Making a Difference

The role of digital content in development and governance got its share of
attention during the three-day South Asia Conclave on ICT and Digital Content
for Development under the Manthan Award South Asia 2008 umbrella. Organized
from October 16-18, 2008 at the NCUI campus in New Delhi, the event concentrated
on areas ranging from use of ICT in water and sanitation to the role of digital
panchayats in development and governance at the grassroot level. Digital
Empowerment Foundation organized the annual conclave, with the support of the
World Summit Award Austria and Department of Information Technology, India.

Chief guest Jyotiraditya Scindia, Minister of State for Communication along with dignatories at the event

Chief guest Union Minister of State for Communications and Information
Technology, Govt of India, Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia said, Technology is
no longer a luxury but has become a necessity. Without technology, development
will not take place. It is equally important that traditional as well as new
technology options are explored to the fullest to cater to the basic needs of
millions of citizens in India and the entire South Asia. The role of information
communication technology has to be seen in this context. ICT along with digital
technology and content has enormous power and scope to address key development
and governance challenges in the entire sub-continent.

The World Summit Award team at the events exchange pleasentries with BV Selvaraj, administrator, Lakshadweep	Saluting the group of Manthan Award 2008 winners

Debates and Deliberations

The focus in the inaugural session was on socio-economic divide superimposed
with the digital divide, and the role of ICT and digital content in addressing
these widening divides. Other key speakers included World Summit Award chairman
Prof Peter Bruck; Prof Anil Gupta from the Indian Institute of Management
Ahmedabad and also the vice chairman of National Innovation Foundation; BV
Selvaraj, Lakshadweep Administrator; Raju Narisetti, editor of Mint; Satish
Kaushal, country manager, IBM; and World Ahead director of Intel, R Ravichandran.

Board of Directors of the World Summit Award, Austria chapter pose with some of the Manthan Award jurors	A group of thirty panchayats from Maharashtra participated in the Manthan Award 2008 gala and other events

The conclave witnessed parallel sessions on different issues, workshops, and
roundtable deliberations. It also provided a unique platform for interchange of
ideas and experiences in ICT and digital content besides celebrating the best
e-content practices. The digital content exhibition provided an opportunity for
ICTD organizations and fraternity to demonstrate their innovations, practices
and products. The exhibition witnessed more than fifty exhibitors from across
south Asia, from public, private and civil societies, alongside Manthan Award
partners, nominees, winners and supporters.

The concourse visits the exhibition at the three-day conclave

Year 2008 is considered a milestone for the Manthan Award, as the award
process extended to south Asia in recognizing best ICT and digital content for
development practices and innovations. This year also witnessed representatives
from seventeen countries, and member representatives of the World Summit Award
participating extensively. Participating countries included Italy, Austria,
Germany, China, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Malaysia and others.

(Clockwise) Wajahat Habibullal, chief information commissioner of India; Sanjeev Bikchandani, chairman, Internet and Mobile Association of India; Prof Peter Buck, chairman, World Summit Award; and Prof Anil Gupta, vice chairperson, National Innovation Foundation, take the event deliberations forward

The session on e-content in governance and business demonstrated with
examples from Lakshadweep and Chattisgarh in India how digitization and
realization of the rights of those living in forests had made tremendous
progress using ICT and digital content. The session on health and environment
highlighted the fact that database should be shared to enhance the functioning
of various organizations.

Panelists discuss how to digitally empower citizens

The discussion on ICT and Drinking Water and Sanitation included assessment
of ICT training needs for water practitioners and communities, and mechanisms
for ICT enablement of the Social Audit of Governments Water and Sanitation
programs.

Padmashree Anna Hazare, RTI Man of India, addressing the Manthan Awards 2008

In a country like India one cannot ignore the fact that empowering villagers
would lead to a developed India. Digital panchayats are a means to that end.
Chairing the deliberations on the same, Padmashree Shri Anna Hazare, the man
behind the Right to Information Act in India said, The world has come closer
and competition has increased. To keep pace with the rest of the world, one
needs to make use of the power of IT.

TR Raghunandan, joint secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Govt of India,
spoke about several points including ideas to fight corruption as far as funds
allocated for panchayats are concerned. Osama Manzar, chairman, Manthan Award,
assured that the Digital Empowerment Foundation would take hundred gram
panchayats under honorary leadership of social activist Shri Anna Hazare. This
way it would try to track corruption in various schemes with the help of
guidelines.

Peter Bruck, chairman, World Summit Award Austria, emphasized the fact that
ICT and content network should be open and fair, and competitive exchange should
take place. The need is to congregate with others to become better equipped.
Content gap is human in nature and technology advances much faster than humans
do, and hence more the need to unite and keep pace.

Saluting the Winners

As part of the three-day event, the Manthan Award South Asia 2008 Gala
recognized and felicitated key innovators, practitioners and implementers of ICT
and digital content for development across south Asia. Thirty-three winners from
eight South Asian countries where declared at the event.

Speaking on the occasion, Wajahat Habibullah, chief information commissioner,
Govt of India, explained how the RTI makes the government more transparent and
accountable and the role of ICT and content in making it effective is vital to
think about. R Chandrashekhar, special secretary, Dept of IT, India, said that
there should be greater cooperation between public and private players to meet
key development goals using ICT and digital technology and content, as the
government cannot alone meet these challenges.

Shri Anna Hazare explained that with the help of information technology, a
simple villager could be connected to the whole world. RTI is a right of the
citizens and not a states discretionary power, so the state is bound to
disclose all relevant information when asked, he said. Prof Peter Bruck
stressed the fact that digital content creates a strong belief that ICT is an
opportunity and helps in engaging with the society actively. Technology is an
important asset for human beings. According to Prof Gupta of IIM Ahmedabad,
there must be more of social use of information technology than for commercial
interests.

Digital Empowerment Foundation Team

maildqindia@cybermedia.co.in