Rural development through Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Telangana: A sociological study of farmers in selected villages

Abstract

ICT (Information Communication & Technology) resources for rural development in the Indian
context are not a new experience. Many projects have been initiated, and even have been
experimented with through their successful execution. Despite having all the objectives to live through
the project life cycle, many pilot projects are either deserted midway or show a poor reaction from the
major stakeholders. Recognizing the causes behind the poor operation of the projects and initiating a
road map to achieve success, especially in agricultural ICT projects in particular is quite essential. ICT
projects initiated for rural development can also have the perspective of “usability and user-centered
design” the real task is to create a “demand-driven ICT initiative for the rural sector”. Mainly the pilot
projects are based on pure innovating frameworks eitherthrough a development agency or through the
government. While innovation is essential for any model to be accepted, it is essential that projects
need to move out of the “incubators” andtranslate their success through a transformation from
“supply-driven” concepts to “demand-driven”
. ICT programs need to be “user-centric” and possess potential benefits to users. The projects face
resistance from users due to cost-effectiveness or resisting change. Having the rightpolicy framework
and providing the right strategy would perhaps lead to better “user-centered design”. This paper tries
to understand the ICT initiatives and their adoption by the farmers. It then tries to provide a suggestive
framework that might lead to acceptance of the ICT.