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Bridging the Digital Divide

Preface
Introduction: The Four Digital Divides KENNETH KENISTON
Towards a Knowledge System for Sustainable Food Security: The Information Village Experiment in Pondicherry V BALAJI, K G RAJAMOHAN, R RAJASEKARA PANDY and S SENTHILKUMARAN
Liberalization of Indian Telecom: Regulation in the Era of Convergence (for Information Infrastructure and Services) T H CHOWDARY
Information Technology to Support Diversity in a Global Economy PAT HALL
An Update on Current Telecom and Regulation Scenario in India ASHOK JHUNJHUNWALA and BHASKAR RAMAMURTHI
An Agenda: Electronic Governance for the Poor P D KAUSHIK
Digital Development DEEPAK KUMAR
Science, Technology and the Politics of Computers in Indian Languages HARSH KUMAR
Collaborative Creation of Digital Resources in Indian Languages RAJEEV SANGAL, AKSHAR BHARATI and VINEET CHAITANYA
The Bangalore Boom: From Brain Drain to Brain Circulation? ANNALEE SAXENIAN
Index

Recent decades have seen an unprecedented growth in information and communication technologies (ICTs), ushering in what is commonly referred to as the `Information Age`. This book explores whether modern ICTs can deliver on their promises of democracy and prosperity for the people of developing nations who comprise 80 per cent of the world_s population. In order to do this, this volume uses lessons from the Indian experience_a country where information technology (IT) has made giant leaps, but which suffers from what has been described as multiple `digital divides`.

The contributors explore four such closely interrelated divides. The first is internal_between the digitally empowered rich and the poor. The second is a linguistic-cultural gap between English and other languages and between `Anglo-Saxon culture` and other world cultures. The next gap is underscored by disparities in access to information technology and between rich and poor nations. Finally, there is the phenomenon of the `digerati`. This is an affluent elite possessing the appropriate skills and means to take advantage of the ICTs.