Economic Empowerment of Women through Information Technology: A Case Study from an Indian State

It is universally accepted that Information Communication Technologies (ICT) offer immense opportunities for the comprehensive social and economic development of the people all over the world. Without its adoption, there is little chance for countries or regions to develop. However, the potential of ICT as a technology for promoting micro-enterprises by poor women is still unused in many countries. This article discusses the success story of a government project for poverty eradication using ICT. The case study on ‘ICT micro-enterprises by self-help group of poor women’ describes the story of a self-help group, which uses potential of ICT for poverty eradication through economic empowerment of poor women. It illustrates how ICT can effectively be used as a technology for micro-enterprises, which are promoted by poor women under self-employment scheme. The article also deals with SWOT analysis that identifies the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for ICT based micro-enterprises. The article proves that if a country has the necessary enabling environment permitting the establishment of ICT micro-enterprises, poor women can promote such business for their economic empowerment

ICT INTEGRATION IN EDUCATION: THE CASE OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN KERALA

The quality of education in rural areas has not risen to the expected standard due to lack of access, inadequate infrastructure, poor connectivity of ICT, and insufficient number of teachers, etc. This empirical study aims at finding out the factors influencing successful ICT integration in rural schools with special focus on the availability of ICT infrastructure, extent of ICT utilization in classrooms and the barriers encountered in its effective usage. The findings indicate that ICT infrastructure is inadequate and its use in teaching and learning were found to be minimal and has not brought about much improvement. Underutilization of the technology has resulted in lowering the digital competency of the students. Frequent utilization of smart-classrooms along with a strong ICT infrastructure and their integration into teaching activities can play a significant role in facilitating digital education in rural schools

New media practices in India: bridging past and future, markets and development

This article provides a review of the academic and popular literature on new media practices in India, focusing on the country’s youth's use of mobile phones and the Internet, as well as new media prosumption. One particular feature of the Indian case is the confluence of commercial exploitation of new media technologies and their application for development purposes in initiatives that aim to bring these technologies to marginalized segments of the Indian population. Technology usage in turn is shaped by the socioeconomic location of the user, especially in regards to gender and caste. The potential of new media technologies to subvert such social stratifications and associated norms has inspired much public debate, which is often carried out on the Internet, giving rise to an online public sphere. In all of the writings reviewed here, the tension surrounding new media technologies as a meeting place of the old and the new in India is paramount

The empowerment potential of public sector software (PSS)

Investigations into the potential for public sector software (PSS) to empower citizens are at a very nascent stage. This article explores the theoretical basis for, and practical advantages of, PSS, in the making of an informed and pro-active citizenry. Using the example of the emerging PSS movement in India and in particular the ICT literacy movement in Kerala, South India, it argues, that access to and use of software based on the principles of free and open source has the potential to contribute to an empowered citizenry. However the very concept of PSS is contested by major private software companies given that they stand to lose from public investments that are based on open standards. The article argues that PSS can contribute to the making of an ‘information commons’ and that the need of the hour is for innovative and creative solutions to the information deficits faced by communities in India and elsewhere

Public Service Delivery: Role of Information and Communication Technology in Improving Governance and Development Impact

The focus of this paper is on improving governance through the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in the delivery of services to the poor, i.e., improving efficiency, accountability, and transparency, and reducing bribery. A number of papers recognize the potential benefits but they also point out that it has not been easy to harness this potential. This paper presents an analysis of effective case studies from developing countries where the benefits have reached a large number of poor citizens. It also identifies the critical success factors for wide-scale deployment. The paper includes cases on the use of ICTs in the management of delivery of public services in health, education, and provision of subsidized food. Cases on electronic delivery of government services, such as providing certificates and licenses to rural populations, which in turn provide entitlements to the poor for subsidized food, fertilizer, and health services are also included. ICT-enabled provision of information to enhance rural income is also covered

Open Source Software for Integrated Library System : Relative Appropriatness in the Indian Context

