Malappuram is India's first e-literate district, with over 600,000 individuals having basic knowledge of computers, including the Internet. This is part of the Akshaya Project undertaken by the Kerala state government to bring e-literacy to its peole.

Its good to see the government joining hands with the private sector for development. Here's a list of Akshaya centres - all contact details available there, including presence indicators on Yahoo Messenger with its smilies :)

And interesting to note the ensuing social changes that such projects can bring about ... one such change articulated by a villager as :

"People thought that computers are meant for rich. But because of this Akshaya project, the difference between the rich and the poor is almost finished. It is very useful," said Mohammed Jaleel, another villager."

Nice vision! These innovations are bound to bring about changes in the economic, political and socio-cultural lives of those affected. Lets see how it emerges.