India has much to learn from Lanka in IT

- Indian specialist

India has much to learn from Sri Lanka in IT for development although India is considered an IT giant in the use of it, Foundation Director Digital Empowerment Foundation Osama Manzar said.

"This was proved during my exposure to Sri Lankan e-content projects presented at the last Manthan Award Convention held in New Delhi," said Manzar. Manzar made this observation speaking at a function to felicitate 13 ICTA initiated projects nominated for the last Manthan Award at the Information and Communication Technology Agency premises recently.

Manzar who is also the current Chairman of the Manthan Award for Best e-Content in India in the past technology for rural development was associated with an elitist class. Technologists seemed to say 'We know everything. This top-down approach must be replaced by the down-up one. Technology should not be looked at like charity that is doled out of the magnanimity of the technologist'.

It was an achievement for Sri Lanka that out of 300 entries from South Asia, 18 projects from Sri Lanka had won nominations for the award and 13 of them represented ICTA initiated project.