e-governance kiosks evoke good response

The e-governance kiosks launched in the eight taluks of the district has come as a boon to the people of the district. Ten days after the launch of the scheme by the Fisheries Minister, K.A.Jayapal, in Nagapattinam, as many as 20,250 people have registered for obtaining various certificates from the revenue and social welfare departments.…

Freedom Of Speech vs Section 66A

Documentaries blocked, books banned, cartoonists jailed and ordinary citizens arrested for irreverent tweets and Facebook posts. It is a systematic attack on our freedom of speech, by governments old and new, and the ammunition has been provided by Section 66 A of the Information Technology Act. The most recent victim – a Mumbai based standup…

India must use internet to bridge socio-economic chasm

Socio-economic inequality is a harsh reality in almost every country. The digital economy provides a unique opportunity to empower socially and economically marginalised groups. The shift from personal computers to smartphones for internet access has expanded the digital economy to a much wider segment of society. Two inspirational companies – a young start-up and one…

Editorial: Budget vs Digital India

The government is all set to earn in the region R100,000 crore from the current auction of radio spectrum in the 800, 900, 1800 and 2100MHz bands. While the rich pickings—approximately a third will be paid in FY16—will help the finance minister prune the deficit, it will end up hurting the country in the longer…