The Hindu Business Line : DIT's Akshaya shortlisted for Stockholm Challenge

THE Akshaya `bridge the digital divide' project of the Department of Information Technology has qualified as a finalist in the prestigious Stockholm Challenge sweepstakes that feature pioneering IT projects from all over the world.

Being a finalist is a victory in itself, a spokesperson of the Kerala State IT Mission (KSITM), quoted Dr Alfonso Molina, professor at the University of Edinburgh and Chairman of the jury, as saying. KSITM is the official implementing agency for IT in the State.

The jury has found the finalist projects to be of great importance to local progress, and to be of such innovative and pioneering fabric that it should serve as a model for regions, cities and countries, according to Dr Molina.

Akshaya, the ICT (Information Communication Technology) intervention designed to reach out to the remotest location and the most underprivileged citizen, competed with 900 similar projects from more than 100 different countries. The international jury, a group of senior experts, elected 103 finalists.

Ms Aruna Sundararajan, Secretary, Information Technology, formally introduced the project to the World Summit on the Information Society organised by the UN General Assembly in Sweden from December 10 to 12 last. Akshaya takes in a larger e-governance vision providing for citizen-friendly services in the last mile through interfaces for information and transaction. The emerging ICT-enabled framework would thus ensure that businesses, enterprises, institutions and organisations collaborate with citizens and communities in the campaign for development. It seeks to render at least one person from each of the 6.5 million families in the State an IT-literate person.

The project's deliverables include: (1) Creating and expanding economic opportunities in the knowledge economy (2) Empowering individuals and communities through enhanced access to information (3) Modernising and upgrading skill sets (4) Integrating communities through creation of e-networks (5) Creating awareness of ICT tools and usage (6) Generating content relevant and useful to the common man and in local language (7) Creating a minimum 25,000 employment opportunities and (8) Generating direct investment of over Rs 500 crore.

The Challenge

THE Stockholm Challenge was initiated in 1994 by the City of Stockholm. The aim is to diminish the digital divide and to create an information society for all. Technology itself is not the issue; the focus is on how IT can benefit people and society.

Projects compete in six different categories: e-government, culture, health, education, e-business and environment. The winners will be announced in the Stockholm City Hall on May 13, at the Stockholm Challenge Final Events.

The programme during the week also includes networking activities, seminars, exhibition and technical visits. Akshaya will thus get an opportunity to showcase its benefits to a global audience highly receptive to initiatives on supporting ICT penetration among the masses along with the chance to win one of the prestigious international awards.