It has become routine for the government to roll out large schemes without much monitoring of implementation or measurement of outcomes. A series of answers given in parliament on Thursday by the Union communications ministry fell in this category. It claimed that about 97 percent of the country’s 2.22 lakh gram panchayats are now connected with broadband internet under the BharatNet programme, which also plans to support entrepreneurs hooked up to the government network. So far, so well-meaning. But in a country where several surveys show poor digital literacy in rural areas, is such a scheme worth the expense without careful and patient handholding? More than bombastic numbers, what’s required is regular public reporting from Niti Aayog, the agency tasked with monitoring the scheme’s progress.