Satellite Technology to Reach the Unreached (India - A Case Study)

The paper adopts a methodology of `technology survey, research studies & field experiences' to analyze the contributions of ICT towards overall human progress and national development. The paper heeds to first understand the multi-fold humanitarian issues, which are compounded by the digital divide between developed and developing nations. The techniques of measuring these digital divides and technological progress of nations are briefed, followed by an analysis of their impact on the national development. The major findings indicate that the technology advancements are not uniform across the globe; instead the growth is country & region specific. For the spacefaring developing nations having huge geographical coverage like India & China, the satellite technology with its specific advantages is still preferable as the most suitable technology to the reach the unreached. As a successful case study, the paper outlines the decades of efforts put by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) towards effective utilisation of satellite technology for humanitarian applications like Tele-Education, Tele-Medicine, Village Resource Centres, etc. In recognition to its efforts, ISRO is also conferred with `Manthan Award' for directly contributing to societal development. At the end, a roadmap to future sustainable models is also indicated.