- As you are aware, the revolutionary advent of information technology-driven innovations, inventions, developments, and growth over the last couple of decades has been nothing short of mind-boggling. The IT-enabled endeavours have been wholeheartedly adopted by every government worth its salt with the express intention to pass on the benefits to citizens. The IT itself is so dynamic that perpetual inventions are occurring as you read this, with cutting-edge newer applications/solutions being born. So much so that the IT and IT-enabled services have become an integral part of our daily lives, without which nothing seems to occur. Thus, digitization efforts have taken deep roots in everything from administration to day-to-day living.
PC: LinkedIn
- Indian IT professionals have essayed a pioneering role in furthering the cause of the medium not only in the country but also internationally. Indian IT professionals have made their presence felt in most countries, contributing immensely to the growth of the global industry big time. Notably, the perennial invention has paved the way for the latest in the industry, generative artificial intelligence, which is simply transforming the way the world works. Digitization is the buzzword, and the incumbent central government has left no stone unturned in embracing the technology to push ahead with various socio-welfare measures. Progress has been humongous, but the mostly agrarian country has not been able to reap the benefits on expected lines for want of the reach. The rural populace is finding itself in a limbo courtesy of technical deficiencies.
PC: Freepik
- The recent newspaper headlines were about how an 80-year-old woman from a small tribal village in Madhya Pradesh was found living under a tree. Yes, you read it right. The moot point to ponder over here is why the old lady with her widowed daughter-in-law and three little grandchildren were living under a tree for 10 months. Because of a big mistake. Last year, their village officials informed the old lady that if she wanted to get money from a government housing scheme called PMAY-Rural, which helps poor people build homes, she had to first destroy her old house and take a picture showing she had no home. They said this photo was needed for the computer to accept her application. But that was completely wrong. The rule didn’t say that at all.
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- The family believed and knew nothing about how the system worked. And they didn’t feel they could question what they were told. She applied for the house using her MNREGA job card, but something went wrong with the computer system, a glitch, and her name was not added to the list. Because she doesn’t use technology or the internet, she had no way of checking what went wrong or how to fix it. And she’s not alone, as many poor families in villages, especially women from Dalit or tribal communities, don’t know how these digital systems work. They are expected to use online apps and portals, but often no one helps them when the system fails. When technology is used to help people, there must also be a backup plan in case the tech fails. What use is digitization when people who need the most help can be forgotten and left behind? None.
