Facts, figures and data about any issue, place or person constitute information. Information, when collated, processed and applied in a situation, gains ‘contextual relevance’, and becomes knowledge. When knowledge is creatively used over a period of time with innovations evolved therein, we move towards wisdom. While knowledge is about best practices, wisdom is about next practices. Wisdom is about Innovation Quotient, going beyond the quotients of intelligence, emotion and passion of knowledge.
Hence, any knowledge evolved by man today is the harbinger of the wisdom of tomorrow. And, in every act of wisdom of the human genius lies the collective knowledge of the past. Civilisation, thus, moves ahead.
What, then, is a Knowledge Society? Very simply put, it is a society where the economic, socio-cultural, political and intellectual processes are guided and driven by applications of knowledge, and not by the brute force of the power of money or muscle, not even in the name of religion, tradition or hierarchy.
Slave society was based on the premise of man being born different, as masters and slaves. Feudalism at its best was created by the Divine Right of the Monarchy to rule; and at its worst, was a system perpetuated merely by the brute force of the mighty and superstitions. Capitalism, in its heyday, thrived on individualism and the power of the capital to create more money and fuel perfect competition. But, later, in its monopolistic and imperialist eras, capitalism curbed human rights by using money and state power, controlled governance, perpetuated exploitation of people, communities, natural resources and often to the detriment of civilization.
As we enter the next phase of Knowledge Society, while capital will create the base and will try to control and direct it in its own interest, the new found freedom emanating from the power of knowledge will make the common man seek better life and higher goals for himself and his peers.
Thus, a Knowledge Society will call for transparency across all levels through the application of information technology, and creating e-governance, open learning systems, widely accessible e-healthcare, knowledge-sharing for better returns on investments and better prices from the market. E-Choupals or Bhoomi project or Adhaar UID are some of the initiatives forming the baby steps towards creating a Knowledge Society.
Creating Knowledge Society presupposes that education is accessible to all in the given territory. And, next, quality education is affordable to the maximum stake-holders in the society. Also, that education is evolutionary and participative, and not dogmatic.
Alongside, Knowledge Society calls for a new approach to education. It must not only answer WHAT, as in feudal education, but WHY, to develop reasoning, and HOW, to develop skills. Education should no more be teacher-centric and dependent on the brick and mortar of the classrooms, libraries and exam halls.
Rather, Knowledge Society calls for an education which blends the brick and mortar, with the experience of learning by doing, and the click and portal internet-based learning which is rather learner-centric. This is an Experiential Brick and Portal approach, that of Convergence, which should be the bedrock of Knowledge Society education.
Knowledge Society will hence call for government functions and policies to be transparent, open to polemics and available online for public viewing. Economic activities will then become IT-enabled services through open communication, taking full advantage of telecom. Knowledge Society will need transparency in all public transactions and involve fast mass sharing of data, and relevant knowledge, whether in politics, culture, economy or life experiences.
And, all this should be with the higher values of mankind at the core, and the collective welfare of the society as the guiding motive, and not merely individual profits. Dr A P J Abdul Kalam calls for Indian youths to ignite their minds, a significant need to make sure that the transformation does take place in the long run.
Let us make a beginning with the first pledge towards Knowledge Society that will give rise to 100 percent literacy and computer awareness in the nation.
