Finally, the Asian Development Bank has approved US $500,000 fund for Indian Government for deploying innovative information and communications technology in order to support e-Governance services in Assam.
The Department of Telecom may not increase the spectrum fee beyond the prescribed INR 1,651 crore for an all-India licence as it feels mobile tariffs could go up if operators have to pay higher charges. The Government had kept the fee for an all-India license at INR 1,651 crore, which comes bundled with start-up spectrum, so that operators could roll out services faster and at affordable prices. This objective has not been accomplished as most of the rural areas are yet to get connected.
The Government of Singapore is planning to launch Next Generation National Broadband Network (Next Gen NBN), which will provide ultra-high speed connectivity by 2015. The Government will open bid for all interested parties to submit their bid to design build and operate the passive infrastructure layer of the Next Gen NBN.
In order to popularize e-Payment of taxes among the 3.2 crore-odd income tax payers in the country, the Income-Tax Department of India is making mandatory e-Payment taxation for certain categories.
This year, the National e-Governance is going to expand with the introduction of two new categories. In addition to six categories, the Government of India decided to award exemplary work in a ‘focus sector’ which would be selected every year.
India’s Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs, E Ahamed,recently said at the lower house of the India Parliament- Rajya Sabha,that e-Passports would initially be introduced for diplomats and officials as a pilot project by the middle of 2008. Based on the experience of the pilot project, the government would then issue e-Passports in the ordinary category, which could take another year.
The UK Government has been accused of failing to take e-crime seriously by IT chiefs at some of the UK’s biggest companies.
The Government of India is implementing the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) with the vision to make all Government services accessible to the common man in his locality, through common services delivery outlets. In this regard, the government has identified 27 Central, State and Integrated Mission Mode Projects (MMPs) have been identified under the NeGP to ensure availability of e-Government services.
The Semantic Interoperability Centre Europe (SEMIC.EU) has launched website www.semic.eu, so that public can easily access information through the new website.
‘Nemmadi’, Karnataka Government’s ambitious e-Governance project has won the Asia’s premier Government Technology Award. Nemmadi is implemented to deliver various G2C and B2C services for the citizens of rural Karnataka.
