The role of electronics in the service of society – Essay

Electronics is knowledge intensive industry which is also a dynamic industry with global character. Electronics has an all important role in a country’s development process today and it can be called a fundamental component in modern technology, so much so that, a country’s technological progress is assessed on the basis of its capabilities in this area.

A strong and competitive electronics industry also characterizes fast growing economies. Electronics plays a catalytic role in enhancing production and productivity in key sectors of the economy, whether it relates to infrastructure, process industries, communication or even manpower training. High tech areas today heavily dependent on electronics.

The field of electronics is conventionally classified into consumer, industrial, defense, communications and information processing sectors. In recent times medical, electronics and systems for transportation and power utilities have become important segments on their own.

In advanced countries, the electronic sector is contributing nearly seven percent of the GDP. But among all parts of electronics, consumer electronics is the oldest sector which began with the development of radio receivers after the invention of the triode.

This field has expanded remarkably in the last few years with the development of items like compact disc players, digital audio tape, and microwave oven and satellite television reception systems. Whereas Industry electronics is oriented towards manufacturing products required by modern industry- process control equipment, numerically controlled machinery and robots equipment for testing and measurement. Advanced infrastructure in material science and sophisticated electronic are both relevant for defence field.

Defence electronics is strategic, of course and it also has valuable spin-offs to offer industry. Bharat Electronics Limited, a defence funded organization, has contributed much to the development of the transistor and television in India.

Communications electronic is a rapidly growing field with much scope for innovation and industrial application-and communications equipment have also benefited immensely from the development of efficient semiconductor lasers, optical fibre technology, digital techniques and powerful micro processors.

The present era of Information Technology is also heavily dependent on electronics. The intergraded circuit is the base of computers which are in turn used for designing better very large scale integrated circuits particularly micro processors and memories. Better computers again help to improve communication systems. In the medical field electronics has made possible the ECG recorder as well as the NMK scanner and other “measurement equipment.

Compared to the advanced countries or even the burgeoning economies of the South-East Asian countries, our electronics industry is at embryonic stage. The electronics industry in India goes back to the 1940s and it was the introduction of transistor radio in the early sixties that began a steady growth phase in this sector. Further, the Department of Electronic was set up in 1971.

In 1984 India entered the large scale integrated and very large scale integrated circuits era. However, the progress has not been rapid enough to meet the competition on an international market. But the efforts of the government in matters like creation of capacity, fiscal aspects, import policy etc, have helped in the growth of electronics industry. Consequently, the industry has also got diversified and a wide variety of products were made available both for consumers as well as for professional applications.

Electronics therefore is very crucial in the context of tackling the national problems. From long term point of view, electronics has a tremendous potential to improve the quality of people. For example, the electronic media can be an effective method of eliminating illiteracy in rural areas.

It can also be helpful in bringing concepts of public hygiene and improving the quality of life of the women and etc. Department of Electronics has been engaged in a programme called ‘ Vivek Darpan”, in which a colour TV set with a VCP is being provided in different villages and programmes are shown regularly which are aimd at removal of illiteracy, advice to woman and etc.

Apart from the socially relevant aspects, a significant impact of electronics is its employment potential especially for women. Electronic is also important in the planned and balanced regional development. This is because it is a relatively a footloose industry and can be located in different parts of the country.

It is therefore obvious that electronic is sectors of industry which is important in the national development efforts and can significantly contribute to the improvement of the quality of the people in our country.