development and the local community to the neo-liberal ideology can be seen as the
‘Walmartisation’ or ‘marketisation’ of development (Gurstein, 2007:6).1
A critical question for telecentre related policies and programmes therefore examines how ICTs can trigger
structural-institutional changes that promote overall human development, going beyond exclusive market
frameworks. Based on a critical analysis of findings from the field, the research attempted to examine two
hypotheses. The first relates to the need for the communitisation of ICTD, as is a strong move towards
communisation in other areas of development, like health, livelihoods, education, etc. Second, the development
of an ICT governance regime favouring an open, inclusive and participatory socio-technical architecture. The
latter seeks to empower the peripheries, acting against the strong tendency towards centralisation of power
of the unregulated use of ICTs.
The following analysis of the MSSRF telecentre project will be situated within this larger debate.2
Background and pro-poor, pro-women and pro- Sustainable Food Security,
approach to sustainable livelihood paradigm which includes different
of technology development and components like farming,
development
dissemination. The bottom line energy management, weather
MSSRF is a pioneer in the of the organisation’s research, and demographics. Village
use of new technology as an education and outreach Knowledge Centres (VKCs)
enabler for rural and social programmes is social inclusion in were set up in the late nineties
development among NGO- access to relevant technology. under this programme, and
led development initiatives in MSSRF developed the concept represent one of the earliest use
India. MSSRF was established of a Community Managed of computers for development in
in 1989 to impart a pro-nature, Knowledge System for India.
IT for Change Case Study, Village knowledge centres: An initiative of MSSRF
The main aim of the ICT established in public buildings The VKC acts as a node for the
programme of MSSRF is to and serves a cluster of villages. dissemination of community-
empower largely unskilled, The location is finalised following centric content developed in a
resource-poor rural farming and an extensive consultation bottom-up manner using digital
fishing communities towards process with community platforms. Offline databases and
making better choices and members and established only applications that are available
achieving greater control of their after the drafting of a formal include government schemes
own development through skills agreement that emphasises for women and children, milk
and capacity building for improved the use of the centre by procurement systems, Self-
livelihoods, and generally, for an women and dalits3. VKCs have Help Group (SHG) accounting
improved quality of life. a few computers, printers and systems and animal husbandry
connectivity is provided through databases.
The ICT potential for equalising
access to information and the integrated application of Information and data is collected
achieving network effects form the Internet and cell phone or by VRC staff in collaboration
the basis of MSSRF’s telecentres community radio. Knowledge with VKCs and community
initiative. It emphasises the workers (KWs) are selected members, with additional data
provision of a broad range from the village residents to run sourced through linkages with
of information to enable the VKCs, and are usually young government line departments.
improvements in livelihood people, often women, educated KWs are not engaged in data
related activities as well as till the secondary level. KWs collection, but network directly
access to general entitlements are provided with initial training with panchayats and line
of rural citizens. The emphasis in operating a computer and departments in the verification
is on the information flow managing a centre, and also of data and dissemination at the
towards hitherto information- receive a monthly honorarium VKCs. KWs provide information
poor groups, alongside a keen from MSSRF. Technical staff about governmental schemes
recognition of traditional provide free ongoing support to the community and help in
knowledge sources. to the KWs, while the VRC preparing applications and other
staff support the KWs in their communication with government
Mr. Senthilkumaran, the
community work. The VKC departments. Information
coordinator of MSSRF’s
is managed by a Managing seekers who visit the centre
telecentre programme,
underscores the approach that Committee (MC) comprising are not charged any fee, other
guides telecentre deployment prominent figures in the village, than a nominal sum for Internet
at the implementation level. MSSRF staff and KWs. The browsing. VKCs also have
He states, “MSSRF is a MC meets every quarter to regular loudspeaker broadcasts
community-based model with a assess the performance of the of relevant information that
strong accent on inclusion and centre and KWs, while also impact the lives of the villagers,
participation”. setting targets and identifying like an upcoming distribution
needs that the VKC should of essential commodities
Implementation model address. MSSRF’s head office through the fair price system
and actors and VRCs are equipped with and information regarding
This telecentre initiative follows advanced monitoring systems, government immunisation drives.
a ‘hub and spoke’ approach with including web cameras, email Visitors to the centre are also
VKCs connected to a central and telephone, to maintain daily not seen as consumers. Instead,
hub – the Village Resource contact with every VKC. MSSRF centres are seen as providing
Centre (VRC), for coordination manages a total of 17 VRCs ‘content’, which has collaborative
and management support. The across the states of Tamil Nadu, connotations, and not ‘services’,
VRC is located in MSSRF owned Maharashtra, Orissa and Kerala, which points to one-way
buildings, while each VKC is which service 88 VKCs. provision. All activities at the
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IT for Change Case Study, Village knowledge centres: An initiative of MSSRF
VKCs are hosted in a public telecentres, “There are 2 kinds a VKC impacts small farmers
location with infrastructure of viability. If you want to talk negatively in this respect. The
provided by MSSRF. Information about financial viability, you can goal should be to shift the focus
and training is open to all and talk to E-Choupal, Drishtee and towards dalit communities so
several documented instances so on. I am talking about viability that they can benefit. Financial
are available of collective action in terms of poverty reduction. viability can wait for some
having arisen as an outcome of There are 800 million people who time”, says Dr. Arunachalam.
