Essay on “Information Technology: Boon or Bane” Complete Essay for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.

Information Technology: Boon or Bane

Essay No. 01

Modern civilization has become so complicated and sophisticated that one has to be competitive enough to survive. This compels us to keep ourselves informed of all types of happenings in the society. And Information Technology (IT) is an important field, awareness of which is a must. otherwise we would lag far behind the developed nations of the world.

Nowadays, if we have to reserve a seat in a railway compartment, we need not go to the railway booking counter we can do this just through the Internet by e-reservation system. Similarly, if we have to send a message to anyone, instead of sending a conventional letter, we can send an e-mail. Telephones and mobile phones are so commonly being used Mat it has become difficult now to imagine life without them. All this is enough for us to realize that IT has entered into our day-to-day life.

Today, India is well known globally, for its deep-rooted knowledge in the field of Information Technology. It has a highly skilled work force in the IT industry which is in high demand all over the world. In 1992, when the government tried to introduce IT in India, huge public protests were carried out because people thought that it would increase unemployment which was already at a very high rate at that time. However, it proved to be much more advantageous. Its benefits and disadvantages can be best summarised under the following heads:

Advantages of Information Technology

Computer is the backbone of Information Technology.

Whether it is the banking sector, post office, space research, biotechnology, meteorology department or business process outsourcing, computer has become an essential part of every field for storing huge amount of data (records) in its hard disk.

The vast data were previously kept in files; and handling of such files was another difficult task because with the passage of time, there was a risk of records being spoiled. Computers have helped us to secure our data and retrieve them quickly and easily rather than search dust-raked files.

Internet commonly known as World Wide Web is another important application of Information Technology. Internet has some very useful applications in our day-to-day life. Whether we have to undergo a minor surgery take admission in a foreign institution, collect geographical information of any region, check the result of any examination, transfer money from one bank account to another, send an e-mail, want to have chat with anybody in any corner of the world or want to search for the life partner of our choice, the Internet is the fastest and cheapest way to do so. There are many search engines in the Internet like ‘Yahoo search’ and ‘Google search’ which help us search information which we need.

Mobile phones came to India in around 1992. At that time the rate for an incoming call was 2 16 per minute whereas for an outgoing call, it was 2 32 per minute. However, with cut-throat competition in mobile communication market among different companies, tariff rates fell down speedily. Now cell phone industry in India is among the fastest growing industries with thousands of customers adding to it everyday. We can see a mobile phone in the hands of people ranging from a CEO to a lower division clerk and from a big businessman to a labourer or hawker.

IT has revolutionized the banking system in India. Previously if one had to have a small transaction with the bank, one had to spend a whole day in the bank. However, with the computerization of the banks and with the help of ATMs, all transactions can be made speedily and easily. Now-a-days we can find ATMs in every nook and corner of small town. Now ATM cards are being used for shopping as well as cash withdrawal or deposit.

Internet banking or online banking is an easy way of making transactions if you have Internet connection at your home or through any other cyber cafe.

Payment of premium of life insurance policies, electricity bills, telephone bills, income tax returns, railways or airbus e-tickets, etc. can also be made through the Internet. If we have any query, we can e-mail directly to the branch manager.

BPO or Business Process Outsourcing is another field in which IT has flourished greatly. Because of India’s cheap, fast and best services, foreign MNCs are getting attracted towards India.

The business process outsourcing sector has generated large number of employment opportunities in India. Consequently, India is becoming the biggest service provider in this sector. Developed countries like the US are bound to depend on India because of India’s cheap and fast services.

Disadvantages of Information Technology

Anything which has advantages has disadvantages also and this holds true in case of Information Technology as well. In fact, disadvantages are not inherent in IT but they are caused by its users.

Hacking is a matter of serious concern in the IT industry. It is not possible to steal data for ordinary thieves but for hackers. These hackers are intelligent thieves who can break into the records of any company and steal them through the Internet by sitting anywhere in the world. Some of them are so intelligent that they can activate the missiles of a country just sitting in their own country through the Internet.

Security, now-a-days, is a matter of topmost concern for every department, especially for defence forces. So now, security of secret data is on high risk, particularly for armed forces since terrorists are trying to hack their secret files. Terrorists are using the Internet for sending and receiving maps and coded information from their bosses sitting abroad. In Jammu & Kashmir. terrorists are using satellite phones for communicating with their accomplices. Satellite phones are much more sophisticated as compared to radio sets used by armed forces involved in counter-insurgency operations.

