Ashwini Vaishnaw: Govt. Will Invest $13 Billion on BharatNet 

Railways and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has recently made a major announcement in regard to the Union Government’s BharatNet scheme, which is aimed at boosting internet connectivity in rural areas. Vaishnaw announced a massive investment of $13 billion on this scheme at G20 Conference on Crime and Security, saying, “Today close to 850 million people have access to the internet. But that is not enough. We will augment it with an investment of $13 billion to make sure high-quality broadband internet reaches each and every corner of this country.”
He further added, “In no case technology should be cornered by a single or a handful of technologies. Second, the poorest of the poor should have the same access to technology as the person that has more resources.” Ashwini Vaishnaw assumed the Railways and IT ministries after the Modi government’s victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. By adding wings to the BharatNet scheme, the government will provide high-speed internet connections to six lakh villages in India using optical fibre.

Image source: PTI