Essay on In What Ways Can Modern Technology Transform Life in Indian Villages? Complete Essay for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.
Villages have always been considered the “Heart and Soul” of India. No wonder, seventy-five per cent of India’s population still lives in villages. But the past few decades have witnessed a radical change—transformation in the scene of an Indian village—in some ways for the better; in other ways for the worse. The main catalyst responsible for this change has been the fast and speedy advent of modern technology in our country. Today, modern technology holds an important place in India in all the developmental fields, viz., scientific, industrial and, of course, agricultural. When we speak of agricultural field, it pertains to Indian villages on the whole. The effect of modern technology on Indian villages has been felt in a very remarkable manner in different spheres of life. Let us see how.
First and foremost, farming is the backbone of Indian villages. Because of modern technology, the methods of farming have been revolutionised. Outdated and obsolete methods of farming have been discarded and new and innovative methods are being widely adopted. The use of tractors and other modern agricultural implements has perfected the art of farming and, in the process, commercialised it to a large extent. The standard of living of an average Indian farmer has risen, and as more and more machines are taking the place of manual work, farmers are encouraged to take up subsidiary occupations, like cattle-breeding, poultry-farming, etc., which are an additional source of income for them. Extensive and intensive cultivation of crops, hybridisation of crops, rotation of crops and the greatly successful “Green Revolution” have presented a better picture of Indian villages to the world.
Previously, sowing seeds and reaping harvests used to be a labourious task for the Indian farmer. He was entirely at the mercy of nature for rain for his crops. But today modern technology has discovered artificial irrigation methods like tube wells, canals, dams, etc., which prove a boon to the farmers in times of crises. Also, better quality seeds and fertilisers are yet another result of modern technology which have successfully led India on the path of self-sufficiency in foodgrains. India today is proud exporter of foodgrains in contrast to being an importer country when she attained freedom in 1947. These seeds and fertilisers yield crops in greater quantity and the government sees to it that they are produced on mass scale and are sold at reasonable rates so that a majority of villagers can be the beneficiaries and can procure them to obtain a good harvest and income.
Darkness ruled supreme in villages until a few decades ago. But with modern inventions and low production costs, electricity has been provided to many villages. Electronic goods were a far-off dream in Indian villages. Today some of the Indian villages have Television Transmission Relay Centers. Communication, too, has touched new heights in Indian villages. Roadways have improved many villages. Most of them are now linked directly with cities and towns by means of railways. In olden times, an Indian villager was satisfied with bullock-cart as the sole means of transport. But with the passing of time, Indian villages have been exposed to the outside world and today it is a common sight to see sophisticated means of transport, like buses, trucks and even cars plying on village roads. Post and Telegraph system too has, acquired new dimensions in villages.
But there are certain aspects of modern technology which have had adverse effects on the life of people in Indian villages: Modern technology has given birth to machine-operated jobs in cities which offer attractive remuneration and other facilities. So most of the male population of villages has fast increased in cities and their family ties with members of their families back in the villages are fast losing ground. A typical Indian village is no longer a self-sufficient unit. This is largely due to modern inventions, and innovations and production of modern sophisticated macilines which manufacture from the smallest sewing needle to the giant-size fighter-aeroplane in our own country. As a result, the craftsmen and artisans in villages are thrown out of employment. Also in some villages, modern implements of farming are beyond the reach of many poor farmers, which leads to an inequitable distribution of wealth, even in villages.
Nevertheless, when we weigh the pros and cons of influence of modern technology on Indian villages, we find that it has definitely transformed life in Indian villages. Greater and diverse horizons of modern technology have helped to put Indian villages on a strong footing–economically, socially and politically. An Indian villager today has greater hopes and aspirations in life, as he is more educated than his counterpart in older generations. Literacy has taken roots in many villages which makes them eager to experiment with new and contemporary methods of farming and other occupations.
India is a land of villages, and she is proud to be one because no stone has been left unturned to herald and usher in new realms of modern technology in Indian villages to transform rural life for betterment and upliftment of masses. No doubt, the Indian villager of the 20th century is much better-off than his counterpart in the 17th or the 18th centuries.