Definitely, GPO has created jobs but only for the educated and the technically qualified Indian elite which has effective communication skills. Rest of them is not getting jobs in the IT industry and still unemployment is a problem for them. Also the availability of more than required number of technically qualified youth results in the devaluation of their degrees. Many such students are bound to switch over to other jobs or to go abroad in search of jobs.

Pornography is another drawback which has become a menace. With the advent of cyber cafes where one can surf the Internet at cheaper rates, Internet is easily accessible to everybody. A lot of pornographic sites are available on the Internet which attracts the people, especially teenagers.towards pornography. According to a survey 67 per cent of the people who surf the net, surf the pornographic sites. Excessive surfing of such sites develops addiction which is not good for the mental health of youth.

Cyber crime is another disadvantage of Information Technology. The MMS racket of Delhi and many other similar cases have rocked different parts of the country which show how serious this problem is. Webcams are being used by minis for making porn movies of ‘newly wed’ couples or by room-lenders for the same.

Viruses are other danger for computers which corrupt the file system in a computer. They are supposed to be sent by companies selling anti-virus software for increasing their software’s demand. On February 3, 2006 almost 10.00,000 computers all over the world and 80.000 computers in India were corrupted by a virus. This virus is known by almost 30 names; among them ‘Kamasutra’ is one of the names best known in India.

Software piracy another aspect of IT refers to the illegal installation, distribution, sale and use of infringing software.

Though the industry has recorded a decrease in software piracy in the last 10 years, the rate is still alarming in India. According to the latest IOC (International Data Corporation) the money lost in 2001 from pirated software is estimated to be close to US $ 245 million, which is almost half of the legal packaged software market. Even making pirated ATM cards is not a big challenge for them.

In a moment, you might find that your paradise could degenerate into hideous nightmare as well. But that is bound to happen when technology reaches evil minds or when technology is misused to stoke the cindars of greed and avarice. very recently, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) came across a unique case of cyber crime where a hacker stole the password of a Ghaziabad-based online trader and indulged in clandestine trading of shares, causing a loss of 5 lakh to the trader. Such mischief has also been reported from Mumbai. Maharashtra; and Ujjain. Madhya Pradesh, where the losses ran into crores.

A computer professional in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala was arrested a few years ago on the charges of posting derogatory and obscene material on the Internet about women employees of a multinational software company. And mobile porn shatters the privacy of victims.

A six-minute video sex clip of a lookalike of Bollywood’s Mallike Sherawat with a foreigner was scorching up mobile phone screens in Mumbai in July 2005.

Lawyers say that the existing law—the Information Technology Act 2000—is totally inadequate to deal with such electronic crimes. A systems analyst of State Crime Records Bureau says that five mobile phones are sold in the country every minute. In one month alone, nearly 20 lakh mobile phones are sold. The Internet porn is a pastime in the corridors of premier academic institutions.

Cyber crimes include circulating obscene pictures through the Internet or mobile; sale of narcotic substances—marked ‘honey’—and other consumables; forgery; money laundering, stalking; spamming, disabling a system by sending unsolicited e-mails in bulk and steganography—a technology that uses pictures with encrypted messages concealed behind them. During the World Trade Centre terrorist attacks in the US on September 11, 2001, the terrorists shared information with their accomplices using steganography.

You cannot blame technology if you stoop to abuse it. *hen the devil in man overpowers him, man stoops to degrade himself in the most shameful way. Let us not use technology to promote depravity, moral turpitude and self-destruction. If used properly, technology can make a vast difference in tie quality of our lives. A mobile phone can now function as a music system, a computer, a television and even as a credit card. But a minority can misuse it for nefarious purposes.

Recently Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (VSNL) forged a strategic alliance with Microsoft India to launch a web conferencing service that will allow users to hold real time and visual reach online meetings. This will address the needs of small and medium-sized business enterprises. It will try to achieve the twin objectives of enhancing team communication and reducing travel time.

The area of operation worst affected in the electronic age has been the India post. Technology has made the 150-year old institution redundant, but both the Government and the Department of Posts have turned the unforeseen adversity into a challenge. Already, major post offices have started retailing various financial instruments; they handle mutual funds and central schemes such as Public Provident Fund, in addition to what is marketed by the Department of Posts. These have helped augment the revenues of the Department in a competitive environment and made up for their loss of business. The authorities are now contemplating as to how to make the most of the network of 1.55 lakh post offices built over decades and utilize the services of the 5.65 lakh-strong work forces, including the three lakh-plus extra-departmental employees. Incidentally, the Election Commission of India has decided to use the post offices for the revision of the electoral rolls. This can be effectively done since the post offices can reach even the remotest rural areas.

