Former Nagaland MP KG Kenye calls for suitable policies to tackle challenges of 4th industrial revolution

Our Correspondent
Kohima, Oct. 30 (EMN): Former Member of Parliament (MP) KG Kenye has called policy makers to develop suitable mechanisms to address the technical and societal challenges of the fourth industrial revolution.

In his virtual address at the World Forum 4.0 (WF4.0) held recently, Kenye maintained that the world, while recovering from COVID-19, has to jointly overcome adversities and build opportunities for equitable growth and development.

He said that policy makers have to ensure the rapid pace of automation and digitalisation also matches up with securing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across all the countries.

Reacting to a report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development that deals with inequalities and the fourth industrial revolution, he said it is a matter of grave concern when inequalities are generated by the existing institutional systems.

Kenye also pointed out that the fourth industrial revolution operates globally and distributes rewards on a global scale, rather than at a local or national level.

‘So a curious thing about the fourth industrial revolution is that it operates under the old rules of ownership while setting new rules of the game simultaneously,’ he said, adding that this characteristic has serious implications for the ownership, distribution, and jobs especially for the developing countries.

Towards this end, he said policymakers need to make an institutional transformation and creation of new institutions which will redefine, redistribute and re-employ to meet the goal of equitable development and growth.

Smart village programme in Nagaland

Meanwhile, he pointed out that the fourth industrial revolution technologies—such as digitisation, artificial intelligence, robotics, and additive manufacturing etc.—stand to boost performance, shape new business models, drive sustainable growth and most importantly empower the villages and communities.

Kenye maintained that earlier this year, he was approached by ALCAP’s Special Advisor, Manish Uprety FRAS, regarding the University of California, Berkeley’s ‘smart village programme’ in Nagaland.

He asserted that UC Berkeley is not only America’s but also the world’s leading academic institution, adding that its programme is a highly mature and scalable programme that helps transforming people’s lives at the village level through technology.

Under the programme, over hundred leading global firms help in the verticals such as healthcare, agriculture, and entrepreneurship etc. which are picked by the chosen states for the pilot phase, said the former parliamentarian.

Pointing out that the programme along with the state government helps transfer knowledge and guides villages to scale up, he said such programmes have a great relevance for a state like Nagaland and also for other states in the Northeastern part of India that have a high literacy rate and a young population fluent in the English language, who looks for avenues to connect with the world, realise their potential and harness the opportunities offered by globalisation.

‘Blended learning’ needed for quality education

Meanwhile, he also emphasised on the importance and role of education, stating that in the fourth industrial revolution, the highly-educated will probably be at a particular advantage. Kenye stressed on the need to make quality education extremely affordable and accessible to all with ‘blended learning’.

He maintained that the students have to focus on innovation and creativity, which are the keys to analytical thinking and complex problem-solving and in addition, underline the importance of interpersonal skills and qualities such as being resilient and emotionally intelligent.

‘To have empathy and respect toward others will be an important aspect of blended learning,’ he added.

Kenye said this will ensure that the university graduates are suitably prepared to meet industry needs, while also becoming ‘global citizens’, adding that it will help the young generation to learn the nuances of how to work at a truly global level and adapt well to a future where workplaces will be more interconnected and employers will have more global peers.

Further, he maintained that the fourth industrial revolution is reshaping the global economy and as such the World Forum is playing a crucial role in transformation and the discussions will contribute towards developing equitable policies that empathise with the concerns of the developing countries.