Knowledge Based Computer Systems for Rural India

摘要

The concept of the Digital Divide is nearly two decades old. An independent Commission was set up by Sir Donald Maitland and the result of the study was the Maitland Commission Report which mentioned that Information and Communications Technology is advancing very rapidly and the benefits of this Technology have to reach all sections of the Society.rnIn India there is a growing gap between the Information Have's and the Information Have-Not's. There is a clear statewise Information Divide. On the one hand, there are States such as Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu which have taken a clear lead, States such as Rajasthan, Kerala and Himachal Pradesh are the following States, whereas Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are at the lower end of the Digital Divide in India. Several Information Technologies are available which have the potential to help narrow this Digital Divide. Knowledge Based Computer Systems specifically, Expert Systems, can be used effectively for applications in Rural India. Experiences from other Countries which have used Expert Systems innovatively to solve various problems affecting their Rural population can be used to learn and develop Expert Systems to suit the Rural Indian environment.