Backing the e-Content Movement
It is heartening to note that this special edition of the Manthan Award 2006 is a manifestation of hard works, diligent activities, ground level performances, a manifestation of instant human relationship, power of instinctive networking, promises and delivery of content for development and empowerment, and above all a dedicated compilation of dedicated works of e-Content practitioners, advocates and supporters in India, and abroad. I must reveal that the genuine and sincere works of the Manthan Award winners is solely responsible for influencing Digital Empowerment Foundation to work with such a zeal and force that "quality and handwork be recognised" at any cost in the emerging e-Content domain in India. Though initially the output of this book seemed a gargantuan task, yet the final delivery and product forced to give the pains and efforts spent a go by.I have special admiration for the whole Manthan and DEF team for extremely helpful and cooperative in bringing out this compilation at the opportune time and accomplish the task. It is a big boosting to know that this effort is being backed by supportive individuals and organisations in both tangible and intangible ways. World Summit Award needs mention to reiterate that it all started with WSA three years and we are highly bullish about our partnership with WSA as mentor and international affiliate.I am especially indebted to the Manthan Award 2006 Winners that it is due to their hard works, best practices that have been recognised and enabled us to come out with this special edition.My special gratitude goes to the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) for their timely support and cooperation in becoming the co publisher of this wonderful edition of the Manthan Award 2006. My acknowledgement cannot be complete without expressing my sincere gratitude to the Manthan Award 2006 partners and supporters for their wholesome support and trust in DEF's initiative in spearheading a e-Content movement in India through this wonderful platform.My special thanks to America India Foundation and Government of Uttaranchal for their support as pillars of strength ever since Manthan Award started. Thanks to Centre for E-Governance, DIT, Government of India for its support and decision to accord us the privilege to associate with the Manthan Award 2006. PHDCCI's timely support has remained a good will gesture for this meaningful venture.My special thanks goes to the entire Manthan and DEF team of Maria, Hemlata, Shahid Ahmad, Rupen Patel, Manish Unniyal and Syed S Kazi for their untiring efforts and dedication in bringing out the book while doing editing, proofing, compiling and doing other vital activities. And, if you like the book in terms of design, colour, layout, presentation and visually appealing, then the credit goes to Shaifali Chikermane.Finally, I would like to recall the entire e-Content fraternity in India and the world which are a ray of hope for all those precious and hard efforts to build and sustain a e-Content movement in India and elsewhere for development and empowerment of so many needy hands and souls for whom technology can be a great enabler for mitigating their woes via meaningful, relevant, accessible and affordable e-Content.My request to you all would be to ignore any mistakes and errors in this special edition of the Manthan Award 2006 as a sign of visual errors or missing of ignorance and callousness here and there. Thanking you all once againSincerelyOsama ManzarChairman, The Manthan AwardDirector, Digital Empowerment Foundation, New Delhiosamam@gmail.commanthanaward@gmail.comThis is the Acknowledge by Osama Manzar, extracted from the book "Message of Empowerment: India's Best e-Content 2006". To access the book's full version, please click here.
Source : http://www.manthanaward.org/book_intro'06.asp
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Nominations open for Manthan Award 2007India’s Best e-Content for Development
Welcome to Manthan Award 2007 for India’s Best e-Content for Development!
Its time once again to come together and celebrate and recognize our great practitioners of e-Content for development at the grassroots level. It is time to bring the wider e-Content stakeholders across India be it practitioners, promoters, supporters, organizations, and others into one single platform through the Manthan Award platform. As we roll out and open the nomination process for this year’s award, we look keenly forward to valuable and enthusiastic participation of all and sundry who are connected to the ecosystem of ‘Content for Development’.
We invite willful nominations from individual participants, organizations, individuals seconding nominations for grassroots practitioners who are doing pioneering work in developing, creating and dissemination digital content, be it online or offline, for grassroots empowerment and development in daily walks of life.
