Role of smartphone in rural development: A case study of Kashmir

Smart phones are changing the lives of millions of users worldwide because of their innovative, often free apps pertaining to different fields of life. As they are cheap and have almost all the functionalities of a desktop Pc, they can be used for the development of rural India. The success of the projects like e-Governance and digital India are possible with the help of theses smart phones as it can be afforded by the common citizen of India. Smart phones are making inroads in people's lives for one major reason - the astonishing growth in cheap, often free, software applications, or apps as they have come to be known. A Smartphone is almost like having a small computer right in the palm of your hand. It provides access to information and opportunities for collaboration. Activities that work well on smart phones are often audiovisual, things that incorporate pictures and video. As more applications become available, the more useful smart phones will become. A Smartphone can be a productivity tool in almost every field of life potentially to Kashmir valley where underdevelopment and unfavorable conditions are unavoidable. This paper identifies how mobile technology is poised to revolutionize business opportunities, deploy efficient healthcare, imparting employment oriented education, efficient deployment of resources and manpower even in the unfavorable conditions in Kashmir Valley. Technologies like Android, Aakash Tablets which drastically changed the mechanism of teaching, manner in which students are using them and are used in cost-effective and efficient manner in Kashmir Valley, are also discussed in this paper.