Barriers to ICTS Use among Tribals of Odisha:A Socio-Economic Perspective

The'Digital Divide' has been the subject for debate globally. The widening chasm of this phenomenon has tremendous structural-functional implications for the marginalized peoples of the world. On the one hand are the technically progressive ICT high end consumers who have access to the most sophisticated technology inputs and on the other hand are the extremely depraved ignorance and illiteracy riddled indigenous people. The challenge of bridging the gap and delivering the benefits of the information age to those who have gone astray from the mainstream to join it for various reasons falls on the experts who study socio-cultural phenomenon and provide insights and solutions. The information boom being experienced globally seems to have side stepped the tribals of Odisha. The mciswe incursion of ICTs into the very bastion of ignorance and impossible circumstances somehow has been unable to have a similar impact on the tribal population in some of the most backward parts of the country like Odisha. The reasons why these marginalized populations have been unable to access the benefits of the ICTs are many and varied. It is the objective of this paper to look into some of these reasons because of which the tribal inhabitants of Odisha are unable to avail themselves of the benefits of the lCTs march of progress.