Basic Services for Urban Poor A Study of Baroda, Bhilwara, Sambalpur and Siliguri

Consequent upon the launching of communication satellites, the developments have been so diverse and multi-dimensional that it has not been possible to define precisely these rapid and fast paced changes. These profound changes and developments have been variously termed as : New Industrial Revolution, the Third Industrial Revolution, Information Age, Information Society, Space Age, Cabled Planet, Wired World, Post-industrial Society or simply the Third Wave. The book relates communication technologies and their relevance to the important and basic issues confronting the country at present: Women Empowerment, National Unity, Environmental Protection and Rural Development, etc. It dwells upon certain aspects including socio-cultural impact, the gap between the information-rich and the information-poor, the impact that TV and cable programmes are likely to have on young minds, as also the awareness campaigns launched by NGOs and other voluntary bodies and academic organisations. It also discusses issues like Regulatory and Legal aspects of Cable television, Communication policies, Watchdog mechanism and significant milestones in communication development in India including SEWA, Kheda Communication Project, etc. An effort has been made to analyse contemporary issues and steps needed to counter the negative impact of television and cable programmes on young minds. It is hoped that this publication would break new grounds in the series of books and literature in the area of mass communication and journalism being planned by upcoming media scholars.