OoC-IISc invites you to a talk on “Frugal Technologies, Disadvantaged Social Groups and Some Critical STI Policy Suggestions” at 4 pm; SV Narasaiah Auditorium

Paraspar, an initiative of the Office of Communications (OoC) at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), is a platform for conversations about knowledge systems, particularly science.

PARASPAR

Invites you to a lecture on

Frugal Technologies, Disadvantaged Social Groups and Some Critical STI Policy Suggestions

Abstract: Technology policy in India has paid very little attention to disadvantaged social groups, such as those from Dalit communities, sexual minorities, migrants, and others. But these social groups – despite facing intangible technological inequalities – are not without their own complex technological experiences. We need to unpack, analyse, and respect these, and the path towards doing this is to improve our political and sociological understanding of technology, as much as our technological understanding of technology. If we adopt such an inclusive approach, science and technology policy in India can indeed steer technology to work towards genuine modernity and well-being for these deprived groups. This talk pushes the argument that frugal technological activity – via what is condescendingly called jugaad or frugal invention, and collective/defensive technological strategies, or grassroots innovation – can battle the lived experience of inequality for these social groups. Such frugal technological practices are actually weapons against both socio-economic and technological inequality for/faced by these groups. The talk then provides pointers towards interventions and indicates larger policy paradigm shifts in these directions.

Speaker: Anant Kamath
Author
Assistant Professor, NIAS
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Venue: SV Narasaiah Auditorium
Department of Instrumentation and Applied Physics (IAP), IISc

Date: 22 August 2024 (Thursday)

Time: 4 pm