APJ Abdul Kalam

As the principal scientific advisor to the Indian government

during the BJP regime, Kalam was a strong votary of privatization of Internet in

India. He made specific suggestions to the government that ultimately resulted

in the introduction of private e-mail services and the ISP policy.

One of the components of Kalam's PURA initiative (providing

urban amenities to rural areas) is electronic connectivity through telecom with

high bandwidth. He has been vociferous in his views on rural connectivity and

has taken up the issue with the government. For example, he has put forth the

idea that all the fishing villages in the coastal areas should be linked with

the district HQ through broadband fiber and wireless connectivity.