Digital India Programme launched, new scheme to support 600 existing community radio stations

Centre proposed to launch a pan India Programme called "Digital India" to further bridge the divide between digital "haves" and "have-nots" here on Thursday.

This would ensure Broad band connectivity at village level, improved access to services through IT enabled platforms, greater transparency in Government processes and increased indigenous production of IT hardware and software for exports and improved domestic availability.

Presenting his Maiden Budget in Parliament here today, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that special focus would be given on supporting software product startups.

The Finance Minister said that the Government has also proposed to set-up A National Rural Internet and Technology Mission for services in villages and schools, training in IT skills and E-Kranti for government service delivery and governance scheme with an initial corpus of Rs. 500 crore.

A programme for promoting "Good Governance" will also be launched and a sum of Rs.100 crore will be set aside for this, the Minister added.

Jaitley informed that so far around 400 permissions for setting up of a community radio stations have been issued and to encourage further growth in this sector, a new plan scheme has been launched with sum of Rs.100 crore to support 600 new and existing community radio stations.

The Finance Minister informed that Film and Television Institute, Pune and Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, Kolkata will be accorded status of Institutes of national importance and a "National Centre for Excellence in Animation, Gaming and Special effects will be set up.

Earlier today, Jaitley presented his maiden General Budget for the year 2014-15 with the permission of Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan at 11 a.m.