29 Components of ICT Enabled Extension System
Information systems
As the word moves into the 21st century, the pace of globalization and the growth of new technologies, such as internet are fueling both economic prosperity and human advancement. The internet itself has begun to transform the way we live and do business, and is nothing short of a revolution- the information revolution is on, however , as three fourth of Indians live in rural India, it is essential that rapid and sustainable development of the benefits of the information revolution is equitably dispersed. To this end, various programmes using information Technology as a tool are being implemented towards improving the living conditions of rural community.
Both tradition extension methods (like folk media: demonstration method, puppetry etc.) and recent information technologies (computer aided extension, space applications) should be blended in a suitable manner to disseminate the innovation in the rural areas. We live in the age of information explosion . An appropriate blend of information methods should be done based on the needs of the villages. Besides these , mass media should be linked with interpersonal media as in the case of radio rural forums to increase the effectiveness of communication.
Advances in telecommunication and global communication networks enable us to access, collect, process and deliver information from one location to almost anywhere in the world. A computer and a telephone make it possible to have access to any kind of information stored in computers anywhere in the world. The capability of exchange of information on a global basis has been made possible through a powerful communication tool the satellite which have shrunk the world into a global village .
Application of information and communication technology for rural sector and extension
The communication revolution can be effective for reforming a numbers of sectors such as agriculture, animal husbandry , health , education , water conservation etc.. to name few to them. It can certainly go a long way in obtaining a number of developmental aspects in women empowerment , proper utilization of funds by the government and implementation of various schemes, maintaining swift communication between the research institutes and village residents , for generation and conservation of energy resources, disaster management, revenue collection, land record maintenance and encouraging entrepreneurship development among the village artisans.
The communication revolution can be very effective in the health sector as well . Information about the various healthcare services can be effectively disseminated specialized campaigns like malaria, polio, guinea worm, AIDS eradication etc.,can be implemented very effectively using mass media based on communication technology.Effective monitoring of the major work carried out by the primary health centres can be done .The family planning and welfare programmes can also be effectively implemented. Inaccessible and remote areas can be connected to the hospitals at urban areas and information can be provided to the people. Complications in health of individual patients can be discussed by doctors with specialists doctors from urban areas by use of video conferencing techniques. This can leads to effective diagnosis and medication of the patients in rural areas. The concept oftelemedicine can also be possible by use of ICT in the health sector.
The ICT will help to connect the rural part of India with the outside world and provide information to the students and villagers access to current information. The students from rural areas will get exposure regarding the happening of the world through this networking which will help them to increase their knowledge and get information of various renowned education & for higher education. It can also play a crucial role in improving and changing the education sector in rural areas. Information technology based computer as well as other education can be provided to the students from rural areas. Unemployment proves as major bane among Indian youth , more so with that of the rural youth.such youth trained properly in computer and other ICT related aspects can be inculcated in the mainstream and employed for performing specialized jobs.This will be consider a bl helpful in using the talented human resources in national development. A Delhi based non profit organization, Vaancha ICT association , a project that provides training and technical assistance in information and communication technology to the disadvantage dyouth. Similar projects can be implemented in the rural and semi rural areas of the country which can be very effective in improving the employment potential in rural India.
The ICT sector can be a boon to the rural people by providing them information about the availability of finance through the various agencies , the purpose of availability , the changed rates of interest and repayment periods. Proper networking with cooperatives and nationalized banks with the rural areas can go a long way in this direction. Proper monitoring of the funds disbursed by the finance sources and prevention of misutilisation or diversion of funds for unproductive uses can be possible by using advanced communication technology, means information regarding the various schemes implemented by the government through the panchayati raj institution like the ZilaParishad, panchatisamiti and gram panchayat can be disseminated to the villagers.
This can be possible by connecting every village with the district headquarters through internet. Prompt and proper information about the schemes implemented by the government can be very useful, particularly to the deprived sections of the society. Many projects and programmes initiatedby the administrators and the local people have been put up in various parts of country utilizing internet, local area networks etc., ICT can also be useful to the farmers in the field of animal husbandry and diary science. It can also be helpful for proper marketing of diary products as also for providinginformation to the farmers regarding the same. The projects like the Warna Wired village in the Kolhapur District of south western Maharashtra has been trend setter in this direction.
The information village project implemented by M.S Swaminathan research foundation in collobaration with international Development Research Centre (IRDC) is aimed at bringing the benefits of modern information and communication technologies to the rural population.
Information kiosks is one such advanced technology development which provides information about any subject matter to the farming community through touch screen technique. It is found to be easy for the farmers access information about agriculture and allied subjects by simply operating the machine through touching the screen by their finger tips..
