Agartala: Tripura on Tuesday became the first among the northeastern states to have satellite-based educational facilities aimed at enhancing the knowledge base of the students.

Chief Minister Manik Sarkar inaugurated the Edusat network in the state. The Edusat, a dedicated satellite for education, was launched by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in Sep 2004.

"The hi-tech facilities involving satellite-based education would be available in the entire northeast by next year using the services of Edusat," said Bharat M. Darji, deputy project director of the Edusat project of the Space Application Centre.

Edusat was introduced in March 2005 with the launching of a primary education project in Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka and subsequently was extended to different parts of the country.

"Educational curriculum through satellite would reach simultaneously in most of the semi-urban, interior and inaccessible hilly areas of the northeast through video-conferencing," Darji said.

There would be a hub and a studio in each state capital and a maximum of 500 Satellite Interactive Terminals (SITs) set up in different schools to be linked to the hub.

The Shillong based Northeastern Space Application Centre (NESAC) is coordinating with ISRO to introduce the Edusat scheme in northeast India.

"What is taught in the studio could be seen and heard in the classrooms (through SITs) on large screens or big television sets with cameras and audio equipment available at both ends for communication," NESAC director K.C. Bhattacharya said.

There will be specialised teachers at the uplink station or the hub and lessons taught would reach thousands of students in the far-flung centres through satellite signals.

"The new venture is expected to bring down the dropout rate among school students in the region, besides helping teachers to enhance their knowledge base," Bhattacharya told IANS.