QCIN.org October 8, 2007
Posted by Pallav Sharda in : Governmental , add a commentThe website of Quality Council of India (QCI) may not mean much to most of the folks reading eIndia, but I simply couldn’t resist writing about it.
If you ever needed an example of what-not-to-do when designing a website, look at theirs. The homepage is a horrendous collection of scrolling/blinking/pulsating images everywhere. If you stare at it for more than few seconds, it feels like watching a swarm of bugs in frenzy. Even the top navigation bar is blinking!! Geez.
In case you are curious, QCI is an independent organization that guides and operates accreditation activities through some executive committees. Needless to say, I didnt have a heart to explore the site beyond its homepage. I was afraid to click anything on the site really.
DU.ac.in September 4, 2007
Posted by Pallav Sharda in : Governmental , 5commentsThis is Delhi University’s official website. No particular reason why I decided to write about it, except that it reminds of transforming potential of the net. Getting to DU’s admission forms and exam results was a traumatic in-person experience a few years ago, but I think it’s become bit much more convenient now that parts of it are virtual. The ‘Phone Directory’ feature takes convenience to the next level, by bringing up people’s cellphone numbers and home addresses (no point in keeping that information private, right??).
With the exception of annoying flashing/scrolling signs here and there, the site has a simplistic look. Some nascent stuff like an eLearning Portal and ebooks section are present too.
CDAC February 15, 2007
Posted by Pallav Sharda in : Governmental, Technology , add a commentThe story goes that in 1987, Indian government required a supercomputer for weather forecasting and was refused the sale of one by the US government. That led to the establishment of CDAC (Center for Advanced Computing) in 1988, with the mission of developing indigenous advanced computing products, solutions and services.
CDAC develops high-performance hardware as it’s legacy focus. Over the years, they have diversified into IT-based solutions for various industries (I’ve written about their Healthcare focused solutions here), IT training and government R&D projects in areas like Artificial Intelligence, Data modeling, Data warehousing etc.
Although they claim to an ‘independent’ scientific society, I figure they have tight dovetailing with the government based on projects and funding. They offer products and services for sale, and the government is probably their major customer. Check out their corporate presentation.
ITIH India February 15, 2007
Posted by Pallav Sharda in : Governmental, Healthcare, Technology , add a commentITIH stands for ‘IT Infrastructure for Health’. It is a recommendation report regarding the need, issues and state of Healthcare IT Infrastructure in India. ITIH was published by The Department of Information Technology (DIT) under the Ministry of Communications and IT (MOC).
The report proposes some standards for Telemedicine systems in India and addresses information needs of different stakeholders in the healthcare sector. It seems like a first step towards governmental action in the healthcare IT domain.
I’m curious as to why the immediate focus is on Telemedicine, even in these initial stages of healthcare IT discussion. Maybe the think-tanks in India see Telemedicine as the most applicable area. Or maybe it just sounds cool. But the truth is that there are so many other things with Medical Informatics that need to be seeded and reviewed at this early stage. Basic electronic medical record, master patient index, eprescribing are some of the more established (and researched) flavors of IT deployment in healthcare. Some of these are actually building blocks needed for Telemedicine concept to work.
DIT has also published another report recommending guidelines and standards for Telemedicine in India. Wonder why there is little talk about anything other than Telemedicine.
GOI Directory February 10, 2007
Posted by Pallav Sharda in : Governmental , add a commentThey are hard to come by, but I do believe there are useful Indian governmental sites out there. If I had to pick one useful governmental site- the official Directory of official web sites of Government of India would be it.
What I like about it is it’s simplicity. It aimed to be a directory, and that’s exactly what it is. No fancy graphics or distracting segues. It’s a useful index for all things official on the web: from hospitals and banks to legal and research.
There is functionality to suggest a site for addition, which is neat.
India.gov.in February 10, 2007
Posted by Pallav Sharda in : Governmental , 1 comment so farDid you ever wonder where was the official Indian government website? Well, I did. That’s how I found the National Portal of India. Its a good looking page, even looks a bit graceful even after being content-heavy. Heck, there is a ‘webcast’ section too; in case you missed the Republic Day parade. Realizing that it’s very tough to make a usable site for such massive content and audience, I think they did a very good job.
Speaking of ‘official’ representative site- it turns out that there is more than one (!). India Image is (another) Official Government of India portal since 1996, developed with an aim to provide comprehensive information about India and its various facets including its Government, heritage, economy, news, online citizen services etc. It’s a more fact oriented website albeit it’s less usable (unnecessary flashing/blinking graphics in multiple places).
Overall, two good places for generic, factual and official information about India.
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (DMRC) January 6, 2007
Posted by Pallav Sharda in : Governmental , add a commentThe official website for delhi’s groundbreaking new public transportion system. I’ve been in Delhi Metro on more than one occasion and it’s efficiency and upkeep is comparable to those abroad. In fact, it may be better than quite a few (yeah, i know it’s new and shiny right now..) and I can say that because i’ve been in multiple ones (atlanta, washington, new york, boston..). Way to go, DMRC!