As part of the E-Government project initiated to provide government services with the most advanced technology, the internet portal consists of important information from government agencies.

While more than 300 forms of different government agencies can be downloaded from “egov.mv,” accessible in both English and local Dhivehi language, it contains information on service hours, important contact information of agencies and senior government officials and NGO listings.

At a micro level, this ranged from IT automation in individual departments, electronic file handling and access to entitlements, public grievance systems, service delivery for high volume routine transactions such as payment of bills and tax dues to meeting poverty alleviation goals through the promotion of entrepreneurial models and provision of market information.

The training, when put to use for the 2011 elections, according to knowledgeable police sources, will guide against multiple voting and other fraudulent practices.

The police will also establish Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) in every state for use in large scale civil identification projects to prevent multiple enrollments for the electoral system, for drivers licensing and background checks for job applicants for highly sensitive posts.

Two days after her shift ended, Pulini-Franks started to feel fatigue and chills. Then her joints started to ache. She figured the flu. But with each passing hour, the pain grew worse.

"I couldn't even lift my arm to get a drink of water," Pulini-Franks said. "I was shaking. I was curled up, drenched in sweat. I could barely move my fingers. I felt like I was 100 years old."

New federal grant money and an expanding interest in telemedicine, a technology that allows doctors to remotely diagnose and treat patients, is helping a growing number of specialists in Charleston reach rural residents suffering deadly ailments.

On the heels of reports showing that doctor shortages in rural South Carolina are near crisis levels -- and expected to become even worse in the next several years -- observers said telemedicine soon will become a necessity.

A high school dropout who farms tomatoes, corn and eggplants on his arid, 3.2 hectare patch of land in rural Sholapur, western India, Mr Dongre had never imagined his mobile could help improve his farm yield.

But that changed when he subscribed nearly a year ago to Nokia Life Tools, software by the Finnish telecommunications giant Nokia that transmits business and scientific information through the internet to phones.

Union minister of state for communications and information technology, Sachin Pilot, told mediapersons on Saturday that the BSNL has also made preparations for the e-district project for e-governance in three districts of Maharashtra including Pune, Latur and Nagpur. Work on the project will start later this month, he added.

The draft proposal of the five-year plan focuses on a multi-pronged strategy to achieve e-development: creation of e-infrastructure to facilitate and promote e-governance, promotion of electronics and information technology (IT) industry, promotion of e-inclusion, providing support for creating innovation, building knowledge networks and securing India’s cyber space.

“If our society is knowledgeable, then the efforts to push for the agenda of the electronic government or e-Government and knowledgeable workers or e-Workers will be easier,” he said when officiating at the closing ceremony of 2010 Song District Skills and Career Training Programme (PLKK)-Computer Skills Utilisation and Maintenance held in the library of Sibu Rural District Council (SRDC) in Sibu Jaya.

Manager of Projects at the NISG Mr Amit Chakravarty (pic) spoke to the Sunday Bulletin in an interview Friday night at a dinner held at the residence of Acting Indian High Commissioner Mr Rakesh Kumar.

"The Government of India and the Government of Brunei have signed an agreement on cooperation in the areas of ICT," said Mr Chakravarty. "Under that agreement, AITI is the focal point for Brunei, and NISG is the focal point fox India."