ESSAYS ON BIG DATA AND DEVELOPMENT
Date
2017
Authors
GARG, SACHIN
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Abstract
The world today is in the midst of a “data deluge”. Thanks to the rise of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and the mainstreaming of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence techniques, it is now possible to link disparate data sources and analyze this big data to gain deeper insights into human behavior than ever before. Examples abound in the field of economic development of how data sourced from mobile phone records can and are being used to identify disease patterns, socioeconomic status or identify new public transit routes. However, questions arise about the wider availability and accessibility of such data as they often form part of the core business assets of private corporations, and a source of comparative advantage. These essays on big data for development take the view that the public sector need not depend solely on the private sector for its big data needs, but should tap into its own existing data. Governments possess a wealth of administrative data, gathered through the normal process of governing. These administrative data can be linked together to create big data, which can then be used for decision making. As governments embrace e-governance, most of the newly created administrative data will be digital (for example, the Indian government’s Unique ID project (Aadhar) contains digital identities of more than a billion people). However, especially in the emerging economies, many times the existing legacy data have not yet been converted into a format suitable for linking to create big data. This dissertation examines related, but distinct aspects in the creation of big data and its use for development and the challenges encountered on the way, by focusing on land administration in India.
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Keywords
Public policy, Information technology, Big data, Development, India, Land records, Policy adoption, Policy for data