Information technology or IT has become the buzzword in India these days. One hears about it everywhere – from stock markets to government corridors across the country. Everybody wants to do something connected with IT – be it a school student or a politician. They are looking at IT as the ultimate panacea. The ever- growing media attention on success stories are fuelling this appetite for IT. And within this craze for IT, the focus is on the internet or the World Wide Web. Generally, there is an IT – friendly atmosphere in the country.
But, does this craze for IT have any meaning for the silent majority of the country, for those living in rural areas? How can computers be of any use for the people who do not know how to read and write? And even if they can read and write, they can read and write English, which is the predominant language in the IT arena today. Moreover, how many people in this country can afford to have a personal computer or PC? In such a scenario, it may be rather difficult task to answer a question like – what can be the role of IT in villages or in rural development.
The critics of IT have often said that computers can only provide information, transmit it from one place to another and with the advent of the internet, make communication instant. But it can not provide people drinking water, it can not cure their diseases and it can not give them employment. True, a computer is not a magic wand that can solve all our problems in rural areas. Even if we take computer merely as an information tool, it is a great facilitator. The critics forget that villagers also have their own information needs. They need to know about their village, their districts, natural resources around them, about seasons and monsoons, about market rates of different commodities and about government schemes. They also need to know how much money is being allocated for rural development in their area and how much is being spent. And all these so-called bits of information are related intensely to their lives and livelihood. A connected PC is an effective tool to do all this and much more.
Fortunately, India took to IT early compared to many other developing countries. The nationwide network of computers set up by the National Informatics Centre took the PC to every district in the country, making government level interaction and communication faster for planners. The internet has now given us an opportunity to take the PC to every village. It has a definite role to play in rural education, health and agriculture. In the Indian situation, a PC need not be a personal computer. It can be a community computer. In the day time, it can be used to educate children at primary and middle level in the village school. In the evening, the community computer can turn into a "cyber dhaba" for villagers – where they can access web-sites of their choice and get information that they can use.
A major handicap in mass application of IT in rural areas is that the information content is generally not directly relevant to people for whom it is developed. The contents are written or designed by people who have themselves not lived in rural areas. As a result, these systems have a heavy urban-bias. Such systems, therefore, have limited utility and are commercially unviable. This problem can be overcome by developing relevant content in local languages. Already in some states all official forms can be accessed on the net, village maps and land records are available in many cases and job opportunities for the youth can be found. And lot of this content is available in local languages. This has to spread to more and more states.
It is also a myth that people in rural areas like to have free delivery of information. Experience has shown that if the information has direct relevance to people and has a potential to result in commercial gains, people are willing to pay for such services. In light of this, the IT Task Force has recommended a scheme which would enable the process of large-scale self-employed youngsters across the country to set up and develop contents for information kiosks, particularly for rural areas. It has to be ensured that such schemes have large scale private participation and are not dependent on government funding alone. However, the government can ensure that any one who wants to set up information kiosk at any place in the country is not only freed from all regulations and licenses but also is encouraged through simple and attractive financing schemes.
The community computer can be located in an internet kiosk, which may be at the village pan shop or the bus stand, where people can get information for a small price. The IT Task Force has suggested the concept of a community information centre. We need to look at the concept of "Community information centres", community library Centres and Panchayat Centres across the country in a completely new way with the availability of IT tools and services. These community centres could become hubs of education and awareness as well, and lot just remain places for providing information to people on a mass scale. The convergence of IT tools enables interactive learning along with broadcasting medium such as television and radio. Experience has shown that any exercise for educating people necessarily requires interactivity.
One of the key components of improving socio-economic status of people in villages is to ensure that their products find right kind of markets and reach these markets in minimum time without number of middle men involved in it. The reach of IT in rural areas will provide unique opportunities to producers of rural products, agriculture/agro-processing products, rural handicrafts etc. to have direct access to markets. Internet will enable advertising of rural products produced even in the remotest villages to global markets. The agriculture extension worker can access latest information on farm technology and products, and disseminate the same to villages.
Health care is yet another area where IT can play a major role in rural areas. Doctor or the paramedic staff at the local PHC or sub-PHC can access latest information about health schemes and seek advise from specialists about diseases or ailments they can not diagnose or treat. The village PC can be used as a surveillance system for diseases, and ultimately as node for tele-medicine.
