Pilot lays stress on increasing use of Internet

PUNE: The central government has been taking measures to make its ambitious e-governance project compatible with 22 official regional languages spoken in different parts of the country, Union minister of state for communication and Information Technology, Sachin Pilot said here on Saturday.

“Almost 60 per cent of Indian population does not speak English,” he said,  justifying the use of non-English interface for the e-governance initiative.

Speaking at the inauguration of the ninth edition of Symbiosis Institute of International Business (SIIB) leadership series here, Pilot envisaged on a dream of taking the e-governance project to the doorstep of citizens, including those from rural areas.

He underlined the need of increasing the Internet usage among population for widening the reach of e-governance. “Currently, the Internet usage is limited only upto around eight per cent of Indian population. The government aims to increase this percentage upto at least 50 per cent so as to make e-governance a success,” Pilot said.

Later, responding to a query, Pilot, who is the son of former union minister late Rajesh Pilot, said that his decision to join politics was pre-planned and it was not a ‘knee-jerk’ reaction after the death of his father in an accident.

The young Congressman also said that dynasty in the field of politics has its advantage and disadvantages but it alone on its own cannot assure anybody’s survival. “If you don’t perform as an MP, people from your constituency will throw you out of the chair,” said the Congress MP from Ajmer Lok Sabha constituency of Rajasthan.

Bajaj Auto managing director Rajiv Bajaj, chairperson of the Thermax Social Initiative Foundation Anu Aga, chairperson of Thermax Group Meher Pudumjee, Muktangan Rehabilitation Centre’s deputy director Mukta Puntambekar and orthopaedic surgeon Dr Parag Sancheti expressed their views at SIIB leadership series. The theme for this year is ‘Taking over the mantle’.