Lok Sabha Question No. 1712 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-05-04
Subject: Internet Usage in Rural India
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: BHAGWANTH KHUBA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1712 TO BE ANSWERED ON 4 TH  MAY, 2016

## INTERNET USAGE IN RURAL INDIA

## 1712. SHRI BHAGWANTH KHUBA:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  conducted  any  survey  regarding  awareness about the use of Internet facility in the rural India;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the people uses Internet to find out the latest information on farming techniques and fertiliser etc.; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)

- (a)&(b) Madam, in the latest survey on Social Consumption Education conducted during National Sample Survey (NSS) 71 st round (January-June, 2014) by National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), information on whether any member of the households  (aged  14  years  and  above)  has  access  to  use  internet  facility  was collected. Survey results showed that 16.1% of the rural Indian households, with at least  one  member of age 14 years and above had access to internet facility in the survey year, 2014. There were 1675.44 lakhs estimated rural households having at least one member of age 14 years and above as per this survey.
- (c)&(d) NSSO conducted a Situation Assessment Survey (SAS) of Agricultural Households during NSS 70 th round (January 2013- December 2013) in the rural areas of  the  country  in  two  visits  with  reference  to  the  agricultural  year  July  2012-  June 2013. The survey collected information regarding the agricultural household's access to  technical  advices  in  the  field  of  agriculture  specific  to  the  crops  they  harvested during the two halves of the agricultural year July 2012- June 2013. 'Radio/TV/News Paper/ Internet' was one of the sources used for reporting access to technical advice.

As  per the results obtained  from  the survey, 19.6%  of  the cultivating agricultural households in the rural India reported access to 'Radio/TV/News Paper/ Internet' during  the  period  July  -December  2012  and  17.0%  of  the  cultivating agricultural  households  in  the  rural  India  reported  access  to this  source  during  the period January-June 2013.

Further, Department of Fertilizers has two portals namely Fertilizer Monitoring System(FMS),  http://www.urvarak.co.in and  Mobile Fertilizer Monitoring  System (mFMS),  http://mfms.nic.in.  These  portals  are  used  by  people  for  information  on availability and sale of fertilizers at Manufacturer level, Wholesaler level and Retialer level. The information is available at State and District level.

FMS  has  information  on  fertilizer  manufacturers  and  importers,  list  of  rake points  for  fertilizer  movement,  current  concession  rates  of  decontrolled  fertilizers, Maximum Retails Price of decontrolled fertilizers.

Mobile  Fertilizer  Monitoring  System  (mFMS)  has  information  on  number  of fertilizer companies, plants, wholesalers and retailers. It has information on which kind of  fertilizer  is  being  supplied  to  which  retailer.  The  sale  is  captured  at  level  of  (a) Company  to  Wholesaler  (b)  Wholesaler  to  retailer  (c)  Company  to  retailer.  Sale transactions  upto  retailer  level  and  monthly  stock  at  district/  state  level  are  also available.

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