CATEGORIES FOR NOMINATIONS
e-Business
e-Learning
e-Culture,
e-Government,
e-Health,
e-Enterprise & Livelihood,
e-Entertainment,
e-Inclusion,
e-Education,
e-News,
e-Localisation,
e-Youth,
m-Content,
e-Environment,
Community Broadcasting File your nominations now!You can file in your nominations in two ways:
Online filing of nominations after visiting relevant section on this site, or
Download your nomination form and send in your details at manthanaward@gmail.com (for download of form click here)
For further details contact
Soumika majumdarManthan Award12/17, LGF, Sarvapriya Vihar, New Delhi – 1100017Tel: 011-26532786 / 26532787 / 46024552Fax: 011-26532787Email: majumdar.soumika@gmail.com
last date for filing nominations : 31st July 2007
Source : http://www.manthanaward.org/
Its time once again to come together and celebrate and recognize our great practitioners of e-Content for development at the grassroots level. It is time to bring the wider e-Content stakeholders across India be it practitioners, promoters, supporters, organizations, and others into one single platform through the Manthan Award platform. As we roll out and open the nomination process for this year’s award, we look keenly forward to valuable and enthusiastic participation of all and sundry who are connected to the ecosystem of ‘Content for Development’.
We invite willful nominations from individual participants, organizations, individuals seconding nominations for grassroots practitioners who are doing pioneering work in developing, creating and dissemination digital content, be it online or offline, for grassroots empowerment and development in daily walks of life.
CATEGORIES FOR NOMINATIONS
e-Business
e-Learning
e-Culture,
e-Government,
e-Health,
e-Enterprise & Livelihood,
e-Entertainment,
e-Inclusion,
e-Education,
e-News,
e-Localisation,
e-Youth,
m-Content,
e-Environment,
Community Broadcasting File your nominations now!You can file in your nominations in two ways:
Online filing of nominations after visiting relevant section on this site, or
Download your nomination form and send in your details at manthanaward@gmail.com (for download of form click here)
For further details contact
Soumika majumdarManthan Award12/17, LGF, Sarvapriya Vihar, New Delhi – 1100017Tel: 011-26532786 / 26532787 / 46024552Fax: 011-26532787Email: majumdar.soumika@gmail.com
last date for filing nominations : 31st July 2007
Source : http://www.manthanaward.org/
Monday, June 18, 2007
We are looking at a mixed model for distance learning ’
VN Rajasekharan Pillai, vice-chancellor, IGNOU, and chairman, Distance Education Council, speaks of the necessity for the convergence of conventional and open learning systems to be used as a future learning tool as well as the need to integrate technology with the traditional learning system in a tete a tete with C Jayanthi
What are the recent initiatives that IGNOU has taken up to spread higher education in the country?
A recent comprehensive proposal that IGNOU has prepared in consultation with the conventional university vice-chancellors in what is a joint IGNOU, UGC and AICTE initiative for the convergence of Open and Distance Learning (ODL) with the conventional system of learning (face to face), has been approved by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD). The targeted Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of the 16-21 age group in higher education during the XIth Plan is 20, about double that of today. By conventional expansion, this requires doubling of the physical faculties and human resources in higher education institutions, which is a rather difficult proposition. As you know, quality with affordable cost is the basic requirement of any open university. We believe that open and distance learning is a tool for education—it does not have to be utilised only by the open university system. Almost 90% of our material is digitised. We are also looking at a mixed model that links face-to-face learning and distance learning systems. This is the state-of-the-art open system of education in the world now. It is then that the merger of the two systems and overall expansion will happen. We are also looking at technology in science-related areas—at how virtual laboratories can be created for a practical mode of teaching. This is when convergence will occur and forms the background of the joint activity of AICTE, UGC and ODL.
What have you achieved in terms of expansion of rural education which is one of the primary aims of distance learning?
Almost 65% of our student enrolment is from the rural areas—we are looking at very specific programmes connected to rural areas. We have created special study centres based on the education deprivation index. We have also started interaction with Jan Sikshan Sansthan programmes in rural areas—JSS is a project of MHRD that looks at the education requirements of rural areas. Our new vocational study centres are located only in rural areas. We are building capacity and you cannot expect that everything will happen overnight. The number of students enrolled in IGNOU is over 15 lakh.
Among the rural education programmes that IGNOU is involved in include the Rajiv Gandhi project that is a pilot project to provide education through satellite connectivity up to the grassroots level for strengthening primary education. The focus of the project is on the development of district-level networks for interactive online modes of communication particularly for educational purposes. The district networks will connect more than 862 schools, district institute of education and training and block resource centre in the Sidhi district of Madhya Pradesh, Sonbhadra in Uttar Pradesh, Koria in Chhattisgarh and Hajipur in Bihar to meet the district level requirements for education and training. Haryana is also coming forward—they are all getting support from ISRO established terminals.
As the Indian economy grows, there is a great requirement for skill enhancement in various sectors. Has IGNOU been involved in that particular project?
