United Nations, Jan. 4: A team of specialists in space technology and high-level mass media officials from 14 developing countries will visit India this month for an in-depth study of the Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) launched by India to accelerate national development through community television programmes.
The Indian experiment, started in August last, has created widespread interest among the developing countries facing similar communications problems in carrying knowledge and information on agriculture, animal husbandry, family planning and other developmental concerns to the rural millions.
The countries that will be represented in the visiting team are: Bolivia, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kenya; Kuwait, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sudan, Thailand, Tunisia and Turkey.
In line with its policy of sharing the benefits of its technological advance and systems planning, India recently offered to the United Nations to host representatives from interested developing countries to a “Winter School” to explain how India planned and implemented the SITE as a means of breaking the barrier hindering the advancement of the rural masses.
The U.N. accepted the offer and decided to include the Indian “Winter School” programme in the U.N. programme on Space Applications for 1976. The UNESCO is also being associated with the programme.
The team will be accompanied by the U.N. expert on space applications, Mr. H.G.S. Murthy.
