Centre launches 'Samriddhi Kendram' rural development hub under BharatNet Udyami scheme in Andhra Pradesh
Minister of State for Communications Dr Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar launched 'Samriddhi Kendram', an integrated rural development centre built at a cost of about Rs 1.16 crore, in Narakoduru village of Andhra Pradesh, under the Centre's BharatNet Udyami initiative as part of the Samriddhi Gram Project. The single-window hub brings together 11 essential service sectors under one roof — including health screening, telemedicine, soil testing, skill-development programmes, high-speed internet and free Wi-Fi — aiming to eliminate the need for villagers to travel long distances for everyday governance and healthcare needs. Officials said the model is designed to stem the migration of youth and farmers to cities by turning rural aspirations into local opportunities. Narakoduru became the third village in India, and the first in the Telugu-speaking states, to host this integrated model built on BharatNet broadband connectivity.
Key Facts & Details
8 points- 1Dr Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar launched 'Samriddhi Kendram' in Narakoduru, Andhra Pradesh.
- 2It is an integrated rural development centre built at about Rs 1.16 crore.
- 3It offers 11 essential services under one roof, including telemedicine, soil testing and free Wi-Fi.
- 4It was set up under the Centre's BharatNet Udyami initiative / Samriddhi Gram Project.
- 5Narakoduru is the third village in India and first in the Telugu states to host this model.
Deep Dive
- +The hub is built on BharatNet broadband connectivity to deliver digital services.
- +It aims to stem migration of youth and farmers to cities by creating local opportunities.
- +The single-window model reduces travel for governance and healthcare needs.
Exam Focus
Under which initiative was the 'Samriddhi Kendram' rural development centre launched in Andhra Pradesh?
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Exam Relevance & Angle
Digital-inclusion schemes and rural-connectivity initiatives are increasingly tested current-affairs items, and the BharatNet programme, the named centre and its location are the kind of linked facts examiners use in banking and SSC General Awareness questions.
Target Exams
Background & Context
BharatNet is the Government of India's flagship rural-broadband programme — one of the world's largest — that aims to provide high-speed optical-fibre internet connectivity to all Gram Panchayats (village councils) across the country, funded through the Digital Bharat Nidhi (formerly the Universal Service Obligation Fund). It is the backbone of Digital India, intended to bridge the rural-urban digital divide by enabling e-governance, tele-education, telemedicine and digital financial services in villages. The BharatNet Udyami model and 'Samriddhi Gram' concept build on this connectivity by setting up village-level entrepreneurs and single-window service centres that convert broadband access into tangible services — health, agriculture, skilling and governance — delivered locally. By aggregating multiple services in one digitally enabled hub, such centres aim to reduce villagers' need to travel to towns, curb distress migration and improve the ease of rural living, aligning with the broader 'Viksit Bharat' (developed India) goal.
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Must KnowTest Yourself
1 / 2The 'Samriddhi Kendram' integrated rural development centre was launched under which initiative?
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