What is the secret to lead in Knowledge Economy?
Four critical pillars of Knowledge Economy:
• Strengthening the economic and institutional regime
• Developing educated and skilled workers
• Creating an efficient innovation system
• Building a dynamic information infrastructure.
Majority of our population lives in the rural area, and the young in hinterland are often lacking access to enter the new age. Some of the challenges they face is lack of resources and awareness.
Recently even village schools have started introducing computers to children and teaching them some basics. Such as being able to start a computer, switch it off, maybe using Word and Excel. This definitely help bridge some amount of skill gap, but still there is a huge gap to cover.
Some of the gaps the young in rural India face is not having access to laptop or computer and internet. Though they do have smart phones, which they often use to communicate using free texting service whatsapp in majority cases.
Children living in villages are often enrolled for learning computers mostly located in nearby town. Where they learn basics such as Word, Excel, Tally, using a Browser and maybe creating their own Email address. Though when these children go home they have no computer or incentive to practice these skills.
On the other hand in the west, introduction of computers and such devices happen way early in life and even at their schools children are actively engaged in using these tools for doing their homework.
Why is the knowledge of how to use computer and internet so important in this age. It is because the pace of change globally is constantly rising due to integration of global economy as well as emergence of all the technology and their respective trajectories.
Innovation in this age is a key ingredient to success as disruptive currents threatening brick and mortar corporations as well as starts up, often keeping them on the edge. In pursuit of next big success, often developers are striving to out innovate their competitors.
The challenge in India are fundamental and so are the opportunities. Considering a large rural youth population in need of resources and training, there is a huge demand requiring supply of services. There are services that are emerging to address them, but the pace remains questionable.