It is well known that the India post runs the largest banking operation in the country and these needs to be modernized networked and tapped efficiently. In many countries, Consumers pay their electricity bills and even get their driving licensees renewed through the post offices which, in India, are already receiving telephone bills. In fact, they can go a step further and work in tandem with the private sector which cannot obviously invest in such a vast network. The possibility of offering sorting services to foreign countries or companies—a suggestion mooted by no less a person than Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh—could work out to a successful outsourcing business.

With Information Technology, likely to enter local self-governance in a big way, the day is not far when almost all villages in the country would find the vast network of Panchayats people-friendly. The Panchayati Raj Ministry has already started working in this direction by making huge investment for the installation of computers in the Panchayats, and to interlink them with one another and also with a national Panchayat portal. The step would bridge bosh the rural-urban divide and the digital divide to a great extent besides providing employment to at least two persons from each Gram Panchayat who would be trained to operate the computers. The Ministry is making efforts to club its computerization programme with the Bharat Nirman Programme that aims at providing infrastructure in the rural areas.

The Hon’able former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam has launched e-revolution right from the Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi itself. During his president ship, he launched the e-governance portal at the Rashtrapati Bhawan, which will make the office as paper-free as it can be. He also inaugurated an e-learning centre at the Dr Rajendra Prasad Savodaya Vidyalaya at the edge of the Presidential Estate.

The e-learning centre uses software that turns tough concepts of Mathematics and Science into 3-D animation. The school is the first in the National Capital to have software designed by Eureka. The school has been linked to the Rashtrapati Bhawan and the President is able to send in ideas. The e-governance portal connects different departments of the Rashtrapati Bhawan so that a petition or letter sent to the President does not have to physically travel through the various levels of officers.

Scanned at one end, it will be electronically available at the click of a button, at the other end. It is hoped that the system will ensure faster replies. There is also a search engine which allows the user to locate files. It also ensures instant connectivity with the Raj Bhawans.

Technology has revolutionised the health sector in an unprecedented way. Hospitals. today, have a wide range of modem tools in the diagnostic field—CT scan, MRI, CT coronary, MR coronary, ultrasound scanning. echocardiography, colour doppler, angiogram and so on.

While these appliances could go a long way in arriving at a proper diagnosis it has at the same time created a great unbridgeable chasm between the rich and the poor in their access to modern Medicare. How many people can afford to go in for these tests? With health care becoming a booming business, hospitals are forcing patients to go in for a series of tests which may not be necessary. Caesarean and forceps deliveries are big business though most people feel that caesarean deliveries are unnecessary. The naked truth is that there is more money in caesarean than in ordinary deliveries. Once a woman has a caesarean, her next delivery too will be caesarean

Conclusion

Indeed, technology has changed our life pattern, bestowing boons and occasionally marring our life so you cannot blame technology if it harms you. It is left to human being to use technology the way he likes. Whenever technological developments take place, their misuse is bound to happen simultaneously. What is important is to take right steps at the right time to control its misuse and. thank God, satisfactory steps are being taken by the Government. India has become the first country in the world to take legal action against IT misuse by passing the IT Act, 2000 which penalizes the cyber criminals and hackers.

Network security is another field which is on high demand in the market because MNCs, Government, semi-government bodies and PSUS are becoming very conscious for their network and data security. Cyber cells in police departments have also been formed to tackle the cyber criminals.

To promote and boost software industry in India, the Government has formulated Software Technology Parks. The Indian Prime Minister or Manmohan Singh has given a car to make India an Information Technology superpower and one of the largest generators and exporters of software in the world within ten years. As an initiating step, a high powered National Task Force on IT and Software Development has been set up by the Prime Minister’s Office.

Essay No. 01

Information Technology: The Watchword of The Modern World

“Recent advancement in Information Technology have transformed every facet of human life and revolutionized the world as never before witnessed in known human history.”

Information Technology is a developing technology that aims at obtaining the maximum information with minimum of resources, labour or time. According to the dictionary, Information Technology is “the study or use of electronic device specially computers, for storing, analyzing and distribution of information of all kinds, including works, numbers and pictures.” The new millennium is about to see a complete revolution in the history of mankind-the information technology revolution. Although information technology has already entered the homes, offices and hearts of our global citizens, yet some new feats are likely to be performed by our information technology experts within a period of a few years. We know that information technology is the fastest growing field in the world. India has a major stake in this field and our software experts, hardware firms and information technology specialists have been contributing a great deal towards his ever-growing field. For example, the annual revenues of Indian Software Industry would touch the US $6 billion mark by the year 2000. During 1995-96, the Indian software exports were 16.2 percent in the global customized software market which is a great achievement keeping in mind that there was an overall recession in most of the major economies of the world. Therefore, our interest in information technology is natural as Indians have already made their presence felt in this vital field.

