This is related to the administrative reforms. Lets say I need to travel,
A . I have to buy a train ticket, I go to the reservation centre, stand up in the queue for an hour, and buy the ticket.
OR,
B. I go to the Indian railways website, figure out the best journey option, and buy the ticket.
A involves wastage of my time, and a waste of time for the railways. Clearly, B is more efficient. However, despite our claims of being the "IT Superpower" of the world, we Indians actually have pathetic statistics when it comes to IT penetration within our own country. (Side-note: YES, I know that Indian Railways has a website where you can book tickets, but it is almost always too busy, we still have long queues outside the reservation centers)
It's al-right to earn money fixing the IT system for Canadian railways, or automating the system for Timbuktu railways, but our society will only change when IT becomes an agent of change inside India.
IT need not be an "export only" item. If we can help systems in South Africa and earn Dollars from that, maybe its time we also change systems in India, and earn rupees out of it.
Our expertise in English language has helped us develop IT based industry in India that serves the rest of the world.
To serve India, we need to talk in the Indian languages, and provide solutions in the languages the majority understands. Before our readers start dismissing this as impossible, I'd urge them to see various open-source translation efforts. (and maybe contribute to the ones ) For bulk of the work we need to to provide to the masses, we dont need expensive technology, this could be very inclusive open-source software based solution.
A . I have to buy a train ticket, I go to the reservation centre, stand up in the queue for an hour, and buy the ticket.
OR,
B. I go to the Indian railways website, figure out the best journey option, and buy the ticket.
A involves wastage of my time, and a waste of time for the railways. Clearly, B is more efficient. However, despite our claims of being the "IT Superpower" of the world, we Indians actually have pathetic statistics when it comes to IT penetration within our own country. (Side-note: YES, I know that Indian Railways has a website where you can book tickets, but it is almost always too busy, we still have long queues outside the reservation centers)
It's al-right to earn money fixing the IT system for Canadian railways, or automating the system for Timbuktu railways, but our society will only change when IT becomes an agent of change inside India.
IT need not be an "export only" item. If we can help systems in South Africa and earn Dollars from that, maybe its time we also change systems in India, and earn rupees out of it.
Our expertise in English language has helped us develop IT based industry in India that serves the rest of the world.
To serve India, we need to talk in the Indian languages, and provide solutions in the languages the majority understands. Before our readers start dismissing this as impossible, I'd urge them to see various open-source translation efforts. (and maybe contribute to the ones ) For bulk of the work we need to to provide to the masses, we dont need expensive technology, this could be very inclusive open-source software based solution.
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