Information and Communication Technology : As industry and as constituent in other spheres of development in Kerala

Abstract(s)

Information and Communicatin Technology is transforming the nature of our society in an unprecedented speed. New insights on work, production and commerce, management, wealth etc have made knowledge, information and connectivity a very important constituent of all these. Future society is predicted to be a networked one with totally different way of life. People will pursue occupations that they never have dreamed off in ways not familiar now. There will be no need for the people to go to offices for work. School will have an entirely different environment. Physical existence of higher education and research institutions will vanish at least for some subjects. In ICT based society some of the existing problems of environment will not be there. But new problems like electronic waste will come. The concept of borderless nations may become a reality and will change the nature of business. Local products developed with indigenous knowledge may find international market. The paper reviews the situation of Kerala in these contexts and the role and new areas of involvement for the information science professionals in the changing scenario. Kerala has already passed an IT Act and put in millions of rupees for Information Infrastructure Development during last five years.