My question to our honourable PM is that who is responsible for implementing our technology policy and processes down the line. In this crucial crossroads of 21st century, when everyone should be thinking about how to save our planet and universe of the inevitable effect of Global Warming - a sure by product of indiscriminate and selfish use of technology, we are still grappling with the basics? I find such comment totally unacceptable even if this comes from Dr. Manmohan Singh. Let alone the opportunity lost in the last 6 decades, but what about Dr. Singh's own two terms? We did not do it or must be done kind of statements, simply amount to an eyewash. We are now talking about revisiting and modifying our technology policy of 2003? A person of his intellect could have changed the face of the country as the PM. He had shown his abilities as finance minister of the country ushering in and managing economic liberalisation policy in the country. Why not then in so many years as PM?
I know I am deviating but this is not entirely irrelevant as our politics and democracy is totally devoid of political will today. When it comes to modernising our airports, or 2G, 3G we have done it all. But what about modernising the normal express and passenger trains; or improving our whole sale mandis, ordinary schools, mass transport in smaller towns and villages, government hospitals, government offices at district and subdistrict levels, computerisation of land records for all states, using ICT for improving efficiency of our judiciary, police system are few of possible areas, where we have drawn a total blank; besides failing to make appropriate uses of technology and technical knowledge for reducing drudgery for small farmers, small traders (mostly women) and so on. I can go on presenting an endless list but these are some important areas of technological intervention that will hugely improve the lives of ordinary citizens specially the poorest and the disadvantaged population. And for that matter, we do not need rocket science for introducing such technological interventions. There is no gainsaying it is not just enough to have a policy but the right kind of policy that will work to address the great divide in our society and the concerns of people and planet.
Best thing about widespread technology uses is that it creates a level playing field for everyone, provided basic access to technology is assured. Technology becomes very affordable when it is put to mass use. Today, the middle class is using technology to a large extent, which has significant impact on the quality of life. More use of technology itself, will reduce the knowledge, information and digital gaps. If only a nation has the political will to implement a good policy on technology. IT is at the centre stage of all technologies as this alone can cure our governance system of the cancer it is suffering from. This will have a direct impact on the lives of crores and crores of common people living in penury and hardships and in curbing corruption.
Time has shown us, for the now privileged middle class the ease of access of technology itself and technology as a means to access basic and higher level goods and services. There are scores of examples but to cite a few, think about how irctc has eliminated long queues, uncertainties and corruption to a large extent, take example of net banking, college and school admission (few colleges), LPG cylinder booking, IT filing, PAN; registration of a company, application for TIN; paying house tax, electricity, water, telephone, mobile bills; accessing land records in few states. These are some successful exapmples of technology uses that have reduced corruption in a sure way.
Whereas to an extent, common people have better access to technology today than they had, a generation ago. Achievements in improving accessibility to technology like mobile phone is a great example. Widespread uses also make the technology affordable as we see in case of handsets starting from a little above Rs. 500/- and sim card from Rs. 50/- with all operators vieing with each other in reducing the rates and luring customers with irresistable offers. Even in an economically poor families are using some products based on very sophisticated technology like TV for entertainment but importantly for information and knowledge building as the evidences suggest. Infotainment, as the electronic media has coined the term by combining information and entertainment and various media campaigns and overall media revolution have all created a ground for accepting technlogy by the masses. ICT uses for weather forecastig, soil testing, geo-sensing are happening in rural areas of the country thanks to programmes like I-Chowpal by ICT. There is no denying that overall there has been a positive impact of technology directly or indirectly through our electronic media in improving social indicators like age of marriage, spacing between two births, sending girl child to school and overall literacy, and helped in agriculture and farming field. However, for a country as diverse and populated as India, the overall social impact is moderate.
The crux of technology uses in india is to ensure people's access to technology that eases their hardship and that helps them to improve their lives and livelihoods. Big farmers have been using technology since decades now but those with small holding (which is a majority) still depend on traditional equipment. Although, electricity connection has been provided to most households, there is no electricity. This is also another aspect to deal with. Once we provide access to something that people find useful, we have to ensure that supplies are maintained without fail. Be it water supply, electricity or LPG.
