Chapter 11 ICT as Enabler of Knowledge-Based Economy: An Empirical Investigation in India Based on NSSO Unit-Level Data

The present century is an age of knowledge-based economy. Higher education is in the process of transformation and thereby challenging the traditional system of education in India. The present paper reviews the current conditions of ICT use by the students in higher education in India. The major objectives of the study are (1) assessment of the use of computer and Internet by the students of higher education in India and (2) to find the determinants of use of ICT by the students in India. The study uses the NSSO 71st Round Unit Level Data on Social Consumption: Education Survey (71st Round, 2014). The present paper is based on 6,035 students from all the regions in India out of which 3,127 students were from the rural area and 2,908 from the urban area. The findings from logit analysis suggest that the determinants of ICT use by the students in higher education in India are regional disparities, gender, education levels of households, type of courses pursued by the students, type of institutions, access to computer and Internet facility, consumption levels of households, and students' residence type.