Mysore IT.com to focus on rural potential

A workshop to introduce policy makers, corporates, engineers and entrepreneurs to the economic value-add and business opportunities that can be tapped by bringing information and communication technology (ICT) to the masses has been planned in Mysore this month-end.

The All India Workshop on "Information & Communication Technology for Masses", being organised by the Institution of Engineers (IE), in association with Infosys Technologies, will have four sub-themes "" e-health, e-education, e-governance and e-rural development "" the chief aspects of IT which can benefit the masses on a large scale.

According to IE chairman Prof M N Shivaram, who is the workshop organising committee chairman, the feeling that what is happening in the IT is elitist is wrong. Two state governments in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh fell in the last Assembly elections because they did not project the mass benefits of IT properly. IT can transform the entire country if it is made affordable.

Shivram cited the case of Andhra Pradesh's Kuppam experiment in which a cluster of 50-60 villages were taken up for rural development and health, harnessing the benefits of IT, and how it has become a business. Shivram said education and health are two fundamental issues.

Similarly, the best example in the field of health is the work by Dr Devi Shetty. Spending about 1½ to 2 hours, the cardiologist reaches the nooks and corners of 18-19 districts in Karnataka to give expert medical advise, saving time. Similar advancements in telemedicine are benefiting people in Kerala, and the medically less served Lakshadweep and NE region. So also is the example of the Defence Hospital, connected to Kargil, which is taking super-specialty benefit to forward areas.

In the field of e-education too there are similar examples and one such notable case is that of Kumar Malavalli. Under the Edurite project, the best teacher serves the last student in about 20 centres in rural areas of Karnataka.

"With similar success stories, if we can take the technology to the masses and prove it is not for the elite, we can fulfil the PURA dream of President Dr Abdul Kalam," the chairman said.

Can Mysore IT.com focus exclusively on rural IT, while Bangalore IT.com focuses on modern technology? Can it give exposure to the huge potential in medical tourism and health, education and knowledge, agricultural information and marketing through IT for which there is abundant scope in Mysore region? Harnessing these fields whether it can create a new job potential and economic activity in this region?

The invited speakers will be kindling the 100-150 IT industrialists and entrepreneurs of Mysore participating in this first national workshop on these new challenges, Prof. Shivaram said.