- Investments in technology-based solutions is the only way for India’s new govt to rapidly work towards the progress of its citizens who are now demanding rapid action, accountability, better education and healthcare. How technology can be used to improve various sectors:
- Education:
- Use of smart phones, laptops and other digital media with the help of NGOs for video conference classes, youtube videos, and various applications to study all subjects is a more immediate practical solution in remote areas than actually training tutors which will take a huge amount of time.
- Easy access to high speed internet connections will enable every child to have the same resources as any elite child in the Silicon Valley.
- Internet can also be used to crowd source solutions to various problems being faced by the students or teachers themselves.
- In Uruguay, every child is gifted a laptop and access to internet that enables them to receive basic education even in regions with scarcity of tutors. Children there are now writing computer codes and creating their own apps.
- For Akash tablets, which was produced for as low as Rs-3000 per piece, prices will continue to fall and capabilities will increase. This will enable it access to thousands of apps that will serve as the digital tutor of the future and provide quality education to the rich and the poor.
- Corruption:
- Smartphone apps, private managed and govt-supported websites such as Ipaidabribe.com can be used to facilitate the recording and reporting of corruption.
- Govt tenders and procurements, budget reporting and status monitoring should be made transparent by making the data public thus eliminating middlemen and the information gap.
- E-governance should be implemented at both national and state level.
- Social welfare should reach the beneficiaries over secure systems via their aadhaar numbers.
- Sophisticated data analytics can should be used to identify patterns and trends in commercial data and this should be adapted to monitor this to independently report on corruption and abuse.
- Healthcare:
- Lack of knowledge and diseases can be tackled by using smartphones to read about these and take part in health-discussion forums to connect with others with the same symptom.
- People in the remotest parts can also connect to doctors from different parts of the world.
- A Chilean technology that converts water into plasma state thereby eliminating microbial content has proved to be 100% effective against bacteria and viruses by consuming energy less than a hairdryer. Its low cost of $500 enables it to be used water-borne diseases in India.
- Read at: http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOIM/2014/05/04&PageLabel=23&EntityId=Ar02301&ViewMode=HTML
Exams Perspective:
- State of Education in India
- State of Healthcare in India
- Measures to eliminate corruption