Internet most 'inclusive, transformative' force ever: Sibal - The Hindu

The Hindu Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt gestures as he addresses the Big Tent Activate Summit in New Delhi on Thursday. Photo: Kamal Narang Terming the internet the most 'inclusive, transformative force' ever discovered in the civilized world, which has done away with 'borders and sovereignty', Minister of Communication and Information Technology, Kapil Sibal, reiterated India's commitment to unfettered growth of the medium. He was speaking at the Big Tent Activate Summit hosted by Google, to discuss the impact of internet on economy, politics, culture and society in India, in the capital on Thursday. In the backdrop of concerns that the government had increasingly sought to regulate online content, the Minister said, "We are wedded to the freedom of expression…Internet governance is an oxymoron. You cannot govern the net. This is an evolving platform, and we do not know how it will look in 2023. There are rules of the game, but these rules cannot be imposed from the top. It needs to emerge from the net itself." Mr. Sibal added that the internet was necessary for India, and India, with its population, was necessary for the internet. "It is the most powerful medium to bring equity between states, between states and citizens, and between communities." The Minister laid out three pre-requisites for the growth of the medium in the country. "The first is state policy, to create an enabling framework to enthuse people to move to the net, to allow them to talk to each other without restrictions." The second, he said, was enhancing connectivity through networks, in the form of fibre options and wireless for data to reach people. 'The third is accessibility to these networks through devices. Making 3G devices accessible and affordable will give voice to the voiceless." Sam Pitroda, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's advisor on public information infrastructure and innovations, spoke of the 'democratisation of information'. "The way we work, do business, entertain, govern, bank are all changing." he said. He highlighted the importance of the National Knowledge Network; the plans to connect 250,000 Gram Panchayats; the focus on creating new platforms including the Unique Identification Authority as some of initiatives, which would 'redesign government'. But Mr. Pitroda admitted there were problems. "There is resistance within government in opening up data sets, and we are not very good at collaboration across agencies." On an optimistic note, he concluded, "In three years, India will have the most robust, most advanced, public information infrastructure known to anyone in the world." RELATED NEWS Change Internet laws: Schmidt A Google search homes in on out-of-the-box thinking here More In: National | News | Sci-Tech | Internet | Technology via Technology - Google News http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNFDv9JIu0E7vZuK8WQi_0dj3_yTxg&url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/internet-most-inclusive-transformative-force-ever-sibal/article4534057.ece

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