e-grama: a tool for bridging the digital divide in rural India

ABSTRACT

This paper describes our experience in the implementation of "e-Grama" project in nine different districts of Orissa province in India. The project was initiated as a pilot in one of the relatively developed districts and extended to eight other underdeveloped districts of the province. The research findings elaborate on how "e-Grama" is helping as a tool to bridge the digital divide and capacity building in the rural areas. It also highlights the active role of volunteers of youth clubs affiliated to the Government and different local non-Government Organizations (NGOs) in the successful implementation of the project. It explains how "e-Grama" has served as an effective tool for the Government to disseminate varieties of information to the rural mass. It also puts forth the problems faced during the implementation of "e-Grama" in the underdeveloped districts. Finally, it is shown that how the public-private-people partnership model of "e-Grama" accounted for the successful implementation of the project with the active involvement of the citizen.

REFERENCES

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.3 INFORMATION STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL
      H.3.5 On-line Information Services
          Subjects: Data sharing

Additional Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.3 INFORMATION STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL
      H.3.5 On-line Information Services
          Subjects: Web-based services

General Terms:
Experimentation, Human Factors

Keywords:
capacity building, digital divide, e-governance, e-grama, e-literacy, intranet