With the blocking of Starlink terminals and restriction of access to Telegram, Russian troops in Ukraine have suffered a double technological blow. But neither service is irreplaceable.
Maria Kolomychenko
{
"authors": [
"Ananth Padmanabhan",
"Aman Saxena"
],
"type": "other",
"centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
"centers": [
"Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
"Carnegie India"
],
"collections": [],
"englishNewsletterAll": "ctw",
"nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
"primaryCenter": "Carnegie India",
"programAffiliation": "SAP",
"programs": [
"South Asia"
],
"projects": [],
"regions": [
"South Asia",
"India"
],
"topics": [
"Technology"
]
}Source: Getty
In the absence of digital literacy, broadband penetration, and access to smart phones and computers by a majority of the population of the country, the entire process for land registry cannot only be performed on a blockchain platform.
Source: India Institute
A policy cannot be made while being divorced from the socio-economic reality of the demography. In the absence of cent percent literacy amongst the population let alone digital literacy, broadband penetration, access to smart phones and computers by a majority of the population of the country, the entire process for land registration cannot only be performed on a blockchain platform. There needs to exist a dual system, that is, an option to use the online services but the age-old process of going through the paper documents submission at the government office to avail of any service should be done away with in a phased manner. Those who wish to avail the benefits of a quicker, more efficient system can do so directly through blockchain. The land agents and brokers, who exist in the current system as well, can take up the role of service providers of registry using blockchain to those who find it difficult to adapt to the new technology. These agents can be regulated via guidelines and mandatory registrations to protect the interests of the poor. Literacy and more so digital literacy will catch up with time, and until then these makeshift measures need to be adopted. However, a cost to benefit analysis seems to suggest that its overall benefit will accrue to the country in plethora of ways as highlighted throughout the paper. A final decision on the mode of implementation of the transition on a national scale can be taken based on the report of findings of the pilot project.
This article was originally published by the India Institute.
Former Fellow, Carnegie India
Ananth Padmanabhan was a fellow at Carnegie India, based in New Delhi. His primary research focus is technology, regulation, and public policy, and the intersection of these three fields within the Indian context.
Aman Saxena
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
With the blocking of Starlink terminals and restriction of access to Telegram, Russian troops in Ukraine have suffered a double technological blow. But neither service is irreplaceable.
Maria Kolomychenko
For years, the Russian government has promoted “sovereign” digital services as an alternative to Western ones and introduced more and more online restrictions “for security purposes.” In practice, these homegrown solutions leave people vulnerable to data leaks and fraud.
Maria Kolomychenko
In an attempt to stop Ukrainian drones from reaching their targets, the Russian authorities have significantly ramped up online repression.
Maria Kolomychenko
In Central Asia, Beijing is learning to adapt. The era of raw economic assertiveness is giving way to a more nuanced strategy that fuses investment with education, infrastructure with human capital, and ambition with a dose of humility.
Edward Lemon, Bradley Jardine
By entering this new stage of development of the automotive industry via Chinese electric cars, Central Asia will eventually be forced to adopt Chinese standards for the industry’s development, integrating into the Chinese tech ecosystem and leaving no room for competition.
Temur Umarov, Roman Vakulchuk