Enhancing Developmental Opportunities by Promoting ICT Use: Vision for Rural India

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Chhibber, Narinder

Affiliations: Secretary-General, PTC India Foundation

Abstract: The foremost benefits of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in developing countries can be in improving governance including public safety and eradication of illiteracy. The benefits of ICTs have not reached the masses in India due to lack of ICT infrastructure, particularly in rural areas, where two-third of the population of the country lives. Even in cities and suburban areas, use of ICTs is not popular due to lack of awareness to its use, computer illiteracy, and absence of practical applications. India is the largest country in South Asia, with a population of over one billion people and its telecom sector is presently experiencing fast growth phases. However telephony penetration in villages is less than two percent of the rural population and about 15 percent of the villages are still without any telephony service. Universal access to ICTs in rural areas has been planned and is being implemented through Public Tele Info Centers having voice data and video, as majority of villagers in India cannot afford a separate home connection. Illiteracy in rural areas is as high as 40 percent and in some tribal belts hardly about 20 percent people are literate. There are 35 million children in age group of 6–11 years, who are out of school and one out of four drops out during primary classes. Education and training, therefore, must be given the top priority if advantages of ICTs are to be harnessed. Indian economy is agriculture based and employs maximum workforce. Improvement in agriculture productivity can help in reducing rural poverty. Adoption of ICT in agriculture will play an increasingly important role in crop production and natural resource management. The other critical factor is technological challenges for universal access to ICTs to bring down the network access cost. Two impressive projects, named 'Gramdoot' and 'Gyandoot' are being implemented in some states for e-governance and to provide Public Tele-Info Centers for voice and Internet access. One is through use of optical fiber technology using rapidly deployable cost effective, low capacity, fiber optic cable and the other is based on wireless local loop/V-SAT technology, However, so far only small parts of some states have been covered and large parts of the rural area are still uncovered due to financial constraints and absence of a workable business model. Universal Service Obligation fund or Government subsidy is also in place to speed up universal access coverage. Work is also going on development application programs and content in different local languages. The need is, a coordinated effort through a nodal agency under the central government with full involvement of the industry, state governments/local administration, education, medical and agriculture sectors, to provide universal access to ICTs with important services/information integrated, to the rural masses. ITU has also plans to provide guidance and help, as these objectives are part of WSIS 2003 declaration.

Journal: I-WAYS, Digest of Electronic Commerce Policy and Regulation, vol. 27, no. 3-4, pp. 190-196, 2004