We are looking at the skilled certification level of the workforce in the country—the organised workforce and the unorganised workforce. The certified skills in the workforce of the country is only 5%— this is in contrast to all the developed countries of the world where more than 70% of all workforce possess one form of certification or the other. Looking at the traditional work force—carpentary, masonry or women in agriculture, they do not have any certifiable skills, so we are looking at how exactly can we provide them with identifiable skills and also additional soft skills, communication capabilities and computer awareness among other things and give them different levels of certification.
How well are your courses received in African countries?
IGNOU has initiated two programmes in management and education for African countries। Telecommunication India Ltd (TCIL) is the nodal agency that provides undersea cabling for the pan-African programme, meant for 53 countries there.
सोर्स: http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=167415
What are the recent initiatives that IGNOU has taken up to spread higher education in the country?
A recent comprehensive proposal that IGNOU has prepared in consultation with the conventional university vice-chancellors in what is a joint IGNOU, UGC and AICTE initiative for the convergence of Open and Distance Learning (ODL) with the conventional system of learning (face to face), has been approved by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD). The targeted Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of the 16-21 age group in higher education during the XIth Plan is 20, about double that of today. By conventional expansion, this requires doubling of the physical faculties and human resources in higher education institutions, which is a rather difficult proposition. As you know, quality with affordable cost is the basic requirement of any open university. We believe that open and distance learning is a tool for education—it does not have to be utilised only by the open university system. Almost 90% of our material is digitised. We are also looking at a mixed model that links face-to-face learning and distance learning systems. This is the state-of-the-art open system of education in the world now. It is then that the merger of the two systems and overall expansion will happen. We are also looking at technology in science-related areas—at how virtual laboratories can be created for a practical mode of teaching. This is when convergence will occur and forms the background of the joint activity of AICTE, UGC and ODL.
What have you achieved in terms of expansion of rural education which is one of the primary aims of distance learning?
Almost 65% of our student enrolment is from the rural areas—we are looking at very specific programmes connected to rural areas. We have created special study centres based on the education deprivation index. We have also started interaction with Jan Sikshan Sansthan programmes in rural areas—JSS is a project of MHRD that looks at the education requirements of rural areas. Our new vocational study centres are located only in rural areas. We are building capacity and you cannot expect that everything will happen overnight. The number of students enrolled in IGNOU is over 15 lakh.
Among the rural education programmes that IGNOU is involved in include the Rajiv Gandhi project that is a pilot project to provide education through satellite connectivity up to the grassroots level for strengthening primary education. The focus of the project is on the development of district-level networks for interactive online modes of communication particularly for educational purposes. The district networks will connect more than 862 schools, district institute of education and training and block resource centre in the Sidhi district of Madhya Pradesh, Sonbhadra in Uttar Pradesh, Koria in Chhattisgarh and Hajipur in Bihar to meet the district level requirements for education and training. Haryana is also coming forward—they are all getting support from ISRO established terminals.
As the Indian economy grows, there is a great requirement for skill enhancement in various sectors. Has IGNOU been involved in that particular project?
We are looking at the skilled certification level of the workforce in the country—the organised workforce and the unorganised workforce. The certified skills in the workforce of the country is only 5%— this is in contrast to all the developed countries of the world where more than 70% of all workforce possess one form of certification or the other. Looking at the traditional work force—carpentary, masonry or women in agriculture, they do not have any certifiable skills, so we are looking at how exactly can we provide them with identifiable skills and also additional soft skills, communication capabilities and computer awareness among other things and give them different levels of certification.
How well are your courses received in African countries?
IGNOU has initiated two programmes in management and education for African countries। Telecommunication India Ltd (TCIL) is the nodal agency that provides undersea cabling for the pan-African programme, meant for 53 countries there.
सोर्स: http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=167415
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Bahrain Internet Society awards
BIS awards presented
The Bahrain Internet Society (BIS) has established e-Content awards in memory of Layla Fakhro, one of the pioneers in information and communication technology (ICT) in Bahrain.
Mrs Fakhro died in September last year, and her husband and Al Nadeem Information Technology director Ubaydli Al Ubaydli presented the first three awards yesterday.
The ceremony was held as part of the Bahrain e-Content Award 2007 ceremony held at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre.
"The family of Mrs Fakhro selected three most distinguished ones from the 30," said BIS chairman Ahmed Al Hujairy.
"The family has established the Layla Fakhro e-Content Fund by putting a seed money of BD3,000, half of which will be used for the three cash awards of BD500 every year.
