“ICT AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES”

Abstract

Information and communication technology is the powerful and productive systems that transform all human activities, including rural economy. ICT acts as a catalytic intervention for empowering rural India as it accelerates economic development in rural areas by helping the people in accessing the information in order to bridge the gap. In developing country like India, ICT revolution renders rural population to become an active participant in growth of our country. The purpose of this study is to explore the relevance of ICT on rural development ICTs stand for Information and Communication Technologies. ICTs refer to technologies that provide access to information through telecommunications. It is similar to Information Technology (IT), but focuses primarily on communication technologies. This includes the Internet, wireless networks, cell phones, and other communication mediums to enhance capabilities of people. The rural development is one of the important factors for the growth of Indian economy. Combining ICT in rural development can speed up the development process. Access to relevant information and knowledge is crucial and ICTs can be useful in this process to a great extent. . ICT has been seen as major tool for rural development as it has the potential to effectively address issues like health, Education, Agricultural productivity, Agribusinesses- Governance, risk management, access to knowledge, women empowerment etc. This paper focuses on scope and role of ICTs in rural development