Union Minister for Electronics & Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad. Union Minister for Electronics & Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad.

Work is on to make 100 government websites differently-abled friendly and 16 such websites are ready, Union Minister for Electronics & Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Wednesday. Optical fibre measuring 1.39 lakh kms to connect village panchayats with internet has been laid since last two years as against 398 km from 2011-14 during the UPA.

He claimed nearly 104 crore people, comparable to the size of population of Italy and France, are in the ambit of the Aadhar and mobile connections in India since last two years.

“What is Digital India? We are seeking to bridge the divide between Digital Haves and Digital Have-nots,” he said while listing the achievements of Modi government since last two years. “Of 125 crore people 104 have Aadhar card. They are digitally verifiable. With one click, you can view your face, your iris and finger-tip. It has happened in a completely secure condition and we have are the first ones to have done this,” Prasad claimed.

He was speaking at the launch of Sugamya Pustakalaya- an online library for persons with visual disabilities. The online library was launched by Prasad, Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawarchand Gehlot, and his two deputies Krishan Pal Gurjar and Ramdas Athawal.

Books are available in accessible formats for people with visual impairment and other print disabilities.

People can access over two lakhs books in diverse languages, integrating libraries across India and the globe, including the largest international library ‘Bookshare’. “We have linked ‘divyangjans’ with the common service

centres in our country. National Informatics Centre (NIC) is in the process of making 100 Government websites divyang’ friendly of which 16 have already been made ‘divyang’ friendly,” Prasad said, as he urged NGOs and citizens to use ‘My Gov’ to provide valuable inputs on central schemes.

Prasad said in order to help children suffering from autism, an e-learning tool has also been developed by the National Institute of Mentally Handicapped and all the scholarships will be under one banner. Javadekar said there are 23 lakh people special ability under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.

As the HRD Minister, Javadekar said, he receives invitations for convocations, but he has accepted the first invitation from the University meant for differently abled in Thiruvanathapuram. Gurjar said people with special abilities don’t need sympathy of the people but deserve their love, affection and support.

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