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NT Bureau
Chennai, Aug 24:
 

Director of IIT-Madras M S Ananth speaking at the inaugural function of 'HOIT 2007' yesterday.

        Information and Communication Technology or ICT, which plays a major role in urban lifestyle is set to have a big impact in rural areas, according to experts.

        The head of TeNet group India, Ashok Jhunjhunwala told a conference in Chennai yesterday that efforts must be taken on a massive scale by the Indian Government and the civil society, to enable the rural populace to take advantage of the various utilities of the ICT wave sweeping India and other developing countries.

        The three-day conference titled 'HOIT 2007' organised jointly by IIT-Madras and CRITO, University of California, Irvine, to discuss the effect of ICT in various sectors of community life in India opened on Thursday.

        'The broadband facility should percolate into the deepest rural hinterlands to help the rural students through technological innovations such as online tutorials, ' Jhunjhunwala said.

        He further said that rural unemployed youth should be given training in different fields of economic activity with the aid of ICT.

        Jhunjhunwala added that before developing rural technologies, it is important to get the feedback of the villagers to ascertain their views on the concerned technology.

        The director of IIT-Madras, MS Ananth shared the view on benefiting rural youth through the aid of ICT.

        The conference covers a wide range of topics such as empowerment and digital divide, ICT- emerging communities and societal issues, ICT in the home and family uses.