In a joint initiative of the Kerala Scheduled Tribes Development Department (STDD) and the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, e-education and e-health programmes are being integrated in the tribal colonies in the hilly district of Wayanad. State's SC/ST Affairs Minister K Radhakrishnan inaugurated the first phase of the ‘Digitally Connected Tribal Colonies’ project here at Kalpetta on Monday, October 17. The total cost of the project, which is expected to bring a new lease of life to the tribal community, is Rs 9 crore. The plan is to complete its implementation by the end of this fiscal.
Wayanad district has the highest tribal population in the state. Through this project, the health and education services in the tribal colonies are expected to improve with the help of various digital platforms and the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC), which operates under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. Speaking on the occasion, the minister said, “Our focus is the development of Scheduled Tribes by emphasising on the areas of health, education and employment. Development projects must be implemented with a humanitarian approach. Otherwise, they will be of no use.”
As part of the project, smart classrooms will be introduced in tribal colonies, which will also be linked with the comprehensive e-resource portal of the Public Education Fund. Another attraction of the project is that services of prestigious institutions like the Regional Cancer Centre, Regional Institute of Ophthalmology, and CSIR-NIIST will be available online to the tribal villages of Wayanad.
A telemedicine system will also be set up for screening of non-communicable diseases, diabetic retinopathy, oral cancer and cervical cancer, with the help of artificial intelligence and providing expert advice for treatment.