Tarique A Bhat
With the basic issues of quality, equity and access to better life in Jammu & Kashmir still unresolved, the state seems ill prepared to generate knowledge creators or workers of the highest quality. In the IT related exhibition in Srinagar, technology was perceived as the answer to our many ills. The idea of digitally-oriented development is as powerful and seductive as the technology upon which it is based. The greatest obstacles to our development – inadequate infrastructure – might be obviated by instant access to virtual institutions that provide banking, education, healthcare, tourism information, agricultural advice, and so forth.
It is said that, timely access to appropriate information and knowledge is the key to development, for both the individual and the society. In mid 1990s we ‘missed the bus’ of developing an IT sector at least for the foreseeable future when IT industry became one of the fastest growing industries in India.
The 21st century has begun the convergence of technologies and the consequent process of globalisation. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has been instrumental in speeding up economic growth. ICT has revolutionized products, processes and services. On the contrary, we are still emphasizing on awareness creation and education on basic information communication technology for the average citizen needing skills to participate in the modern information age.
In Kashmir we are among those who have missed out on earlier waves of technology. We might be able to ‘leapfrog’ over our more developed competitors by a visionary and achievable localized IT policy. One off initiatives like grievances cell and public speaking on IT are not going to help.
Ironically, the administration is manned by propagandists of a failed experiment in publicity orientation. It has ensured there are no genuine knowledge workers in the entire system, except bureaucrats. It’s a rising irreversible tide. Though not a few within the political class and the powerful bureaucracy are in denial, there is an emerging consensus within civil society that our moribund, moth-eaten governance system needs an urgent makeover.
So far, computer-training and IT-enabled education has been distressingly conflated and confused in the understanding of administrators and policymakers as well as the general public.
We need rapid induction of IT into all facets of an economy. The priority should be three broad areas – information access, communication and economic transactions, a few examples of which are education, healthcare, agriculture, handicrafts and tourism etc.
On the positive note, state has over 10,000 highly trained and skilled IT professionals available for employment. A Software Technology Park has already been developed in Srinagar, having adequate connectivity and an Electronic Industrial Estate has been set up at Rangreth in Srinagar.
The talent pool present in the state is not being groomed professionally. We should give priority to education, to develop quality human resources. We need to establish a technical university on the lines of Indian Institute of Information technology.
Let’s empower all citizens through IT and use it to attain transparency in administration.
The State needs to facilitate the rapid and equitable development of IT infrastructure and strive to provide IT for all citizens rather than responding to pressures from vested interests. Government should also plan the rapid creation of a backbone for networking and expedite low-cost connectivity.
We need to realize that the role of governments in supporting Research & Development is critical, and hence it should support the development of IT products through grants, low-interest loans and marketing support.
The local role model can be seen at University of Kashmir .The University established a separate Directorate of Information Technology & Support System in December 2007. The establishment of the Directorate was to ensure active contribution of the university in the development of the society through the capitalization of opportunities associated with the IT. The Directorate is serving as a Central Resource for capitalizing the enormous opportunities associated with IT.
Information Technology has the potential of being a tool for social change in J&K. The Blue Chip revolution has to bring Kashmir on the center stage and the brightest pool of talent has to come from this heaven on Earth. Better late than never.
