Carts and computers

In Karnataka, a state in southern India, farmers are as familiar with computers as they are with their bullock carts.
Since the programme was launched, 20 million land records have been computerised. And seven million farmers can now access official documents - vital if they want to secure a bank loan for fertiliser, seed or crop insurance.
The project is called Bhoomi - the Hindi word for land.

In Karnataka, roads and telephones are few and far betweenUntil recently, land records had been held by village accountants who entered details in hand-written ledgers, usually in pencil.
These accountants were often accused of tricking illiterate farmers into signing away their property or overcharging them for copies of their land deeds.
"Before, the records were done by hand. They would write in pencil and do the records. And at that time, they could change whatever they wanted," Mohammed Suman Kumar, an e-kiosk operator, told TVE.
In Karnataka, roads and telephones are few and far between so Bhoomi is a chance to close that gap. Around 200 village e-kiosks are now open for business.
Record collection
The Bhoomi project is the brainchild of Rajiv Chawla, secretary of e-governance in the government of Karnataka.
He told TVE: "There was tampering of the land records. The village accountants were not available to citizens when they needed them. A lot of fudging of the data.
"Therefore, a need was very strongly felt that these records should be computerised and put in a digital form."
The e-kiosks also sell copies of land records. Muhammad sells between 25 and 30 land registry copies per day. Of the 20 rupees charged, 15 go to the government and he takes five in commission.
"What I am charging here is much more than they would pay in the city. If you calculate the travelling expenses and the days and income they are wasting, I would say they are getting it at the cheapest rate."
Mr Shankara, a farmer in Karnataka, agrees the e-kiosks are a boon to the state's rural communities.
"Another good thing about this village kiosk is that the man offers computer lessons. This will be a good thing for my children to help them with their education," he told TVE.