Indian IT Minister Requests Blockchain Solutions to Improve Government Schools

The Indian Telecoms and IT Minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad, has tasked the National Informatics Centre (NIC) with developing a blockchain-based solution for improving the quality of government schools.

According to a Jan. 20 report by the Press Trust of India, the minister made the request at the inauguration of a blockchain technology center of excellence, set up by NIC in Bengaluru, on Jan. 18.

Blockchain challenged to transform education

The NIC and local state authorities should open their doors for startups working under defined norms, said Prasad.

"I am very keen how we can leverage blockchain in primary education. In fact today I am going to give you a task, NIC team. Can you think of a good application of blockchain technology for improving the quality of government schools all over the country?”

Both public and private schools are good, he confirmed, but he believed that leveraging blockchain technology could see a transformational change take place.

Start-ups to form key role

India is home to around 26,000 start-ups, 9,000 of which are in the tech sector. Prasad urged NIC to develop mechanisms to include these start-ups in its technology space, stating, “NIC can become a big patron of the startup movement.”

Although the Indian authorities are getting behind blockchain technologies, cryptocurrency has had a bumpier ride in the country. As Cointelegraph reported, the Supreme Court is currently hearing evidence as to why the Reserve Bank of India enforced a nationwide banking ban on the cryptocurrency market.