Vidyarthi Vigyan Manthan: A national programme to ... - Vigyan Prasar

Sam Pitroda
Satyanarayan Gangaram Pitroda popularly known as Sam Pitroda was
born on 4 May 1942 at Titlagarh, Odisha. His parents were originally from
Gujarat and were strict Gandhians. So Pitroda was sent to Gujarat to
imbibe Gandhian philosophy. He completed his schooling from Vallabh
Vidyanagar in Gujarat and completed his MSc in physics and electronics
from Maharaja Sayajirao University in Vadodara. He went to the US and
obtained a Masters in electrical engineering from Illinois Institute of
Technology in Chicago.
Pitroda is an innovator, entrepreneur and policymaker. Currently
Advisor to the Prime Minister of India on Public Information Infrastructure
and Innovations, he is also widely considered to have been responsible
for bringing in revolutionary changes in India’s telecom sector. As
Technology Advisor to Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi in 1984, Pitroda not
only heralded the telecom revolution in India, but also made a strong
case for using technology for the benefit and betterment of society
through several missions on telecommunications, literacy, dairy, water,
immunisation, oilseeds, etc.
He has served as Chairman of the National Knowledge Commission
(2005–2008), a high-level advisory body to the Prime Minister of India,