Components of ICT enabled Extension
Information technology refers to the resources usedby an organization to manage information that it needs to carry out its mission. Information technology consists of computers, computer networks, other pieces of hardware, software that facilitates the system’s abilities to manage information in a way that is useful for managers . computer based information systems generally have a few basic components- an input medium, a processor, an output medium , a storage device and a control system.
Computers have become more powerful, user friendly and less expensive. The PC Revolution has brought them closer to the users to the extent that in number of cases users have designed and developed their own applications. However, till recently, it has not become easy to create local contact and regional language interfaces, to facilitate their use in villages. In addition , although the hardware costs are coming down, the total cost of ownership for rural applications is quite high.
The costs of the minimum required gadgets like PC,Modern, power stabilizer, and printer along with the license costs of software (OS, Database, and Application as applicable) does not justify their use for offering government related information services, just on the basis of return-on-investment criterion. These equipmentsbecome absolute too soon, and have high maintenance costs in rural areas. Several entrepreneurs are attempting to offer inexpensive hardware and software solutions for rural applications. The CorDECT technology by anlogue communications and the simputer by Pico PetaSimputersPvt.Ltd are good examples of such initiatives.
Theseorganizations developed the computer and wireless connectivity solutions with indigenous components, software,and open sourcesystem. It is hoped thatlarge scale production of the systems would bring in appropriate cost effective technologies for rural applications. MSSRF based at Chennai is doing various work indesignin appropriate technologies for the rural poor.
Informatics network for rural development
The UNDP Human development report 2001 has stated that in the network age every country needs the capacity to understand and adopt global technologies for local needs. That is to say,the farmers and firms need to master new technologies because today what is important is to unleash the creativity of its people. The multiple use of information technology are made to enhance health facilities, education, income generation of the poor families and above all people’s political participation. India lives in villages and no developmental effort including unleash the creativity of its people. The multiple use of information technology are made to enhance health facilities, education, income generation of the poor families and above all people’s political participation. India lives in villages and no developmental effort including information technology led development can be successful, unless it addresses rural areas and its people
The ministry of rural development, government of India sponsors various developmental schemes that aim at improving the standard of living of people in rural areas. these schemes are monitored by ministry of rural development and state agencies coordinated by local administration in districts and implemented by agencies at block level.
Community Information Centre
T o start with, the community information centre project has been launched by the Ministry of information technology in each and every blocks of Sikkim and other north-eastern states of india. Each CIC will have one server computer system and five client configuration computer systems linked in a local area network and connected to a V-SAT for internet access. It will help the government functionaries to use email and internet for communicating with the district and state level officers. The IT infrastructure at CICs is to be used to capture information about local resources of the block and make them available world-wide through the internet so as to attract investors from different parts of the World.
The CICs will be equipped to provide dial up internet access to other government offices at the block level. The state governments are expected to make use of the facility to spread awareness about internet and evolve a business model to help local youth to obtain gainful employment by operating internet booths, IT Kiosks and other such ventures. It is also envisaged to provide telemedicine facilities at identified CICs .
Samadhan Kendra (Solution centre)
As the name itselfis self explanatory, these centres ill attempt to provide information which may be required to solve the day-to day needs of rural population.This pilot project is being implemented in Tamil Nadu. The aim is to have four typres of serviceavailable under one roof:
1. An information centre with a number of decision support systems for various catogeries of users; a large , updated information bank , with web connectivity to serve the information needs of rural areas .
2. Need based continuing education package s to identified target groups and message centres
3. Message centre
4. Vocational training centre to promote basic computer and IT skills among the youth of that area.
Warna Information Village
An information technology revolution is sweeping 70 villages in maharastra with famous thrilled to the core . A farmer can now monitor various processes sitting at his village . the Warna Wired village project connects 70 village attached to the Tatyasahebkore cooperative sugar factory of Warna Nagar with each other and the rest of the World through the internet .
Panchayat Raj and E – Governance
The recent development of electronic governance and panchayat raj gives us an insight into the extraordinary possibilities ahead.
Rural Knowledge Centre
A network of RKC are established across the country that focus on skill building at the local level and information empowerment with the help of contemporary information and communication technology (ICT ) tools. Vision is to harness the power of ICT in the Knowledge , skill, economic and social empowerment of rural families based on the principle of reaching the unreached and voicing the voiceless.
Information and communication technology application to poverty reduction
Information and communication technology can reduce poverty by improving poor people’s access to education, health, government and financial services. ICT can also help small farmers and artisans by connecting them to markets . it is clearthat in rural india- as well asin much of the developing world- realization of the potential is not guaranteed.Although most of the rural poor in india are isolated from the information revolution, there are several examplesin rural indiawhereICT is used to contribute to poverty reductionin the areas of opportunity, empowermentand security . opportunities. ICT canremedy such information asymmetric and stimulate poor people’s entrepreneurship by better connecting them to markets.
