The
Penny Farthing is an appropriate representation of the benefits of Information Technology
(IT) to corporate houses and the social development; respectively.
Realizing the returns on investments in IT,
corporate houses became innovators. Appealing personal utilities and convenience
made individuals, early adopters, while the
Figure 1. A penny Farthing Government, which is the only
sector
to care for social development ended as late adopters and laggards. Government adoption of idea/concept stems from
either political considerations or recommendations of advisers. Whilst it is easy
to reason the rationale behind politics induced decisions, the latter has to be
sufficiently scientific and rational.
However, deficiency of intellect, particularly
to harness the potentials of IT for societal development is prevalent and blatantly
visible at key nodes of the Government. With counsel from such deficient nodes,
the benefits of IT to the social sector trails like the farthing (the smaller
wheel in figure 1). It is high time that the Government takes bold measures to
correct this anomaly.
Information
Technologies and societal Transformation
had gained attention as early by 1980s in the western world. Kerala, with its
distinct social conditions, should lead the nation and set trend in leveraging
the benefits of IT for societal development. Gandhiji’s Talisman, when applied
in this context, renders any technology that is incapable to address the common
mans need; useless.
