New Delhi: With an aim providing last mile connectivity and high quality e-content to be used with the connectivity, being provided to the Universities and Colleges across the country, the Union Cabinet today approved the proposal for seeking directions for achieving convergence and synergy under the Centrally Sponsored Plan Scheme namely National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology and National Knowledge Network and other issues.

Students and learners of about 572 universities, 25000+ colleges and 2000 polytechnics will be benefited from the scheme.

The Cabinet further gave its approval for shifting the technology from Copper wire based connectivity to Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) based connectivity in respect of already connected universities / university level institutions ex post facto and connecting the remaining universities / university level institutions on OFC with provisioning of 400 nodes of LAN on an average to every university / university level institutions (including private universities) and providing connectivity to 25000+ colleges and 2000 polytechnics as against 18000 colleges already approved by CCEA in January, 2009.

The estimated cost for providing connectivity to 2000 polytechnics will be Rs.13.50 crore per year.

The number of universities and institutions of national importance, to be provided connectivity (utilising NMEICT and NKN), has also been increased from 419 to 572 (419 under NMEICT and 153 under NKN).

Other approvals on part of the Cabinet include:

- Installation of routers and switches as part of LAN in all universities in NMEICT List as per the specifications indicated by NKN.

- Entrusting a feasibility study to NIC for connecting all 25,000+ colleges and Polytechnics to NKN on optical fibre and bringing all colleges in the country to NKN through optical fibre.

- All technical aspects and architecture would be managed by NIC as the implementing agency for NKN for seamless integration between the two networks.

E-content being generated under NMEICT Scheme would be effectively used by the students and learners in an any time any where mode.