"The balance amount will be managed by our society to support individuals who carry out e-Content researches."
The first three winners were the e-Government website, Women Gateway and Jihat Al Shi'r (Qassim Haddad).
"We thank Mrs Fakhro's family which has encouraged us to institute such an award in memory of a person who pioneered the ICT movement in Bahrain," said Mr Al Hujairy.
The Bahrain Internet Society (BIS) has established e-Content awards in memory of Layla Fakhro, one of the pioneers in information and communication technology (ICT) in Bahrain.
Mrs Fakhro died in September last year, and her husband and Al Nadeem Information Technology director Ubaydli Al Ubaydli presented the first three awards yesterday.
The ceremony was held as part of the Bahrain e-Content Award 2007 ceremony held at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre.
"The family of Mrs Fakhro selected three most distinguished ones from the 30," said BIS chairman Ahmed Al Hujairy.
"The family has established the Layla Fakhro e-Content Fund by putting a seed money of BD3,000, half of which will be used for the three cash awards of BD500 every year.
"The balance amount will be managed by our society to support individuals who carry out e-Content researches."
The first three winners were the e-Government website, Women Gateway and Jihat Al Shi'r (Qassim Haddad).
"We thank Mrs Fakhro's family which has encouraged us to institute such an award in memory of a person who pioneered the ICT movement in Bahrain," said Mr Al Hujairy.
'Internet for all' plan urged
By SOMAN BABY
A CALL to launch a scheme to spread computers and Internet connections to every home in Bahrain went out yesterday.
Bahrain Internet Society chairman Ahmed Al Hujairy said that the Internet now reaches only 50 per cent of Bahraini homes.
He said that an Internet training centre should also be established to train the unemployed, housewives and people with special needs as well as small and medium businesses.
These steps will further harness Bahrain's potential in promoting the standards of its websites and increase in the level of awareness of the importance of electronic content.
Mr Al Hujairy was speaking at the Bahrain e-Content Award 2007 (BEA) ceremony held at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre.
The ceremony was organised by the Industry and Commerce Ministry in association with the Bahrain Internet Society.
It was attended by Shura Council chairman Ali Saleh Al Saleh, Central Informatics Organisation president Mohammed Al Amer, Interior Ministry assistant under-secretary for administrative affairs Brigadier Basim Yacob Al Hamer, top government officials and business leaders.
Mr Al Hujairy, who is also BEA organising committee head, also recommended helping small local organisations develop and implement projects to improve IT and telecommunications to make Bahrain the choice for international conferences and lectures in this field.
Other recommendations include developing and implementing a national strategy for information technology and communication, further deregulation of the telecommunications market and enhancing rules and laws to protect intellectual property and prevent piracy.
He also stressed the importance of making Bahrain an international centre for IT and telecommunication companies and facilitating their entry and operation, building a free-zone for international IT and telecommunication companies and preparing the necessary infrastructure to conduct their business.
The result of the award emphasises the success that has been achieved in terms of creativity in Bahrain and highlights the levels attained, he added.
The most important result of this competition is the rise in the number of participants to more than 400 Bahraini competitors compared to 150 in 2005, said Mr Al Hujairy.
"It should also be noted that the Bahrain e-Content Award falls under the umbrella of the World Summit Award, the registration and evaluation process being based on international standards studied and set by experts in the field of e-Content."
Bahrain has the basic infrastructure to grow and develop IT and make it a vital part of its national economy in order to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) and increase opportunities in the job market, he said.
soman@gdn.com.bh
THE WINNERS
e-Government: Finance Ministry website, Interior Ministry website, Municpalities and Agricultural Ministry website, the Bahrain e-government website
Special Mention - Central Bank of Bahrain website
e-Health: Health Ministry website, Bahrain Defence Force (BDF) Royal Medial Services website
e-Business: Batelco - electronic version of the Batelco Annual Report 2006, Gulf Air website, Bahrain GP website, Customer Interaction Manager - Invita website, BBK website.
Special mention - Bahrain Bay
e-Culture: Jihat Al Shi'r - Qassim Haddad, Arab Culture CafŽ - Jamal Ahmed AL Khayyat, Tahmazi Contemporary Art - Khalid Tahmazi, Tarbya Net - Nader Al Mallah.
