Globalisation, ICT and Developing Nations

Authors: Sumit Roy
Publisher: Sage Publications
Pages: 247
Price: Rs. 340

Of late, India has become the poster-boy around the theme “ICT for Development” and offshore outsourcing & e-governance as the flavours of the season. Hence, it is not surprising to see a plethora of publications playing up the remix versions of the thematic song.

Sumit Roy is an economist with high qualifications, affiliations and experience with a keen interest in researching the role of globalisation and development – especially in the developing nations. He dares to go beyond the usual veneer of the e-seva kiosks and takes a hard look at the underlying complex and interdependent dimensions of labour, employment, human capital and the way developing nations interact with the multilateral agencies.

When computerisation in Indian banks began in the 80s, most of the unions were up against the move since they dreaded that some day, all (well, almost) the staff would be replaced by super-efficient and moronic-looking faceless computer screens. They added that we do need development – mostly, it used to imply ‘economic’ – but without sacrificing the social commitments. Circa, 2004 – modify the language to comply with the CMP and one can say “Development with Human Face”. In this perspective, this handy book traces the underlying the role of ICT and globalisation in the context of the developing nations. True, ICT offer a unique opportunity for developing nations to leapfrog yet this pathway is neither insulated from the overall policy regimen nor exists without its own set of challenges – most of them in unfamiliar territory, where few dare to tread ahead.

India is used as a crucible for the test-case in this data-rich book that traces the origin of the Bretton Woods Institutions, evolution of various developmental and aid agencies that offered aid, grant and loans for specific purposes but always linked to their own specific agenda that willy-nilly gave rise to the evolution of the multinational corporations.

Focus is more on the process of globalisation and the interplay amongst various players involved therein and the ICT dimension looks like a mere add-on rather than intrinsic as one would expect it to be. Yet, the role of regional and spatial clusters as well as that of gender-equaliser role of ICT in the labour market is analysed in great detail.

The commentary on the political economy is succinct, concise and yet breathtaking in its ambit and the East Asian miracle, crisis and recovery well documented. Yet, the book is likely to be confined to be a footnote as the author seems to be over-reliant on secondary research and data, without incisive and scorching familiarity with the ground realities.

The first two chapters may be skipped if one wishes to focus on the ICT – India – Development theme only. Editing is trite and the numbering of sections would have been reader-friendly. Overall, though the author never promises any quick-fix solutions, one tends to be caught in too much of analysis and it seems like a sincere attempt that takes one almost there, well – almost!

Reviewed by: Deepak Maheshwari
Secretary, ISP Association of India


Tsunami: The Indian Context

Authors: S.M. Ramasamy, C. J. Kumanan
Publisher: S. M. Sachdev Pages: 232
ISBN: 81-7764-823-3 Price: Rs. 500

‘Tsunami- The Indian Context’- the book can be better termed as a special effort towards bringing comprehensive strategies for Tsunami mitigation for India. The two-day brainstorming session at the Centre for Remote Sensing, Bharathidasan University, Tamil Nadu on 25 and 26 February, 2005 and the multiple brain actions of scholars, scientists and technocrats there in, resulted into this compendium that focuses on all aspects of Tsunami, right from the triggering mechanism up to the societal issues of the affected coastal community.

Prof. SM Ramaswamy, and Dr. C. J. Kumanan are the editors of the book who have taken up over 30 frontline scientific articles by leading scholars on all aspects of Tsunami to bring out this volume. It has five sections addressing Tsunami in Indian context – The Overview, Triggering Mechanisms and Propagation, Run Up and Inundation, Vulnerability and Impacts, and the Mitigation strategies.

Besides being a tribute to the immortal souls of the Tsunami victims of December 26, 2004, the book also presents the vast experiences of the editors and contributors on earth system dynamics to serve bringing solutions to natural disasters like Tsunami. The book probably is the first of its genre on Tsunami and thus, is expected to go far beyond in carving out strategies for Tsunami mitigation.