civil society & ICT

29.05.2007 The Indian government will invest INR 23,000 million to promote e-Governance in rural areas. The National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) will cyber link even the remotest villages through one lakh Internet Common Service Centres (CSCs) spread across the country.

28.05.2007 Orissa has initiated e-Pragati, a project that would connect even the remotest Anganwadi workers in the state and publish information on their work profiles and children under their care. The venture will complement the existing e-Shishu plan that cyber connects lakhs of children in state.

28.05.2007 IIT-Powai based Webaroo has launched SMS GupShup, a free group messaging service in India, which will enable mobile users to create their own groups and start blogging. The convergence of internet technology with the mobile is now closer than before to the common user and will enable greater communication.

24.05.2007 Around 400 common service centres will be set up next year in Manipur, India's northeastern state. The CSCs will provide e-government services to people living in villages.

24.05.2007 The Australian government will spend $13.6 million on e-security to protect home users and small businesses in a move to strengthen the existing electronic operating environment.

23.05.2007 'Can South Asia End Poverty in a Generation?' This is the theme for a two hour videoconference discussion connecting NGOs and CSOs from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, to be held at the Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), New Delhi, India on May 30, 2007.

22.05.2007 The National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) of UK is using an advanced technology for purposes of wildlife crime enforcement. This technology will enable them to pool police information and carry investigations further.

18.05.2007 E-Choupal is a unique internet service that has been made available at the doorstep of farmers in India. Introduced by the retail sector, e-Choupal provides farmers with agricultural information through ICTs. Through the e-Choupal initiative, ITC has increased its competitiveness and empowered farmers through access to technology and the Internet.

14.05.2007 The UN Security Council's counter-terrorism directorate has launched an online database to help countries to develop their own counter-terrorism programmes. UN also hopes to help countries in drafting terrorism-related legislation, financial law and practice regulations, training for personnel and enhancing law regulations.

11.05.2007 Delhi based Centre for Science, Development and Media Studies (CSDMS) will host India’s largest – and only one of its kind – ICT for Development forum on 31 July - 03 August at New Delhi. eINDIA 2007 will be a platform to share creative ideas and processes and connect practitioners in the use of ICT4D. Its seven seminal conferences will focus on India’s digital divide and explore opportunities for growth potential.

11.05.2007 Villages in Kerala will soon find a place in the cyber world through a state government project, Akshaya, that provides custom-made web portals for all communities in their local language (Malayalam). Supported by UNESCO, the initiative aims to provide computer literacy to the people and implement the project with their participation.

09.05.2007 May 17 marks the inception of Information and Telecommunication Union (ITU), the UN agency that works to develop telecommunications networks and services to bridge the digital divide. Following the World Summit on the Information Society, the UN has now declared the same date as World Information Society Day.

09.05.2007 May 17 marks the inception of Information and Telecommunication Union (ITU), the UN agency that works to develop telecommunications networks and services to bridge the digital divide. Following the World Summit on the Information Society, the UN has now declared the same date as World Information Society Day.

08.05.2007 ICWE GmbH and Hoffmann & Reif are going to organise a conference 'eLearning Africa 2007' on 28 May at Nairobi, Kenya. The event aims to create a network of stakeholders and focus on building ICT infrastructures for education and training.

07.05.2007 GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) phones were launched by Nokia in Delhi India. This move was inspired by efforts of the Indian government and mobile service operators to bring low-cost mobile telephony to the grassroots and unreached, where users may not be able to afford a personal phone. In many villages, local entrepreneurs have already emerged to offer this service.

02.05.2007 Community radio is now a part of the lives of the people in Mangochi District, Malawi, in southeastern Africa. UNESCO supported Dzimwe Community Radio station is a boon for the locals who cannot read and write. High temperatures between 35-40° C and constant power failures are not enough to discourage the dedicated announcers keen on serving their community.