Information Society Watch

Gurshaminder Singh Bajwa

This paper tries to bring out the role of Indian state as an actor in responding to the ICT (Information and Communication Technology) policy with special reference to the two task force reports highlighted in for carrying out this study. Response is here understood as the ‘role’ played by the Indian state towards putting policy statements into practice. The underlying intent of the theories is the belief that information would be the prime mover in information or knowledge societies. It is strongly believed that ICT will propel India into the league of developed nations. The literature review particularly on technological determinism and social shaping of technology gives us important perspective to explore the objectives of the study. At the same time they raise some important issues and questions: What are the broad objectives of major policies on ICT for development? To what extent policies formulated at the highest decision-making bodies find their way for implementation? Is there a gap between ‘Theory’ and ‘Practice’? To what extent ICT policies influenced different stakeholders in the society? And what kinds of responses have been generated by different policies? The aim focus of this study is on the responses of different stakeholders especially the state with respect to the ICT policies and discourse. This will reveal developmental concern for the overall built environment especially in education, health, energy and transportation systems sectors, but the structure and orientation of ICT policy initiatives, in a large measure are directed towards market-oriented demands of globalisation (Author).

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