Special Mention - Al Waqt Newspaper
e-Learning: Cyberia PC - Ali Al Musawi, Once upon a Time - Jihad Abbas, Physics - Ali Al Aswad
Special Mention - Learn French with Tidoo - Amani Shajrah
e-Inclusion: Al Ghad Youth Magazine, Be Free Center website,
Special Mention - Women Gateway portal
e-Entertainment: Bahrain Explorer website, Magic Island website, Mobile Portal - Aywah website, Click Bahrain website
eScience: Special Mention - Smart car robot - Mohammed Ahmed Abu Aesh
Jury list: Elham Saleh , Ghazwa Sulaibeekh, Ali Al Majeed, Nabeel Ahmed, Hind Al Doseri, Aneesh Kakkoth, Hisham Al Hashimi, Zuhai Al Kooheji, Nawaf Mohammed, Salamn Jassim, Yousif Al Sobaie, Renan Rashwan, Maban Al Mansoor, Hussain Habib.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
India's open university spreads wings abroad
By Prashant K. Nanda. Delhi, India, 10:32 AM IST
India's IGNOU, one of the largest open universities in the world which already has a presence in 35 countries, is about to expand its reach to six more nations in South Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
'We have got some proposals from Syria, Botswana, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Yemen and Uganda. Negotiations are on and we hope for some concrete development within six months,' Pankaj Khare, director, international division at IGNOU, told IANS.
The Indira Gandhi National Open University - or IGNOU as it is popularly known -was set up by an act of parliament in 1985 and named after former prime minister Indira Gandhi.
In an Open University system students need not come to the classroom every day and learn through study materials provided by the varsity, participate in the weekend interactive video lectures. More importantly there is no age bar to pursue any course.
It began its academic journey by offering two programmes in 1987 with an initial enrolment of 4,528 students. Today, its student base has increased to 1.5 million.
'The authorities in Syria have approached us to help in capacity building. The country has a new open university and we may partner it in imparting education and helping grow as a bigger and better organisation,' Khare said.
'Apart from opening a centre, the African country of Botswana wants licensing rights of IGNOU study material. In Bhutan and Bangladesh, negotiations are on for opening our branches.
'While Uganda is interested in our post graduate courses, Yemen is impressed by out low cost educational system,' he said.
Recognised by the University Grants Commission (UGC), Association of Indian Universities (AIU) and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), IGNOU offers 129 academic programmes comprising 1,100 courses at the certificate, diploma, degree, masters and doctoral levels.
However, IGNOU provides only 50 courses to foreign students. And the six new countries will get the same number. Over 11,000 overseas students are enrolled under IGNOU.
'Quality material, innovative methods and a vast network are all helping it to assume growing importance among the world community,' said Strikant Mohapatra, registrar of the university.
'Cost effectiveness and an interactive medium have takers and we are sure that open and distance learning will assume greater significance in the near future,' Mohapatra said.
'Students from Dubai in the Middle East to a remote village in Malkangiri district of Orissa are getting educated by us and recognise our worth.'
He said IGNOU has developed itself as an affordable destination for higher education. While its lowest fee is just Rs.600 (nearly $15), the maximum fee structure is just Rs.36,000 ($881).
Explaining the process of setting up branches outside India, Khare said: 'The partner institution overseas must be recognised by the local government and needs to have some recognition in society.
'Besides, the ministry of external affairs through Indian embassies abroad helps us in knowing the credibility of the partner organisation.
'Everyday is a new day at IGNOU and we keep looking forward to partnering with foreign countries to impart education to masses and less privileged,' he said.
IGNOU to offer Law Course
New Delhi: The School of Law at the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has taken formal shape to provide law education through the distance learning mode.
Vice-Chancellor of the University Mr. Rajashekharan Pillai said, "the school will start a four year Bachelor of Law (LLB) course and efforts are being made to get recognition from the Bar Council Of India. The school has also prepared a five year plan for a number of programs including the Masters of Philosophy (M. Phil) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) program."
The priority for the School of Law will be the development of legal literacy program for which it is working in collaboration with the National Legal Literacy Mission to analyze, develop and design the curriculum course and awareness programs for legal literacy.
For more information on IGNOU Click here
Vice-Chancellor of the University Mr. Rajashekharan Pillai said, "the school will start a four year Bachelor of Law (LLB) course and efforts are being made to get recognition from the Bar Council Of India. The school has also prepared a five year plan for a number of programs including the Masters of Philosophy (M. Phil) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) program."
The priority for the School of Law will be the development of legal literacy program for which it is working in collaboration with the National Legal Literacy Mission to analyze, develop and design the curriculum course and awareness programs for legal literacy.
For more information on IGNOU Click here
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