Technological development has helped man achieve new levels of sophistication while, at the same time, simplifying his mundane activities. Technology has helped conquer social evils, deteriorated lifestyles, and, to some extent, low life expectancy that humans faced a century ago. Technology developments range from the simplest tasks like dish cleaning & washing machine to extremely complicated projects like landing man on the moon.

In this essay, I would like to give a comprehensive overview of how technology has helped man enhance his traditional skills. This will involve a temporal & sectoral scale of technology in the aid of humans.

Man has been painting his surroundings and environments since ~3000 B.C. Many of these paintings have been lost due to the impact of time. Man developed a new technology of fresco paintings around 300 A.D. These paintings can be found in Ajanta & Ellora caves, which attract historians as well as tourists to awe at the wonderful creations. Technology, in this case, helped supplement the traditional skills of painting and thus had a positive impact.

In modern India, there was a lack of unity and a sense of brotherhood – the feeling of nationhood which led to the failure of the 1875 Revolt. The leaders of the struggle were intelligent to realize this lacuna and started using mass media to create awareness among the public. Railways and the use of a bridge language in the form of English helped unite leaders from all corners of the country to formulate a plan for a national-level struggle. Technology thus aided India in waking up as an independent nation on 15th Aug 1947.

On an individual level, technology has freed man from menial tasks and, in turn, has helped him focus on more productive activities. Washing machines and dishwashers help a programmer utilize his time to enhance his programming abilities rather than spend it on regular chores. Similarly, the PM Ujjawala Yojana is aimed at improving the productivity and stature of rural women in economic activities by the provision of modern & clean cooking fuels. Technology thus helps individuals in honing their existing skill sets.

Traditional families were joint families based on the principle of collective occupation and domestication of women. Technology helped man overcome the barriers of distant living and staying aloof from personal relationships. Modern developments in communication have further strengthened familial bonds. This has helped man, especially Indians, pursue his aims while maintaining close ties with family. There is no wonder we see young children talent pursuing foreign education and strengthening the Indian Diasporas.

Indian society, being multicultural, is a great example of unity in diversity. India takes great pride in its art and culture. However, due to limited reach, various art forms have gone extinct. The use of technology in this case has promoted fund mobilization, public awareness drives, and promoting the artists to follow their traditional passions. Traditional art forms like Chau Dance, mass gatherings like Kumbh Mela, healthy exercises like yoga have gained international importance not without the aid of technology.

A society is known by its education levels. Education helps man garner knowledge and use it in turn to benefit human existence. Technology helped break the traditional learning of verses model & introduced a more application-based model. The recent Initiative by the Ministry of Human Resources and Development to introduce Digital boards instead of blackboards is a great step forward. This has introduced the concept of Flipped learning which will enable students to read material beforehand and promote lively class discussions. Technology thus helped not only in improved pedagogy but also improving interpersonal skills.

“A sound mind lies in a sound body.” Health has always been part of integrated development missions. Technology has helped doctors not only in their operational but also administrative skills. The recent Nobel Award in Physics was given for the development of laser technology that aided optical treatments. Similarly, the use of the National Health Repository will help administrators & doctors keep track of life-threatening diseases.

India is an agricultural economy with 49% of its working population engaged in this sector. Technological intervention has always been sought to raise farmers’ income. The Green Revolution, which was sought by improved HYV seeds, fertilizer use, irrigation techniques, not only helped address food security but also improved traditional skills of farmers. Some examples could be harvesting practices and post-harvesting storage and processing skills. Technology also has further importance in traditional production techniques.

Traditional artists and producers in the MSME sector struggled for growth due to unavailability of media for marketing goods. E-commerce is an important avenue providing for the expansion of businesses. E-commerce has helped these producers enhance their production by resorting to Economies of scale mode. This has not only made the products cheaper but also improved their quality & as a result their market share.

The 2nd ARC has given a very interesting Formula that breeds conception: Monopoly + Discretion – Accountability = Corruption. The role of technology can be seen in every element, especially Accountability. Technology Developments in ICT have increased the accountability of bureaucrats towards masses. The bureaucrats with increased responsibility as facilitators are thus motivated to improve performance in public service delivery. This, in turn, has developed a positive attitude towards services.

On a political level, technology has helped masses to get in direct touch with politicians and enabled fulfillment of their responsibilities. The use of twitter handles started by late Sushma Swaraj was successfully used by the NDA – I govt to redress grievances. Similarly, platforms like ‘Mann Ki Baat’ by PM has improved public confidence in the political system. Technology thus could be seen as aiding to improve political skill sets and accountability.

On an international level, relations which were earlier defined by similarity of ideologies could now be seen as defined by technological advancements. India and the US were seen as opposite poles after India signed a Friendship Treaty with USJR. The same countries have been working together to enhance stability in the Indian Ocean Region. Technological exchanges, in the form of trade – strategic & non-strategic, diasporas influence could be seen as important causes of this budding relationship. Technology here helped enhance traditional skill sets of diplomacy.

Like every coin has two sides, technology too has proved to be a bane. The use of technology has decreased self-dependence and thus hampered ‘svavlambar’. The important institution of joint families saw a decline with increasing instances of nuclear families. With India at its demographic sweet spot, this trend can mean a cause of concern for geriatric care. Many small producers had to give up on their traditional skills and resort to unproductive activities in the wake of Globalization & increased competition. Sustainable Development has taken a toll due to the lack of focus on traditional practices like organic farming, rainwater harvesting, etc. The use of antibiotics for simple diseases has resulted in increased antimicrobial resistance.

Thus, the way forward lies in balancing technological advancements by incorporating traditional learnings and skillsets. This is important in today’s time, especially when we are striving to achieve Sustainable Development Goals. This balance can help India take advantage of its demographic dividend and reach pinnacles of glory.