The IT Task Force submitted its first report in the form of an "IT Action Plan" to the Prime Minister on July 4, 1998. The report contains a special section on "IT for all by Year 2008" whose centre piece is a Major National Campaign called "Operation Knowledge", focussing on universalization of IT and IT based education at all levels. Some of the highlights of the IT Action Plan, which covers both bottleneck and promotional issues, are :
- Conversion of STD/ISD booths in the Country into "Information-Kiosks" providing Internet and related services like email.
- Ministries and Departments to earmark 1-3 % of the budget for IT.
- IT Literacy requirement for Government / Public Sector Employment.
- 100% depreciation on all IT Products in two years.
- Software and IT to be treated as priority sector by banks for five years.
- Tripling of working capital requirements from Rs.400 crore to Rs.1,200 crore.
- Setting up of at least four venture capital funds of not less than Rs.50 crore.
- Blanket approval for Indian IT companies for overseas acquisitions from export earnings.
- Zero Duty on all IT Products by Year 2002 by advancing ITA schedule.
- Broadening definition of software to include entire range of IT software as per WTO-ITA norms.
- Exemption for software developers and exporters from physical and custom bonding at STPs, EDUs and EPZs
- Access to Internet through cable TV
- Early introduction of cyber laws
- Networking of all Engineering / Medical colleges, Universities before 2000 A. D
For more details on the IT Action Plan, visit the IT Task Force web site at http://it-taskforce.nic.in