Make way for the signal!

Nabard proves that bureaucratic offices and technology have a long way to go before they can be compatible

The Reserve Bank of India Governor was about to address a conference organised by National Bank of Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) in Mumbai, which also involved patching through a video-link between him and some of Nabard’s rural centres. The auditorium is located in the basement of Nabard’s office so, naturally, there were problems connecting to the centres. Instead of fixing the problem or arranging for an alternative, the staff forced people standing at the entrance to the auditorium to leave. The logic? It was these people who were apparently “blocking” the signal! Naturally, this “theory” didn’t hold but it doesn’t say much for Nabard’s adoption of high-end technology, which the conference was supposed to showcase.