Keeping with its goal of Internet access to all, the government has launched the Dot Bharat domain name in eight Indian languages. The idea is to let the non-English speaking part of the population type URLs in the script they understand. Dot Bharat is technically the English version of Dot IN, in case you’re asking.
Websites in local languages (also called IDNs for Internationalized Domain Names) will help encourage development of content in these tongues too. This should eventually allow for inclusive growth of the Internet. Today’s Dot Bharat launch by the government in the Devanagari script encompasses Hindi, Konkani, Marathi and five other languages.
In a move to push its Digital India initiative, the Indian government has been working on connecting the whole nation through wireless telephony and broadband networks. It has set aside Rs 20000 crore in order to bring mobile connectivity to 55000 villages in the country over the next five years. Then there’s the National Optical Fiber Network (NOFN) project estimated to cost Rs 35000 crore.
The aim is to grant high speed Internet access to 2.50 lakh gram panchayats by March 2017. 60000 villages are supposedly going to welcome broadband support in 2014. The years 2015 and 2016 are each anticipated to ring in web connectivity for 1 lakh rural regions. The government is looking towards NOFN to bring about an e-commerce revolution in India.
Bureau Report
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