Recognizing DIGITAL DIVIDE in Indian Context

Dr. Pradeep Kumar Course Coordinator PG Program in Development Communication AJK Mass Communication Research Centre Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi E-mail:pradeep.mcrc@jmi.ac.in

The Issue

Stories about the Digital Divide have flooded newsreports, journals and conferences over the last five years. A lot of statistics have been computed and a number of reports are published to quantify and describe what is happening and who is affected and how, especially in Third World countries. It is all about how information and communication technology (ICT) revolution is changing the world and what happens to the people who do not have access to ICT tools and techniques.

The Presentation.
The presentation looks Digital Divide as a complex problem that manifests itself in different ways in different countries. The presentation will give a complete account of the divide from socio-economic perspectives in our country and will also give a clear picture of the real domestic disparities taking place in India which is going to rise a social conflict between haves and have nots.

The Concept

Digital Divide is defined as the gap between nations which can and cannot afford the new information and communication technologies. It is a divide between those who can effectively harness information and communication technology and those who cannot. It is a divide between online and offline generation.

Cont..
Digital Divide is not merely a technology divide. It is not merely about access or lack of it. It is about the equitable distribution of power and prosperity. People without access are increasingly being excluded from education, healthcare, good governance and the means to improve their livelihoods.

The Statistics

If we view the statistics of the divide at the global level, the picture is alarming. Only fifteen to twenty percent of the worlds entire population today is internet users. Of these 2,100,840,411users, 60% are in industrialized countries. Africa, Asia and Middle East together account 40% of the users.

Cont..

US and Canada together account for 57% of the internet users. The richest 20% account for 94% of the worlds internet users, while the poorest 20% account for 2%.

(Source: worldstatistics.com)

Indian Picture

Less than 10% Indian population is online. The state capitals alone accounts for 70% internet connections in the country. Among Indias 3.5 million internet connections more than 2.0 million are cornered by the states of Delhi, Karnataka, Andra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Punjab.

Divide in terms of Technology & Infrastructure

The availability of fixed and wireless communication services (teledensity 15%). Networked computers in Schools, Colleges, Academic Institutions, offices, homes etc. (Most computers are Standalone PCs). The affordability and reliability of network access, including the cost of service, downtime and prevalence of information sharing access among individuals.

Divide in terms of use of ICT tools and content

Computerization is still low. High cost of equipment and low levels of economic development. Lack of necessary skills. Rural penetration is low. Lack of network capacity and high international tariffs. Lack of interconnections of ISPs.

Cont

70% web pages are in English. Less native contents on net.

Divide in terms of Knowledge and Skills

Lack of Information Managers capable of completing complex technological projects. Lack of Policy Analysts who understands the tendency of government regulations to business organizations, both public and private, particularly in a changing technological environment. Lack of local content creators aware of communication networks potential. Lack of sufficient number of software, hardware and communication engineers.

Cont...

Pool of expertise in India is relatively small (at all levels, from policy making to users). Rural areas are short of expertise in infrastructure operation, installation, computer maintenance and software troubleshooting. Lack of computer education to use computer based networks, new services and tools.

Why Does the Divide Exist ?

Slow diffusion of new technologies. People dont know how to use technology or it is not made relevant to their lives. Weak Economy. Have no sufficient investment in ICT sector. Not able to roll out the technology quickly from urban to rural areas.

Cont

Problems regarding electricity. Government policies have failed to support or encourage ICT growth. Inadequate response to the opportunities and demands of ICT.

Who are connected in India ?

A small, rich, successful and English speaking minority. The divide leads linguistic and cultural gap.

The Future of the Divide.

The number of PCs, amount of Internet Bandwidth, number of telephone connections, mobile phones and other ICT tools are slowly rising in all developing countries, but the information have countries are growing fast, thus widening the divide. Computer and internet access prices are decreasing around the world, but still the question is that whether the low prices be enough for everyone in third world to have access to ICT.

Cont

Network infrastructure is slowly growing around the world, and information have-nots will gain increasing bandwidth and telecommunication access, but still new technologies will remain behind the curve and be years behind the information haves. Divisions by education. Division by Gender.

The Questions.

Is technology is available and accessible to common people and local community? Is the available technology is appropriate to the local needs and conditions of the community? Is technology affordable for people to use? Do people have the training and skills necessary for effective technology use? Do they understand how to use technology and its potential uses?

Cont

Is locally relevant content available, especially in terms of language? Do people have confidence in technology and do they understand the implications of technology they use, for instance, in terms of privacy, security, or cyber crime? Do the technology is becoming a part of local economic development?

Cont.

Is there political will in government to do what is needed to enable the integration of technology throughout the society, and public support for government decision-making?

The Possible Answers.

For this an overall pooling of resources and experiences is needed. Dealing with the digital divide is beyond the scope of any single initiative. While it is important for organizations doing community ICT projects to meet the needs of their clients as comprehensively as possible, the issues at stake in international and domestic digital divides are huge, and organizations should cooperate to tackle problems collaboratively.

Here Indian government needs to play a

fundamental role in creating an environment

that will foster technology use and encourage

investment

in

ICT

infrastructure,

development, and a skilled workforce.

Government action is very important in spreading the benefits of technology

throughout society, and governments have the power and mandate to balance the needs of their citizens for long-term economic growth and social prosperity.

However, translating a vision into practical steps that fit in the local context is not a simple matter. Political leaders need to have a realistic appreciation for what ICT can and cannot do for their countries and

communities, and they must lead effectively and bolster public confidence in the path they take.

To cross the digital divide and put ICT to effective use to improve peoples lives, countries and communities must consider the whole concept of divide in terms of infrastructure, access, training, and a legal and regulatory framework that will foster ICT use. If the digital divide is to be narrowed, these issues above discussed must be attained in a coherent, achievable strategy that may be easily tailored to meet the local need of the communities.

The Initiatives Required..

The first step to bridge the gap or to

remove/minimize the conflict between haves

and have-nots in India is to locate committed

people who have the vision to carry out the

change.

To locate development agencies which have

imaginative ideas and which can go for a

realistic assessment of the felt needs and

problems of the underprivileged populace of

the country. For this, it is need to involve the

rural community at the planning, execution

and management stage of ICT projects.

The primary focus should be on education,

not on technology. While developing a

community network in India and other

developing

countries

the

concentration

should be on human bandwidth rather than mere on volume bandwidth.

If rural communities are provided the quality

of human relationship and human assisted

training, the information will travel from one

community to another through this human

network highway.

So, for India, now its a time to focus on community, both local and global; on people living below poverty line, belonging to resource-poor areas; physically or socially disabled and disadvantaged sections of the community; and experimentation with new models and encounters. Community pursuance and participation in ICT projects should definitely strength Indias democracy.

The aim must be to provide digital access and services to the doorsteps of the underprivileged and downtrodden section of the rural society. The only need is to initiate and design policies that can enlighten self interest of public sector and multinationals and to create sufficient carrots and attraction for the bottom line focused private sector to really go into the rural areas.

Unless

India

make

such

policies,

any

talk/discussion

in

high
about

blooded
bridging the

seminars/conferences

digital divide will remain much of hot air. Lets have a hope to come together with our strengths and with a brightness of knowledge so that we, the people of India, can progress.