Changing Face of Rural India
Empowerment
Improving access to government services : Gyandoot . ICT can be used by Government agencies to transform relations with citizens and businesses . In India , as in much of the developing world, it is not uncommon for rural villagers to travel long distances to government district headquarters in order to submit applications, meet officials, obtain copies of public records , or seek information regarding prevailing prices in commodity markets.
This involves the loss of a day’s income as well as the cost of transportation . once at the government office, the relevant official record or information could be unavailable , forcing repeated visits and additional expenses . in effect , government officials working with paper records enjoy a monopoly over information and records .
Villagers may also face discomfort, harassment, and corruption on the part of public officials, or are often given incorrect information about government programmes or market prices . infact, compared to middle or upper classes, the poor end up paying a disproportionate share of their income on bribes. With ICT, it is possible to locate service centres that provide documents, land records and other public services physically closer to citizens. Such centres may consists of an unattended Kiosk in a government agency , or a service Kiosk located close to the client. Potential benefits include increased transparency , less corruption, better delivery of government services and greater government responsiveness. Information disclosure and the possibility of interacting with public officials also build pressure for government accountability. The poor became empowered because they feelthey are getting a service rather than a favour
Grassroot Intermediateries
In rural India , as in much of the developing world , direct ownership and use of ICT – for instance through a PC with internet access – minimal fraction of the population. Although applies only to a very minimal fraction of the population . although the availability of content in local languages and the use of graphic and voice interface can make ICT applications more accessible to poor people, illiteracy, low levels of education, gender , class and class inequalities are all powerful obstacles to use of computers and others ICT tools. It follows that, in most cases, poor people have to rely on a human intermediatery between them and ICT, in what is termed a reinter mediation model.
ICT enabled Approach for research extension communication
The cyber extension is not for replacing the existing systems of communication . ICTs willaugment, in big way, the reach and two way interaction among the key stakeholders. The new technology offers new opportunities. It will add more interactivity. It will add speed .it will add two way communication . it will add a wider range and more in depth messaging. It will widen the scope of extension. It will also improve quality.
The continuing rapid development of telecommunications and computer based information technology is probably the biggest factor for change in extension, one which will facilitate and rainforce other changes. There are many possibilities for the potential applications of the technology in agricultural extension will bring new information services to rural areas which farmers , as users, will have much greater control than over current information channels. Even if every farmer does not have a computer terminal, thesecould become readily available at local information resource centres, with computers carrying experts system to help farmers tomake decisions. However it will not make extensionworkers redundant.Rather, they will be able to concentrate on tasks and services where human interaction is essential in helping farmers individually and in smallgroups to diagnose problems, to interpret data, and to apply their meaning. The researcher at university should involve the KVK, Extension functionaries and even the farmers right from the beginning of the project. The packaging of research recommendations has to be done in more participatory way with the help of IT . The extension functionaries at district level could be taken into confidence before final packaging of the practices or technologies for each group . this way the ICTS will help both the researchers and farming community to talk to each other on regular basis.
Conclusion
India’s rural population need information and decision making tools for better farming and for other day-to day operations, which would improve the quality of their life and also empower them. At present , villagers depend on information that reaches them by various means such as extension personnel, pamphlets, posters, radio, TV etc., but it is often not sufficient . to maximize earnings and efficiency, environmental quality concerns and sustainability must all be considered in keeping with the constraints of resources characteristics of rural India. To achieve this , a better understanding of site specific information system is needed to cater to the specific needs of the rural population not only that raising awareness among the poor, about the potential of ICT is an another important aspect of successful ICT projects.
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Web links
- MoA, GoI., (2013). State of Indian Agriculture 2012-13. Published by the Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Agriculture and Co-operation, Directorate of Economics and Statistics, New Delhi. agricoop.nic.in/Annual report2012-13/ARE 2012-13/pdf
- PC, GoI., (2011). Faster, Sustainable and More Inclusive Growth-An Approach to the Twelfth Five Year Plan (2012-17). Planning Commission, Government of India, October, 2011. http://planningcommission.nic.in/plans /appraoch_12plan.pdf.
- Saravanan, R., (2010). ICTs for Agricultural Extension: Global Experiments, Innovations and Experiences. New India Publishing Agency, New Delhi.
- Singh, Manmohan, (2011). ICAR-83rd Foundation Day Address. ICAR press release, dated 16th July, 2011, www.icar.org.in (Accessed on 7th August, 2011).