The Value of Computer Education Today

The proverb "necessity is the mother of invention" holds true for computers also, because computers were invented as a result of man's search for a fast and accurate calculating device.

The earliest device that qualifies as a digital computer is the abacus, also called soroban. This device allows the users to represent numbers by the position of beads on the rack. Although abacus was invented around 600 BC, it is interesting to note that it is still used in the Far East and its users can calculate at an amazing speed. The first mechanical adding machine was invented by Blaise Pascal in 1642. Keyboard machine and concept of punched cards came up around 1880. Business machines and calculators made their appearance in Europe and America towards the end of 19th century. Charles Babbage, a 19th century professor at Cambridge University, is considered to be the father of modern digital computers. In 1842, he came out with the idea of Analytical Engine which was automatic and capable of performing the basic arithmetic functions of any mathematical problem at an average speed of 60 additions per minute.

There was a rapid change in the field of computers in the 90's. Slowly the advent of a new era came up with software industries. It is not just the phenomenal rate of growth or even the large foreign exchange earning potential, the uniqueness lies in the utter reliance of man on it. Software is the ideas and solution coded in computer in understandable form by suitable qualified personnel. The never-ending thirst for perfection led to the development of the modern IT industry. This led the computer industry through an e-way into the dot com world.

Now there has come a new trend in all the government departments around the world. It has transformed not only the way public services are delivered but also the relation between government and citizens. The next revolution of e¬-government has begun. In the Arizona state of USA, the citizens are allowed to renew their car registration, pay traffic fines, replace lost identity cards online thus escaping the huge endless queues in a municipal office. In Chile, people routinely submit their income tax returns over the Internet which has increased transparency, reduced drastically the time taken .and• the number of errors and litigation with the tax department. Suppliers find tenders and' purchase orders on site and they can post their catalogues, bid for contracts, submit invoices and check their payment status over Internet. In India, many villages have now internet booths where farmers can check the market rates of agricultural commodities along with data on agricultural schemes and technologies, when to spray and plant their crops; bus and railway time tables. They also find vocational guidance on jobs, applications for ration cards, kerosene, gas burners . and land records extracts with details of land ownership.

Computer education is not confined to all these but it has given a new boom to numerous engineering colleges and polytechnics. Besides offering 4 years B.E./ B.Tech./ B.Sc.(Engg.] courses, many colleges and universities have started offering application-oriented courses, modular courses, part-time courses, fast track courses. Universities are also taking to corporate training thereby educating people from different streams. The Tamil Nadu government has laid a 3000 km of fibre optic cable to create a Tamil network which will offer all types of forms, land resources and personal records. In Kerala, all the villages have got linked online to the district headquarters allowing citizens to compare the development practices of their villages with other villages. In Andhra Pradesh, too, every district headquarter is linked to Hyderabad via internet to enable the Chief Minister to contact district officials via Internet.

In these days of "Global Economy", technology is considered as one of the important engines of economic growth. Trade barriers among nations are falling. The dot com 'world has reduced our needs to dot; now everything is at our finger- tips. But still there Seems to be some lacunae in cyber communication. So, digital money has come up wherein one can make payments online with ~mart cards. Internet industries, enterprises and e-business operators can’t get by with a promising product alone which business makes. There are key factors, comprising the twin pillars of today's Internet economy.

The utilisation of computers has started in headquarters of all the nationalised banks throughout the country and now it is being possible to control and supervise the working of more than 45,000 branches through computer. The Life Insurance Corporation of India has gone in for computerization of its works in a big way. Its service to the policy holder has become more reliable and faster than before.

The employment of computer in transport system has been found to be very useful. The international airlines have already got it. In the railways, computer has very much facilitated the job of reservation of seats and berths in advance of the scheduled journey. Computer has been found useful in controlling rail and road transport. The importance of computer for police and justice can hardly be overemphasized. It has been found possible to detect crimes with the help of computers. Hence the computers fitted in the State Police headquarters are linked with national computer centre situated in New Delhi. The computer plays a notable role in medical field also; it is being used in India in ECG and blood analysis and surgeries.

The computerisation of military, posts and telegraph, commerce and industry and education. has revolutionised the working of these departments. Computer has been found to be of immense use in the statistical department for the purpose of data analysis and prediction of results. The expediency of computer technology in communication can also hardly be overstated.
It is true that computer does not grow food, does not move the wheels of industry to turn out more and more finished goods. It does not open schools and- colleges to educate more and more _ people. It does not reduce illiteracy, but it does add to efficiency, speed and accuracy which help not only in producing more and more goods and services but also in improving their standard and quality. It generates in the personnel engaged in work the required qualities of smartness, dash and promptness. An organization making use of computers on an optimum scale earns more respect, credibility and reliability from its clientele. As India's industrialisation goes apace, computerisation on a larger and larger scale will be a natural corollary.

The Information Technology Act, 2000 was instituted to provide legal framework to facilitate electronic commerce and transaction. This act also aims at recognizing electronic contracts, prevention of computer crimes, electronic filing/documentation, and digital signature. To integrate technology into learning environment, the Department of Information Technology has formulated two programmes- Vidya Vahini and Gyan Vahini. The former would provide connectivity to schools across the country and the latter, IT infrastructure at all the higher learning institutions in the country. Sankhya Vahini, the project launched by Indian Telecom Services along with IU Net .is all set to lihk over 100 universities, schools, hospitals and corporate establishments which would enable cheaper and instantaneous data exchange. An ambitious project V-cop is on the anvil to connect the Police Stations through an all India network. The software FACT provides fingerprint statistics with • centrally located server at National Crime Records Bureau.

There has been a considerable shift in the learning paradigm due to the introduction of technology and newer methods of imparting education. New technologies are being gradually integrated into the learning environment. Networking and internet are being used as cost-effective tools for improving learning opportunities for students, faculty development, supporting professional development, increasing productivity of members of the learning community and improving the efficiency of educational institutions and administration.

As of now, India is well on course to becoming an IT superpower. Indian firms like Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services and Wipro are considered as the best in business. As a frontline political leader had once put it : "Indians are capable, we can compete with anybody in the world, in knowledge, in performance, in vision. We have to create that opportunity. We have all the resources-natural and human. If you have a vision, things will automatically happen".