Applications for 4th eSwabhimani hits 219th mark

Nipuna PATHIRANA

An unprecedented number of applications hadbeen received for the fourth eSwabhimani (2012), an initiative of the ICT Agency of Sri Lanka for the recognition of local digital content developers.

From its inception in 2009, the eSwabhimani Award had evinced great interest and this year’s applications have hit the 219th mark, the highest in the Award’s history.

This year too, ICTA had invited developers to spruce up their digital creations, develop innovative products and applications under the categories of their choice.

The specified categories and the number of applications received under them were as follows:- (1) e-Government & Institutions – 32 (2). E-Health & Environment – 10, (3). E-Learning & Education – 31, (4).

E-Entertainment & Games – 24, (5). e-Culture & Heritage – 4, (6) e-Science & Technology – 18, (7) e-Business & Commerce – 54, (8). E-Inclusion & Participation – 18, (9). m-Content – 28.

As was expected, the highest number of applications had been from the e-Business and Commerce category.

e-Government and Institutions was the category that had the next largest number of applications with e-Learning and Education coming a close third in the number of applications received under it. Judging from numbers of applications submitted, m-Content, e-Entertainment and Games, e-Science and Technology, e-Inclusion and Participation and e-Health and Environment were the next preferred categories in that order.

e-Swabhimani 2012 would also be a stepping stone to regional and international awards. The products which excel this year would constitute the pool from which the country’s best would be selected to the upcoming world Summit Awards 2013.

An eminent group of experts from a variety of disciplines constitutes the grand jury that would select the winning entries through a stringent selection process.

The objective of ‘e-Swabhimani’ National Award is to give due recognition to local content, software and applications which would contribute to making people’s lives more comfortable.

This would in turn contribute to realizing some of the challenges of the Mahinda Chinthana Vision for the Future, including the challenge of making the best benefits of ICT reaching every citizen.