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Journal of Indian Institute of Management Bangalore

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Leapfrogging into the Knowledge Era

Volume 17, Number 3 Article by Gyan Prakash September, 2005

Leapfrogging into the Knowledge Era: Use of ICT for Development :

Deprivation from information is one of the characteristic features of poverty. The objective of this article is to highlight the importance of knowledge in promoting development, and the role of ICT in creating access to information. Gyan Prakash presents a framework to explain the process.

Illustrating how this process works on the ground is a case study of an ICT venture, Drishtee DotCom. Given that private ownership of computers is prohibitively expensive for the poor, Drishtee is providing a disintermediated model of accessing ICT characterised by non-ownership but direct use of ICT through kiosks, community centres, etc. in rural India. Partnering with the government at state and district levels and promoting entrepreneurship among people in rural areas, the Drishtee network comprises more than 300 kiosks located across six states, and provides services in the areas of infrastructure, health and education, governance, productivity, and creation and protection of traditional knowledge. However, it faces many challenges, including low awareness and inadequate usage of its services. An analysis of the case along the dimensions of institutions, sustainability and appropriate technology provides some pointers for ensuring the success of such ventures. These include backend support from the government in the form of a single portal seamlessly integrating all its information systems; a robust public-private partnership wherein private players, and rural entrepreneurs in particular, take on the production and delivery of paid services; bridging the digital divide by developing software and content for the illiterate, as well as special provisions to increase the access of women to ICT; providing more Internet enabled services focusing on literacy, health, agricultural prices and other developmental areas; and robust infrastructure including uninterrupted power supply and Internet connectivity and greater bandwidth.

Reprint No 05304