The Government of India has planned to assist the Government of LAO PDR in establishing an “Information Technology Centre with Value Addition” at Vientiane under its International Technical Exchange Cooperation (ITEC) Programme to strengthen its South-South Cooperation. As agreed in the Fourth meeting of the India-Lao Joint Commission held in July 2002 at New Delhi, the Government of India deputed the Information Technology Expert (Shri M.Moni, Deputy Director General, NIC) to Vientiane (Lao PDR) to explore the feasibility of setting up of the “Information Technology Centre” during 2-6 June 2003. The feasibility report was submitted to MEA in June 2003, and subsequently the recommendations were accepted by MEA for execution through NIC.
NIC has now entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Information Communication Technology Cooperation with Government of Lao PDR. On behalf of NIC the MOU was signed by the Ambassador of India to the Lao PDR with the Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office and President of the Science, Technology and Environment Agency (STEA), Government of Lao PDR on 17th September 2004 at Vientiane (Lao PDR). As per the MOU, there are 9 ‘Areas of Cooperation’ to be implemented by NIC with funding from Ministry of External Affairs in phased manner. These areas are:
• Setting up of an Information & Communication Technology (ICT) Training Laboratory with 25 Computers with software tools • Capacity Building of Government Officials through Human Resource Development for 150 Government officials in Four Course Modules of 5 days duration • MCA Programme for 30 LAO Students in India for 3 years duration • Setting up of National Data Centre (e-Governance Infrastructure)
• Establishment of 5 pilot rural telecenters (Community Information Centre) in remote and rural areas along the Mekong River for ICT Penetration in Agriculture, Rural Health and Rural Development Programmes • Establishing a VSAT based network for 18 Provinces (Provincial Informatics Centre – PIC) • Assisting in preparation of Cyber Security, Cyber Laws and Certification Authority • Entrepreneur Development Programme in Information & Communication Technology (ICT) Quality Education • Solving the issue of Lao Language Information Processing
ICT training lab set up at Vientiane
MEA has accepted implementation of all the above ‘Areas of Cooperation’ at a total cost of Rs. 17.15 crores in phased manner and approved Rs 9.60 crores for the implementation of first 5 project components during Phase-I. NIC has taken up the implementation of the first two project components:
• Setting up of ICT Training Lab • Capacity Building through Human Resource Development Programme for 150 officials of Govt of Lao PDR
Project supervisor conducting a lecture
A state of the art ICT training lab has been successfully installed, commissioned and made operational by NIC at PMO, Vientiane with necessary hardware, software, networking and teaching aid facilities.
Dignitaries at the inauguration ceremony
Hon’ble Union External and Foreign Minister, Shri K. Natwar Singh and Minister to PMO and President of STEA, Prof. Dr. Bountiem Phissamay jointly inaugurated the ICT Training Lab on 28th November 2004. Dr. N. Vijayaditya, DG NIC and Smt. Alka Mishra, TD were present in Vientiane during the Inaugural Ceremony.
Inauguration of ICT Training Lab, jointly by Sh. Natwar Singh & Minister to PMO and President of STEA, Prof Bountien Phissamay
The Capacity Building for the first batch of 30 Government Officials of Lao PDR commenced from 24th November to 28th November 2004 at the State-of-the-Art ICT Training Lab, Vientiane. Hon’ble Union External and Foreign Minister, Shri K. Natwar Singh and Minister to PMO, President of Science, Technology and Environment Agency, Vientiane jointly awarded the Participation Certificate to the participants.