Libraries in all fields of human activity are involved in collection, preservation, management, and effective distribution of information that determines the quality of development in concerned sectors including that of higher education and research. Now information is flooding and along with that the recorded information to be managed; which necessitates automation of libraries to make the information stored in their collections useful and retrievable. Hitherto the cost of commercial packages for automation has prevented millions of libraries from using those tools. The recent emergence of Open Source Software has drastically reduced the cost of automation as well provided tools for new and innovative information services. The present research work focuses on comparative study of library automation packages with stress to appropriateness of Open Source Integrated Library Systems (OSILS) for countries like India. Study is based on a survey among library professionals from India using commercial and OSILS packages. The sample users belong to 601 libraries covering university, college, school, special and research libraries using any one of the integrated library systems. Packages covered is limited to the software /versions used in India. The survey found that features users of library automation packages consider are cost effectiveness, technical infrastructure, staff skills, software functionality and the availability of support, documentation and community. Study revealed that OSILS provides technological freedom and so is changing the landscape of library automation. Survey found Koha to be most popular in India. Suggests solutions to improve the situation. Few recommendations are provided to help libraries to choose suitable OSILS by understanding their advantages. Opines that being an attractive alternative to costly commercial package for any type of libraries OSILS, which is free to experiment and easy to use and customize for local requirements needs to be promoted in Indian libraries

ICT initiatives, women and work in developing countries: reinforcing or changing gender inequalities in South India?

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are increasingly used by developing countries in strategies that see the new technology as having the potential to deliver economic growth, employment, skills generation and empowerment. There is growing agreement, however, that the impact of ICTs in developing countries is not gender neutral, necessitating an engendered approach to ICT-based projects. This paper argues that ICTs as a form of new technology are socially deterministic, with varied implications for women in terms of employment and empowerment dependent on the context within which the ICTs are utilised. The paper presents findings from two ICT initiatives in South India showing significant impacts on women's employment, income and social roles. One ICT initiative - "gender-blind" and pursued within the globalised, competitive context of an increased role for markets and 'flexibility' - has generally reinforced gender inequalities. By contrast, a gender-focused ICT initiative involving significant state intervention has brought about positive changes to livelihood outcomes and empowerment of poor women

Survey on Student’s Perception of Class Room Environment in an Engineering College

Effective learning is possible if students new learning patterns, evolving education technologies and methodologies are better understood by all stakeholders. The man-machine model for a class-room is proposed and analyzed through a case study. The paper focuses on the student’s perception of current teaching-learning environment and the issues therein. A questionnaire survey (n=178) is done on the students of one of the engineering colleges in the State of Kerala in India. The factor analysis of the worksystem factors indicated three distinct dimensions, i.e., ‘Technology’, ‘General environment’ and ‘Work environment’, and that for outcome measures indicated the following three dimensions, ‘Performance’, ‘Review effort’, and ‘Mental & physical strain’. The case study indicated a weak ‘Technology’ interface, i.e., use of modern IT & Communication facility is low, internet facility is inadequate. In ‘General environment’ dimension heat-stress, glare and audibility is cause for concern. In ‘Work environment’ dimension physical configuration due to furniture arrangement is a cause for concern. In ‘Review effort’ dimension the self-study effort needed is high. Students rating for ‘Performance’ dimension are largely satisfactory, but their ratings for ‘Mental & Physical strain’ dimensions indicate they are not satisfied. This calls for ‘Technology’ improvement by providing stable internet facility and connectivity. The ‘Work environment’ could be improved through ergonomic design of furniture design and its layout, while ‘General environment’ could be improved through better air circulation or air-conditioning. Traditional  classrooms  with  rows  of  desk  facing  the  teacher  and  the  board  do  not  fulfil present  day  educational  needs  and  expectations;  therefore  the  available  space  at  colleges requires adaptation to new contexts and roles in education. Human factors such as age, experience, motivation and course factors such as course type, content and scheduling needs to be explored so that the nature and impact on the interactions in teaching-learning environment can be better understood. The causal loops of worksystem factors on outcome measures could be studied through a structural equation modelling. Keywords: Smart class-room, Active learning, Ergonomics, Man-machine interaction, Information technology, Students perception, Factor analysi