The Era of Ict

The Era of ICT (Information and Communication Technology)

The main objective behind any innovation in technology is to ensure that it provides comfort, leisure, productivity and a better quality of life and built environment for its citizen.

In India, the path towards technology-induced development especially associated with ICT was given a vent in 1984 by the Rajiv Gandhi government.

He adopted an effective route to development with a

massive programme of computerization launched in the public sectors as well as in commercial and public sectors undertakings and administrative departments.

By 1985, large sectors had announced computerization plans, which included railways, banking operations, schools etc.

In 1998, National Task Force on Information Technology and Software Development prepared the blueprint for making the adoption of IT a national movement by establishing a wide network of empowered task forces at all governmental & non-governmental levels.

In 1999, the Ministry of Information Technology was established by bringing together government agencies involved in different aspects of IT for creating jobs to harness opportunities provided by the convergence of communication technologies and to facilitate the use of IT in Electronic Governance.

ICT generates new possibilities to address problems of rural poverty, inequality and environmental degradation.

In India, the growth of information technology and communications is very significant in the past two decades. IT Industry in India comprises the software industry and information technology-enabled services [ITES] which also includes the BPO industry.

India is considered a pioneer in software development and a favourite destination for IT-enabled services (ITES).

Many other countries look to India as a model for global outsourcing and try to imitate elements of this in their strategies.

The Government of India and the respective state governments use ICT for the delivery of government information and services to citizens (G2C), businesses [G2B], employees [G2E], and governments [G2G].

The Government of India initiated an e-government programme during the late 1990s by adopting the Information Technology Act in 2000.

The major aims of this Act were to recognise electronic contracts, prevent computer crimes and make electronic filing possible. Later in 2006, the government approved the National E-governance Plan [NeGP) to enhance e-government initiatives in India.

Almost all state governments and UTs have also implemented their own e-government services to serve their citizens and business. Some of the prominent services include “Bhoomi” from Karnataka, “Gyandoot” from the MP, “Smart government” from Andhra Pradesh, and “SARI” from Tamil Nadu