Elevating education of India's rural village girls through distance learning technology supported by sustainable electricity

Augmenting educational opportunities for rural village girls in India has been highlighted as a significant Millennium Development Goal (MDG) necessary to help eradicate poverty in developing countries. The role of proper electrification in rural villages, another MDG, plays a significant role in providing necessary energy for educational needs. In a small village in the state of Jharkhand, India there are serious problems with current limited educational opportunities, particularly for girls, as well as electrification problems. These obstacles were assessed, and it was determined that with a proper and reliable electrification system in place, a Distance Learning (DL) educational program to support village education could support continued and constant education for girls through primary and secondary school. Interviews with villagers resulted in very positive support for such a system within the village. In this paper we address the current obstacles to education in the village. Also presented are the practical challenges in attaining the technical framework for the proposed DL innovation including software, suitable learning facilities, network connectivity, personnel support, and so on, all dependent upon a larger framework of reliable sustainable power system. In terms of electric availability, it is widely assumed that Indian villages now have electricity through efforts of government initiatives. However, the reality is that in many villages the actual electrical access has not been adequate to meet even simple village needs. A sustainable electrification model to support current grid is also currently underway for the village. The overall goal of the program is to enhance academic educational achievements of village girls, adolescents, and adults, thus helping to uplift the standard of living in the village, and diminishing current problems related to current low educational status of most there.