information provided through do not have the basics of what The impact of focusing on the
VKCs. city people take for granted. sustainability of the normative
Why should these people suffer? development intervention is
MSSRF has also launched
There is no argument at all that evident at all levels in MSSRF’s
a Fellowship programme
social sustainability should not ICT programme. For instance,
in collaboration with the
get precedence over financial in the village of Embalam, KWs
Jamsetji Tata Foundation to
sustainability”. Economic gains, began to serve as the front-end
build a network of committed
though important, are positioned of the public distribution system
community leaders, many of
as only one aspect of the (PDS). The VKC is attached to
whom have been KWS.
larger ICT ecology in the VKCs. the panchayat4 building, enabling
Communitising ICTs for However, when financial viability easier access for lower caste
Development is prioritised in the pursuit groups and better maintenance.
of ‘success’, developmental Although there are no financial
The MSSRF ICT programme
goals that are empowering for implications of this informal
is motivated by and built upon
marginalised groups may get arrangement, the significance
principles of participatory
obfuscated. from a welfare standpoint is high.
development and social
justice. Centres are set up The developmental vision These inclusive developmental
in a participatory manner, articulated at the level of the top outcomes are obtained because
emphasising on partnerships management resonates amongst of MSSRF’s community oriented
with local CBOs and all the implementors as well, “[…] sustainability focus, and its
sections of communities. No we want to have a big impact willingness to progress cautiously
VKC is established unless there on the community, and for this on the revenue generation front.
is consensus amongst the we have set up [ICT] systems. Simultaneously, however, MSSRF
community, and the centres Business models are necessary does recognise the importance
are always located in spaces but not for the things we do. of a long-term financial plan in
accessible to dalits and women, Similarly, individual earnings are centres that have matured over
which are often not in the important, but through the VKC a period of time. Staff of such
centre of the village. ICTs are we want to focus on collective VRCs are gradually beginning
thus regarded as part of the issues”, elaborates the head of to explore modes of revenue
community infrastructure. the Pondicherry VRC, generation through commercial
Financial viability underpins the Mr. Thiagarajan. services made available through
dominant conceptualisation of the VKCs. The goal is to shift
When defined in terms of
ICTD projects that adhere to complete ownership of VKCs
community appropriation,
the market paradigm. MSSRF, to the MCs, where they would
sustainability is informed by
on the other hand, understands be responsible for all financial
principles of social justice
sustainability in the vocabulary transactions, payment of the
and equity. “[…] we have to be
of community acceptance, operator, and implementation of
careful about the money we
integration and ownership. major activities.
spend. The subsidies reach
Dr. V. Arunachalam, a member only rich farmers. This happens Dr. Arunachalam points to some
of MSSRF, debunks the notion because they are the first to important policy lessons from
of financial sustainability of know about them. Not having this telecentre project, “In
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IT for Change Case Study, Village knowledge centres: An initiative of MSSRF
large scale projects like the cannot bring in sensitivity to with PDS). If this is achieved, ICTs
central government’s Common social development issues.” can go a long away to enable the
Service Centre scheme or CSCs communitisation of development
While the MSSRF VKC project
(which relies on corporate programmes, which has been an
provides justification for the
intermediaries), sensitivity is ongoing effort in many areas, but
community ownership of
poor and monitoring is difficult has seen mixed success. ICTs
telecentre projects that are aimed
since the scale of the projectis enable more effective community
at holistic development objectives,
vast. As a response, the based approaches to development
it may be necessary to integrate
government is trying to work through local capacity building
VKCs in other community-based
with local panchayats, but this as well as effective monitoring
development activities. This from higher levels for policy
has not shown positive results. includes government programmes implementation. It is important
Therefore, CSCs should depend on livelihoods, health, education, that such a perspective informs
on CBOs for partnerships, since etc (one example of such large-scale telecentre for
the company running the project integration was mentioned earlier development programmes.
Endnotes Editor : Parminder Jeet Singh, Deepika Khatri
1 Gurstein M. (2008), ‘Towards a Critical Theory of Telecentres: In the Editorial support : Krittika Vishwanath
Context of Community Informatics ‘, IT for Change: Bengaluru Printed by : National Printing Press, Bengaluru
2 This case study is part of a broader research undertaking funded by
the Social Science Research Council (SSRC), an independent non-
profit organisation based in New York. The study was commissioned
under the Collaborative Grants in Media and Communications: IT for Change (ITfC) is a non-profit organisation
Necessary Knowledge for Democratic Public Sphere programme of located in Bengaluru (India) that works for an
SSRC innovative and effective use of ICTs to promote
3 Dalit is a self-designation for a group of people traditionally regarded socio-economic change in the global South.
as of a lower class IT for Change’s research and advocacy work
4 Panchayat is an administrative unit of the government at the village in gender, education and governance aims to
level influence the information society discourse
Credits and policy spaces at global, national and local
Coordination : Chloé Zollman levels, seeking to build cutting edge theoretical
Design : Varun Dhanda, Krupa Thimmaiah concepts and policy responses from a pro-
Research report : Roshni Neggehalli, Deepa Shankaran South standpoint. More information on www.
Research coordination : Parminder Jeet Singh, Anita Gurumurthy ITforChange.net.
A detailed version of this case study can be requested from [email protected].
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