The crux of technology uses in india is to ensure people's access to technology that eases their hardship and that helps them to improve their lives and livelihoods. Big farmers have been using technology since decades now but those with small holding (which is a majority) still depend on traditional equipment. Although, electricity connection has been provided to most households, there is no electricity. This is also another aspect to deal with. Once we provide access to something that people find useful, we have to ensure that supplies are maintained without fail. Be it water supply, electricity or LPG.
Our flagship poverty alleviation programmes are making the officials and the power nexus comprisinng contractors, politicians and local influencial persons, richer and more powerful as siphoning off funds and cuts are common features of any programme that a poor has to live with. Even the RTI act is to a large extent foiled for the want of system to protect the complainants. Poor do not have bank accounts and banks do not consider them bankable. Only recently banks have got the mandate of financial inclusion under which the account opening process has been simplified with the adaptation of a Banking Correspondent model, which is essentially a high IT uses based model. Direct cash transfer to beneficiaries bank account, will also be effective in curbing corruption involving subsidy money.
Our greatest challenge essentially lie in addressing the mindset issue. Experience has also shown that there is unthinkable resistance within our political, legal and social systems, that foils the bid to ease access to relevant technology and efforts in linking technology to different end objectives. People in the system, spread myths and unauthentic information about the use of Technology. One of my colleagues had to travel at a short notice. She had a wait listed Tatkal e-ticket with a fat chance of getting confirmed. She reached New Delhi station earlier than the scheduled departure around the time when the chart was expected to be ready as her mobile as unfortunately, her mobile phone was not working. She tried in vain trying to get information about the chart status. The counter clerk, instead of asking her PNR asked her to show the ticket, which when she showed the print, the man told was not a valid ticket this is just an acknowledgement. Later I explained to her, now we do not even need to take a print-out and only the PNR message from irctc is good enough proof of travel document along with a i-card recognised by railways. incidentally a good samaritan, using his mobile phone found out for her that her ticket has got confirmed as she travelled safely.
In another incidence when a friend went to the IT department to enquire the process of filing corrected IT return, he was told it was not possible as he had submitted his return electronically and in e-filing there is no scope for making any mistake. Well, these may be overlooked as aberrations, but visit any small town, you are bound to come across many such cases. Incidentally both incidences happened in Delhi. Also, it takes agonisingly long time to get your debit or credit card, or sim card blocked in emergencies, and also same hassle for getting a new password in case you forgot yours for ATM or net banking service. In case of net banking, you are likely to come across a all wisdom branch manger, who would lecture you how you should be more careful in not forgetting your sensitive password as if it could be stolen from your mind! But these are all insecurity syndromes, once the technology use is widespread, it is capable of correcting the errors in no time.
I will even say, for the rich and the middle class, there are many ways and means available for dealing with the system of governance. They are also capable of identifying technologies of their need and relevance and use them. However, for a policy it is absolutely critical to create a platform for the poor to have ready access to IT and other technologies. I will not like to repeat what is already so well known, in terms of areas of ICT and technology usage from a common man and woman's perspective. The fact that India is really lagging behind in technology uses, compared to countries like USA should be also seen as an opportunity as learning from the nightmarish experience of indiscriminate exploitation of our natural uses through technology. We can come up with a policy that tackles ways to reduce the impact Global Warming, and optimise green technology usage. Gimmicks like distributing free colour TV or tablet is not critical as these are done at the cost of State exchequer. A well thought through, social marketing approach is what is required to accelerate the process.
When people understand the uses of something is going to help them, they will invest in it. Take the example of spread of mobile phone in this decade. Sensing the demand, the manufacturers of any product would lose no time in introducing affordable models and sets. Earlier, in the decades of 90s STD booths had spread to nooks and corners, including the most remote areas, thanks to Rajiv Gandhi and Sam Pitroda's Technology Mission. Common people since ages are buying bicycle and now a sizeable population, is also buying bikes in rural areas. examples of e-chowpal of ICT shows how people are using information. These are examples that no doles are required to spread uses of technology. The need of the hour is to actually open the door for e-governance through entirely a demand driven model. NGOs and companies working in a social enterprise mode (not every NGO) can be involved as partners as they understand how to work with people. For a country like India, with reasonably rich resource base that includes intellect, technology, human resources and right agencies, it should not be a difficult task.
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