Currently, a number of experiments are being attempted to take the PC and the Internet to villages. There has been a great amount of enthusiasm among people. Development of relevant content in local languages, availability of computers that can run on low power and sensitization of local government officials towards IT can go a long way in u sing IT for rural development in near future.
But, does this craze for IT have any meaning for the silent majority of the country, for those living in rural areas? How can computers be of any use for the people who do not know how to read and write? And even if they can read and write, they can read and write English, which is the predominant language in the IT arena today. Moreover, how many people in this country can afford to have a personal computer or PC? In such a scenario, it may be rather difficult task to answer a question like – what can be the role of IT in villages or in rural development.
The critics of IT have often said that computers can only provide information, transmit it from one place to another and with the advent of the internet, make communication instant. But it can not provide people drinking water, it can not cure their diseases and it can not give them employment. True, a computer is not a magic wand that can solve all our problems in rural areas. Even if we take computer merely as an information tool, it is a great facilitator. The critics forget that villagers also have their own information needs. They need to know about their village, their districts, natural resources around them, about seasons and monsoons, about market rates of different commodities and about government schemes. They also need to know how much money is being allocated for rural development in their area and how much is being spent. And all these so-called bits of information are related intensely to their lives and livelihood. A connected PC is an effective tool to do all this and much more.
Fortunately, India took to IT early compared to many other developing countries. The nationwide network of computers set up by the National Informatics Centre took the PC to every district in the country, making government level interaction and communication faster for planners. The internet has now given us an opportunity to take the PC to every village. It has a definite role to play in rural education, health and agriculture. In the Indian situation, a PC need not be a personal computer. It can be a community computer. In the day time, it can be used to educate children at primary and middle level in the village school. In the evening, the community computer can turn into a "cyber dhaba" for villagers – where they can access web-sites of their choice and get information that they can use.
A major handicap in mass application of IT in rural areas is that the information content is generally not directly relevant to people for whom it is developed. The contents are written or designed by people who have themselves not lived in rural areas. As a result, these systems have a heavy urban-bias. Such systems, therefore, have limited utility and are commercially unviable. This problem can be overcome by developing relevant content in local languages. Already in some states all official forms can be accessed on the net, village maps and land records are available in many cases and job opportunities for the youth can be found. And lot of this content is available in local languages. This has to spread to more and more states.
It is also a myth that people in rural areas like to have free delivery of information. Experience has shown that if the information has direct relevance to people and has a potential to result in commercial gains, people are willing to pay for such services. In light of this, the IT Task Force has recommended a scheme which would enable the process of large-scale self-employed youngsters across the country to set up and develop contents for information kiosks, particularly for rural areas. It has to be ensured that such schemes have large scale private participation and are not dependent on government funding alone. However, the government can ensure that any one who wants to set up information kiosk at any place in the country is not only freed from all regulations and licenses but also is encouraged through simple and attractive financing schemes.
The community computer can be located in an internet kiosk, which may be at the village pan shop or the bus stand, where people can get information for a small price. The IT Task Force has suggested the concept of a community information centre. We need to look at the concept of "Community information centres", community library Centres and Panchayat Centres across the country in a completely new way with the availability of IT tools and services. These community centres could become hubs of education and awareness as well, and lot just remain places for providing information to people on a mass scale. The convergence of IT tools enables interactive learning along with broadcasting medium such as television and radio. Experience has shown that any exercise for educating people necessarily requires interactivity.
One of the key components of improving socio-economic status of people in villages is to ensure that their products find right kind of markets and reach these markets in minimum time without number of middle men involved in it. The reach of IT in rural areas will provide unique opportunities to producers of rural products, agriculture/agro-processing products, rural handicrafts etc. to have direct access to markets. Internet will enable advertising of rural products produced even in the remotest villages to global markets. The agriculture extension worker can access latest information on farm technology and products, and disseminate the same to villages.
Health care is yet another area where IT can play a major role in rural areas. Doctor or the paramedic staff at the local PHC or sub-PHC can access latest information about health schemes and seek advise from specialists about diseases or ailments they can not diagnose or treat. The village PC can be used as a surveillance system for diseases, and ultimately as node for tele-medicine.
Currently, a number of experiments are being attempted to take the PC and the Internet to villages. There has been a great amount of enthusiasm among people. Development of relevant content in local languages, availability of computers that can run on low power and sensitization of local government officials towards IT can go a long way in u sing IT for rural development in near future.