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Practice :: Public Policy
Is technology apolitical?
India has leapfrogged over decades of development with the widespread application of technology. In many cases, this has brought benefits to large sections of the society. The spread of mobile telephony powered by the private sector, the work of public sector firms such as CDOT in bringing STD/ISD connectivity to the remotest corners of India are examples of initiatives benefitting the Indian population, at large.
However, are benefits from such technology roll-outs always equitable across the society? Such a question becomes relevant when the Government sets out to invest and roll-out e-governance programs across India, where community structures and political power are determined on the basis of caste. What is the role of existing caste structure in the design of such programs? Do such programs have an effect on existing caste structures? Professor Rahul De of IIMB set out to answer these questions by studying three e-governance projects across different states.
Practice :: Public Policy
Demystifying issues behind climate and other ecological challenges
Climate perhaps, is one of the largest public good as we know it, cutting across countries, continents and some may argue, planets. It is , therefore, not surprising that world leaders have been unable to align on the steps needed to preserve the climate. The Copenhagen Summit on climate held in December 2009 had little progress to show, despite a draft agreement being cobbled together by countries at the forefront of the debate.
Is it only lack of political will that is stalling progress on this important debate? Are there practical issues involved which prevent us from moving forward? Are there limitations in our understanding of this complex issue?
Professor Deepak Malghan of Indian Institute of Management Bangalore suggests that a formal framework is needed to understand the complex relationship between scale, allocation and distribution, concepts that are central to the subject of ecological economics.