Full coverage: South Asia

28.05.2004 The Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is organising a two-day workshop on the 5-6 May 2004, New Delhi,in collaboration with UNDP and UNESCO on designing an enabling framework for community radio in India. Participants from the government, private and civil society sectors will debate key issues at this event.

27.05.2004 The Health Information Systems Programme in Andhra Pradesh, India, makes innovative uses of ICT, especially of open source software to deliver health knowledge to medical professionals. A finalist of this year's Stockholm Challenge Award , this project is supported by students from different parts of the world.

26.05.2004 Media Lab Asia is a alliance between the Government of India and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology which claims that innovative technology can reach poor people. But the devices supplied so far to health visitors are full price models.

24.05.2004 The defeat of the ruling party in elections in India last week shows that rapid technological innovations have not reached the Indian masses. Herein lies the challenge for technology that it has to work for the poor.

21.05.2004 OneWorld South Asia and the MS Swaminathan Foundation have launched a six-week discussion: Information Kiosks in every Indian village by 2007 - a myth or reality? Join it!

21.05.2004 More than 50 development experts come together for a consultation in Chennai, India this week to form a National Alliance for Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for Basic Human Needs.

21.05.2004 Development organisations, led by OneWorld South Asia, the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation and NASSCOM Foundation have formed a National Alliance for Information and Communication Technologies for Basic Human Needs, which will seek to take knowledge-led services to every village in India by 2007.

21.05.2004 Development organisations, led by OneWorld South Asia, the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation and NASSCOM Foundation have formed a National Alliance for Information and Communication Technologies for Basic Human Needs, which will seek to take knowledge-led services to every village in India by 2007.

20.05.2004 OneWorld South Asia and the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation have launched an online discussion on the sustainability and scalabitliy of Information Kiosks in India. The list is titled: Information Kiosks in every Indian village by 2007 – a myth or reality?
A summary of the discussions would be shared at two separate national workshops on technology and policy issues on the ICT4D initiatives in Delhi, India.
To join the list, send a blank email to join-infokiosks@dgroups.org

19.05.2004 Radio Sagarmatha in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal seeks donations to build its premises. This will help the community radio station, the first and and only one in this area, to help it sustain itself and serve the community it caters to.

18.05.2004 Teachers Without Borders has initiated a project to train the teachers and community in Afghanistan. The newly set up Community Teaching and Learning Centre will offer a range of resources to the community at large.

18.05.2004 Rural pay phone operators can now avail of a subsidy scheme endorsed by the Sri Lankan Telecom regulatory body subject to certain conditions. This measure will provide better connectivity to the rural community in this island country.

14.05.2004 In a bid to make the Indian democracy more transparent, Campaign Vote Smart For India (VSFI) initiative collects information on thousands of poll contestants and makes this data available to people online.

13.05.2004 A software developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing in India now speeds up registering the land records. Some seven million people are benefitting each year from this digitisation process.

13.05.2004 Issues such as child abuse and gender equality were captured in documentaries and showcased at a recently held video film festival in Bihar, India. Using low cost technologies young students and children were able to show their talent and creativity in filmmaking.

11.05.2004 The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has promised to bring out a consultation paper on community radio and consult communities and non-governmental organizations on allowing community radio stations in the country.

03.05.2004 The final report of the ICT policy and civil society workshop held in Delhi, India, recently is now online. The workshop,the first of its kind in South Asia, was aimed at capacity building and sensitising of the civil society leaders in ICT policy making.