Wayanad to get first-ever digital tribal hamlets

Wayanad would get the first-ever digital tribal hamlets in the country, K Radhakrishnan, Minister for the Welfare of Backward and Scheduled Communities, said on Sunday. The 'Digitally Connected Tribal Colonies' project which integrates e-education and e-health on tribal hamlets is expected to improve the health and education sectors of the tribals with the help of various digital platforms.

The project is being implemented by the State Scheduled Tribes Development Department with the help of the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. CDAC, under Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, is executing the project.

"The focus of the State government is the development of Scheduled Tribes by emphasising on the areas of health, education and employment sector," the Minister while inaugurating the project at Kalpetta in Wayanad.


As part of the project, smart classrooms would be introduced in tribal colonies, which would also be linked with the comprehensive e-resource portal of the General Education Department.

The project would make use of the online services of institutions like Regional Cancer Centre, Regional Institute of Ophthalmology, and CSIR-NIIST for the tribal villages of Wayanad.

A telemedicine system would be set up for screening of non-communicable diseases and diabetic retinopathy, oral cancer and cervical cancer with the help of artificial intelligence and providing expert advice for treatment, the department said in a release.

The project, which would be implemented at a cost of Rs 9 crore, would be implemented before March next year, said the Minister.