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Adding the 10.16 million wireless (GSM, CDMA, WLL) subscribers in March, India overtook USA to ranks at second place after China. The total wireless subscribers now stands at 261.09 million.
A total of 10.40 million telephone connections (Wireline and Wireless) have been added during March 2008 as compared to 8.49 million connections added in February 2008. This implies a reach of 300.51 million at the end of March 2008 against a reach of 290.11 million in February 2008 taking the overall tele-density from 25.31% in February 2008 to 26.22% in March 2008.
Broadband, defined as speeds above 256 Kbps, had a subscriber base of 3.90 million at the end of March 2008 against that of 3.47 million at the end of Fenruary 2008. Clearly we have a long way to go to achieve its target of 20 million broadband subscribers by 2010 – more so if TRAI actually goes ahead with its proposed definition of broadband.
Download the complete report here.

Related reads:
Mobile Internet On The Rise
Internet Reach On Mobiles Is 19 Times More Than Broadband

The XI National Conference on e-Governance would be organised on February 7-8, 2008 at Chandigarh/Panchkula with the Government of Haryana serving as the host state.
The present theme for the conference is “Integrated Citizen Services – Issues & Challenges”. The main features of this conference would be the National Awards for e-Governance for 2007-08 that recognizes achievements and initiatives in the area of e-Governance, a compendium for 11th Conference on e-Governance and an exhibition showcasing the latest trends in IT.

Gujarat bagged the award for the `Best e-governed State’ for 2006-07 at the 42nd Computer Society India(CSI) Convention, organised to recognise the best e-governance initiatives in the country, especially in the government sector. A total of 17 awards were presented.

Other highlights:

1. Goa, Jharkhand, Kerala were declared as joint winners of the `Progressive e-Governed State’
2. Department of Electricity of Lakshadweep, and Department of Health and Family Welfare, Gujarat were declared joint winners under the `Best e-governed Department’ category
3. The Department of Education, Delhi, bagged the special jury award under the same category for its initiative in the admission, examination and management of teachers. Continue Reading »

The third conference in the series of international e-Government conferences, this conference provides a platform for sharing of experiences and networking opportunities with key decision makers in the government, development agencies and industry players.
Download the report from eGovWorld 2006

When: Novermber 29 – 30, 2007
Where: The Grand, Vasant Kunj, Nelson Mandela Road, Phase II, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, India
Website: http://www.egovworld.org

Madhya Pradesh government has set up a School for Good Governance and Policy Analysis here to review state policies and its effect on a target group.
The school will function as an autonomous `think tank’ in the field of good governance in international and domestic context and will analyze problems regarding governance. It will also prepare an action plan and assist in implementation of the same.
[Via]

The Maharashtra Knowledge Corporation Limited (MKCL) has in partnership with several institutions developed a comprehensive software framework for a web-based network of colleges affiliated to universities. This digital university product is a one-stop platform aimed at providing information about the university, its departments, colleges/institutes and various courses on offer.
Besides admissions and exam-related information, students will be able to access information on schemes —government as well as other agencies — for backwards, tribals, economically backward, minority classes and the physically challenged. Information will also be available on scholarships and free-ships, concessions, loans, employment, placement and competitive examinations etc.
An integral aspect of the project will be customised services which students can access through individual logins. This includes a range of administrative services like personal profile update, eligibility form, application for examination, admit card, personalised result, application for verification, revaluation and convocation as well as applications for migration certificates and transcript status of various applications.  [Via]

A community project to provide high speed Internet, telemedicine, e-education and e-governance services to the rural areas of Tamil Nadu was made operational in Vadugambadi, about 60 km south of state capital Chennai. The facilities will be provided for the first time in India with the High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) and Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) systems under the Gramjyoti programme of the central government.
At the three community centres cum panchayat offices, the Apollo Hospital’s telemedicine service has provided a paramedic, who can do basic check ups for those needing medical attention.
There are plans to bring about 100,000 villages under the fold of the programme.
[Via]

E-Halli, conceptualised on the basis of former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s ‘Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas (PURA)’, aims at bridging the information gap between villages and cities. The E-Halli centres would provide services and information about various schemes of Government departments, both Central and State, gram panchayats, banks, hospitals, blood banks, diagnostic centres, veterinary centres, market prices, agricultural farming, business, educational institutions, timings and fare of busses, trains, flights, the place of reservation and goods transport system.
In the first phase, the centres will be established in 10 districts, and grow to finally cover 5,628 gram panchayats in the State. [Via]

People across the country may soon access their water, electricity and other utility bills online.
The national mission on e-governance in urban local bodies, covering  423 cities across the country, will cost Rs 787 crore and cover services and management functions, including online registration and issue of birth and death certificates, approval of building plans and payment of property tax and other utility bills.
All 35 cities with a population of 10 lakh or more are proposed to be covered in the current financial year. In the next five years, the project is supposed to cover all the 423 cities having a population of one lakh and above.
[Via]

Hindustan Times: The central Information Commission (CIC) has ruled that SBI Cards is a public authority and customers were entitled to seek information about the credit card company under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
The ruling came after two SBI cardholders, Arun Kumar Verma and Dileep Ayachit, sought information under the RTI Act on particulars regarding credit cards. The petition was filed after the SBI Cards and Payment Services said that it had not received cheques issued by a cardholder. The bank later said it had received the cheques.