The first major area of Information Technology (IT) in the next few years to come would be Electronic-mail (briefly termed as E-mail). This is a high speed communication mode through internet. An E-mail costs less than 1 Rupee per page and can be sent to or received from any corner of the world. This unique facility is already operational in the west. In India, it is catching up fast. It is cheap, economical and efficient. All we need is a computer (a Pentium computer with 32 MB RAM and 266 MHz CPU speed would be good enough), an E-mail connection, a telephone with STD facilities and a modem card, E-mail would be the medium of communication for the future. It would eliminate the need of postage, couriers and telephonic conversation data, text, picture, tables and all types of special information can be transferred via the E-mail.

Second most vital area of development would be Electronic Commerce (also called E-com). E-com has already been initiated in Europe and the U.S.A. the concept is simple, we would” send an E-mail to the nearest grocery shop for our daily grocery needs. The information would be sent to the grocery shop through internet and the grocery would be delivered at our door step. The concept of E-com goes even beyond this. Corporate firms would float their tenders and projects through internet. The vendors, management consultants, engineering consultants and other business associates would discuss the project on-line through internet. The costing, calculations, engineering details and prices would be shared on-line. The orders would be placed on-line and the executions would also be through internet. The information transfer would involve engineering information and all types of text, graphics, tables and figures. The concept of E-com is picking up in the Indian Industry as well.

Another significant development envisaged in the field of Information Technology is the advent of internet shops in all the parts of urban India. Internet surfers would be delighted to send E-mail, receive E-mail, surf through various sites of internet and collect information required by them. Internet is also full of fun. All the magazines, newspaper, city guides, fashions news, movie and the other entertainment shows are available on-line on Internet. So, we should not be surprised if the STD booth is our area would have internet connectively. Earlier people were crazy about video games. In the years to come, people would surf through internet for education, information, business and leisure.

Further, the new millennium would find people communicating with great ease. The mobile communication modes would become very cheap. The price of the mobile phones has already come down. Further, a new technology has been developed which would enable our telephone to be used as a mobile phones. A base set would be connected to the telephone line at our home or in our office. We would carry an instrument like the mobile phone with us. We can communicate with our office or home in which the base set has been installed and there would be no charges payable. The base set would also be able to communicate with the mobile set. Further, if we want to make a call (while we are on the move), we would be able to do so through our telephone (or base set). But the range of this mobile phone would be limited to 25-30 kms.

Further, another extension to the technology of mobile communication described earlier would be quite thrilling. This is a combination of radio mobile tracking system and mobile phone. We would have a base set installed at our office or our residence where we have been allotted the telephone connection. We can have any number of mobile sets which would always be linked to the base set. The mobile sets would be able to communicate with the base set at nil cost. Further, the base set would also be able to use a single phone connection (connected to their base set) for making mobile phone calls. The entire system would be efficient but would remain limited to a distance of 15-25 kips only. Their range is likely to be increased as the researches in the field yield more concrete results.

Satellite phone would be another feather in a cap of IT professional in the new millennium. We would have satellite phones for talking to any person across the globe or for sending fax or E-mail to him. Satellite phones are not popular in India. But going by the current trends in IT, we could soon witness major growth in India. Cost is the basic inhabiting factor: when the costs would come down, the satellite phones would be sold like hot cakes. Information technology would usher the modern man in the era of paperless office. All the offices and homes would be connected through LAN/ WAN networks and Internets. The internet connectivity would also be common by the beginning of new century. Information would be cancelled, analyzed, tabulated, presented and transferred electronically and through cordless modes. The real emphasis would then be on performance and not on paper work.

Other vital growth areas of IT would include multimedia, animation, internet, website development, computer aided engineering, computer aided design, and computer integrated manufacturing, artificial intelligence, factory automation and new facilities in telecommunications. The trends are healthy and are likely to spread through the Indian subcontinent. However, resource shortage, industrial recession, policies of the government and above all, global IT trends could adversely affect the growth of the IT products and services in India. Let us hope that the healthy trends spill over into the new millennium.