Application of Ict in Rural Development: Opportunities and Challenges

We see the letters ICT, everywhere. ICT stands for Information and Communication Technology. The concepts, methods and applications involved in ICT are constantly evolving in our daily lives. The Rural development in India is one of the most important factors for growth of the Indian economy. The present strategy of rural development mainly focuses on poverty alleviation, better livelihood, provision of basic amenities and infrastructure facilities. Even after so many years after independence India have not been able to move to the stage of “developed nation”, the nation is still developing. Public administration, governed by bureaucratic structures built on rationale principles, that dominated the twentieth century, has failed to respond to the changing requirements of the present times. Application of ICT is a paradigm shift to the traditional approaches that the government has been using past so many decades. With the use of ICT, government renders services and information to the public using electronic means. With the rising awareness amongst the citizens and their better experiences with the private sector– the demand for better services on the part of government departments became more pronounced. The infusion of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is playing a prominent role in strengthening such a demand. Combining ICT in Rural Development can not only speed up the development process but it can also fill the gaps between the educationally and technologically backward and forward sections of the society.