Title:	TOWARDS AN INFORMATION SOCIETY: WHAT CAN BE DONE TO FACE THE CHALLENGES?
Author(s):	Vijay Srinath Kanchi, Anil G. Rao
ISBN:	978-972-8939-67-0
Editors:	Piet Kommers and Pedro Isaías
Year:	2012
Edition:	Single
Keywords:	Digital divide, information apartheid, e-Society, electronic gadgets, role of institutions of higher education
Type:	Short Paper
First Page:	505
Last Page:	510
Language:	English
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Full Contents:	click to dowload
Paper Abstract:	The rapid percolation of Information and Communication Technologies into the daily lives, post 1990, has suddenly transformed the lifestyles of people across the continents, and its impact is more pronounced in countries like India whose economic development, incidentally was also put on fast track during the same time, thanks to the liberalization, privatization and globalization initiated and adopted as a policy by the government. India finds itself in a queer situation where the educated upper elite residing in urban areas are adopting and galloping to the changing currents, while a great majority of country’s populace, still remaining firmly anchored to agrarian economic resources, seems isolated and lost, in the cacophony of emerging technologies. A realization is fast dawning on the policy makers in India, that urgent measures be taken to augment information literacy among the marginalized groups and bridge this digital divide in the shortest possible time. The only way to effectively bring this social integration and bring every individual on equal platform is through increased active role played by the governments, large business firms, philanthropic agencies and academic institutions who by making available the necessary wherewithal in terms of easy to handle gadgets and translation software help bridge the digital divide. The academic institutions have a tremendous responsibility to shoulder in this regard and this paper is intended to discuss the opportunities and challenges present on the path, in front of academic institutions, particularly working in the higher education sphere.
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