Debal K Singharoy’s book is about new identities in emerging India. He tells Shrabasti Mallik how we can evolve without contesting the present complexities
What is the basic argument of Towards a Knowledge Society: New Identities in Emerging IndiaIJ
The book talks about the contexts and processes of emergence of knowledge society in India. It deals with socio-cultural ramifications and response of pre-existing social identities of the metros, district towns, villages, castes, gender, class towards such emergence. The core arguments of the book are grounded on the formulation that the foundation of knowledge society is based on mass production, use, dissemination and exploitation of knowledge for the generation of wealth, employment and social well-being of its members. It is based on these complex activities that new social economic and political networks are formed through ICTs (information and communications technology) enabled globalised environment.
How is knowledge society different from information societyIJ
Though knowledge, information and network societies are used interchangeably, I prefer to call it a knowledge society because the foundation of knowledge society is based on use and application of information. As long as ideas and data are kept in books, it remains information. Once it is applied it becomes knowledge. To emphasise on the aspect of mass applicability, I prefer to call it a knowledge society.
Do local knowledge, passive knowledge and literature-based knowledge contribute to knowledge societyIJ
It is quite interesting. Many renowned scholars like Matchup, Drucker, Castells and United Nations have debated on the issue. Although local and passive knowledge have the potential to contribute to a knowledge society but unfortunately it has been exploited by generations for employment and income. There is also a hierarchy of knowledge and it has remained mostly subdued, tacit and unrecognised in wider parlance. Knowledge society has the potential to demolish this hierarchy by bringing these knowledges in the forefront for everyone to use. India has vast body of resources and we have the potential and capacity to use them.
What are the challenges faced by the emerging knowledge societyIJ
The main challenge of knowledge society in India is lack of quality education. There should be avenues for quality mass education. An educated work force will create the market for their own engagement through varieties of innovations and increased interconnectivity with the wider world. The other major constrains are the various ways that societies are divided — digitally, socially, traditionally, in class, caste, gender and ethnicity.
Unfortunately the emergence of knowledge society has not only been eclectic but also unequal. The positive correlation between caste, class, gender spatial and knowledge hierarchy prevails in India. This is as much social as political.
How has the concept of such a society in India evolved over the yearsIJ
Knowledge has always remained part of human progression. However, it has remained mostly a moral and philosophical resource. It has not been used as economic resource explicitly even though it has been used in all domains of activities.
Knowledge as an economic resource was spelt out by Romer and later by Machlup in the US in late 1950s. Machlup pointed out that knowledge workers who were involved in production, transformation and delivery of knowledge are playing key role in economic development and in the GDP. later Peter Drucker in 1960s, Daniel Bell in 1970s, Toffler in 1980s, Castells in 1990s pointed out not only the displacement of historical social categories like agricultural and the industrial workers but also the emergence of knowledge worker by replacing the former. They foresaw the formation of new organisation of production, culture and society based on exploitation of knowledge.
What kind of research did you do to gather the data for your bookIJ
This research is based on sound body of data collected from the secondary and the primary sources. The secondary resources are from the various macro level data on economy, education, ICTs, et al of the Indian government and various international agencies. Besides, vast body of the data is also collected from the primary sources. Towards this endeavour data was collected from four metropolitan cities and four district towns and seven villages across India. A sample of 2,780 workers, life histories of many of the people from selected places and case studies of data processing centers, educational institution and IT kiosks were also considered.
How will a knowledge society help future generationsIJ
India has a huge young population with 65 per cent below 35 years of age and 91 per cent of 19 years of age. The land-man ratio has drastically declined in the country. Neither present agriculture nor stagnating industry can immediately provide full employment and livelihood to the work force.
In the globalised networked world young mind needs and desires to be integrated with the wider world through their own capability, that is their brain power — the knowledge. Here the alternative is to cultivate these young minds to be potential national resource that can be used both for economic and social well-being of the nation. Now that all the developed nations are leading towards knowledge-based economy, India can’t remain isolated from that. In the globalised world knowledge society is the ultimate choice for the future generation. Here to yield the demographic dividend India is to take up the challenge to cultivate these minds for mass production and dissemination of knowledge. It is through knowledge revolution that agricultural and industrial revolutions are to be fashioned for a sustainable economic growth and social development in new India.