In a bid to spread awareness on various ICT-related issues, the Department of Information Technology (DIT) has set up an exposition on the wheels of a specially-designed train called the Commonwealth Express.

The exposition showcases the significance of ICT (Information Communication Technology) as a major force of change impacting virtually every sphere of life - from industry, health and education to ecology and disaster forecast.

The train has a 101-day-long journey schedule and will travel through 20 states, stopping at 49 major stations. It started from Delhi on June 24, and Amritsar was the first stop-over in its itinerary.

Even as the train arrived at the station this morning, an enthusiastic crowd gathered there on the platform to receive it. The train will halt at the station for two days.

The exhibition -- spread across six coaches -- showcases various dimensions and perspectives of ICT. The exhibition has been planned in a way that the six coaches speak on different facets of ICT, each dealing with a particular one.

The first coach presents an overview of the ICT, besides how it has impacted life and is working at bringing about social and economic transformation. .

The first coach speaks on the evolution of communication over the years, from smoke signals in primitive times to SMSes and e-mails.

The second coach showcases a cohesion of efforts made by DIT and several other organisations in the sphere of ICT, their contributions to bringing ICT into the life of the common man and, at the same time, transforming India into an IT superpower.

One of the focal points of the coach was the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP), a major initiative towards the concept of good governance. The third coach dealt with the impact of ICT on the health, education, agriculture and ecology sectors -- among others.

It projects ICT as a major unifying factor at the global level. The fourth coach presents ICT from the perspective of industries, its key role in the growth of industries and the countrys economic rise.

The theme of the fifth coach revolves around Common Service Centres (CSCs), an initiative to provide people with a platform to access varied data and services as well as an interface between government agencies and citizens. The sixth coach has been designed as an auditorium.

Internet, video conferencing and mobile communications are some of the highlights of the exhibition.

Speaking on the concept of the Commonwealth Express, R Chandrashekhar, Secretary, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, said, "While a section of the population is aware of the significance of information and communication technology, the larger section still does not have much clarity about it. The more important fact is that they dont know how ICT is a tool that can change their lives. The Commonwealth Express is about bridging that knowledge gap.