Posts under “Digital” Category
Welcome to digital democracy
Published in ‘Times Computing’ India on 11th October 2000 Most of us at some point in time have faced the daunting task of dealing with the local Municipal office either to get hold of a birth or death certificate or any other official document. Long ques, red-tapism and corruption are the only things we all associate with government offices. But all that is set to change with new initiatives coming into Governance of countries in the form in Electronic Governance. E-Governance is the new mantra for governments across the globe and India is one of the countries where this trend seems to be catching on. Governments across the globe have realized the importance of I.T. in day-to-day functioning of governments. Government and its numerous agencies being the largest service providers in the country feel the need to make extensive use of I.T. for its major services both at national and local level. E-Governanace is one such crucial I.T. driven initiative that will allow the government to make information easily available, transparent and in an interactive form. E-Governance will help in eliminating duplication of work in various departments and will help improve exchange of information between them and hence improve overall efficiency of government services. The Ministry for Information and Technology, India defines E governance as application of Information technology to the process of government functioning to bring about SMART governance that is
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Fraternal bonding
Published in ‘Times Computing’ on 9th August 2000
Sharmila, though studying in the US, will be celebrating Raksha Bandhan in style, together with her younger brother in India, with more than a little help from the Internet.
Wow, August 15 this year spells a dual reason to celebrate. Besides, it being India’s Independence Day, the day also holds special significance for the Indian diaspora spread across the globe. On this full moon day, Raksha Bandhan will be celebrated in millions of homes across the length and breath of the country. And, as in the years gone by, a special expression of love will be exchanged by brothers and sisters the world over.
Raksha Bandhan has from long back been a simple ceremony necessitating close proximity between the siblings of opposite sex, when the girl ties a sacred thread on her brother’s wrist in exchange for his blessings,and the unspoken promise of protection from all evil forces. What follows this brief exchange may be some tangible gifts from the brother which may be in the form of sweets, jewellery or even hard cash.
Raksha Bandhan symbolises protection and a loving bond and, in the Internet age, this bonding need not be limited to only those who live in close proximity to each other.
Take the case of Sharmila. This young lass left for the United States of America last year to pursue her studies. It was going to be a disappointing Raksha Bandhan for her, or so she thought, as she knew she would not be getting a chance to tie a rakhi on her little brother’s wrist.
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Minding Your Manners on The Internet
Published in ‘Times Computing’ on 19th July 2000Where are your manners young Man – A phrase we are all too familiar with in our younger days. Well it’s here to haunt you again if you are a new entrant to the dynamic world of the Internet. And if you are planning to be a law-abiding netizen you need to read on to discover the world of Netiquette. Look up the dictionary for the meaning of Etiquette and you would come up with – the forms required by good breeding or prescribed by authority to be required in social or official Life. So what then is Netiquette, well simply said its network etiquette. In other words, Netiquette is a set of rules that govern how one should behave on-line. If you are new to cyberspace culture you are bound to make a few mistakes and social blunders. There is a chance you may offend someone without meaning to or even worse, you may misunderstand someone and take offence of it when its not been intended. The problem with the net is that most people tend to forget that they are interacting with a real person on the other end and could land up being insensitive to this fact. Some basics of Netiquette may seem very obvious but its surprising how we conveniently forget these tiny details which help to lead a smooth and harmonious existence in cyberspace.
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