Need to modify ethical guidelines in communication sector

Updated on: Tuesday, February 01, 2011

Scientists and technocrats have laid emphasise on the need to modify ethical guidelines relating to 'responsibility, safety and risk' in the fields like computers and communication in tune with the fast-changing scenario.
"With the rapid pace of advancement in hardware and software, making things obsolete every 3-4 years, it becomes a sin to sell or donate old computers to anyone.

"The exponential growth of communication and transport in the last century has solved many problems and created some threats also. Therefore there is need to modify the ethical guidelines in these areas," said H K Kaura, former director of Computer Science division of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre.

"There are numerous ways of interacting through mobile or social networking which can give some comfort and also more challenges to take care of oneself. It can lead to hacking of bank accounts, leaking of secret information or damaging of data," he said, adding giant software companies monopolising products and even going to the extent of acquiring products by unfair means.

Kaura was speaking at the three-day All India Meeting of Women in Science, a national conference on 'Science and Technology: Ethical Issues', which concluded here yesterday.

A senior scientist of Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, Dr Chitra Natarajan, speaking at the conference on 'Technology and Ethics: The Complex Links', highlighted the issues related to engineering and technology, where ethical concerns if compromised, lead to major disasters affecting a large section of the society.

Listing the code of ethics given by IEEE, the world's largest professional association for advancement of technology, she said ethical issues in technology include "responsibility, safety and risk."

Presenting her views on 'Ethical issues on Science and Technology of Lasers', BARC senior scientist Dr Lalitha Dhareshwar said, "For safe medical applications, lasers need to be well-characterised, accurate and stable and should be used responsibly by very well trained persons. Some applications in cosmetics may require a lot of prior testing."

Solving ethical issues requires a deeper introspection, she said, adding there should be awareness programmes on such technologies and also that the patient should be well informed.

Speaking on 'Ethics on Urban Solid Waste Management in India,' Almitra Patel, Member, Supreme Court Committee for solid waste management pointed out the biggest hurdle in this area was "massive corruption."

Indian waste has low calories compared to foreign countries. She said there is a silver lining to the situation because a few model villages with compost plant and zero waste are coming up.

She insisted on the need to have public awareness and ethical implementation not only to manage waste, but also to minimise waste production and promote eco-friendly packaging.

She emphasised the need for preservation of dumping sites from land sharks and politicians to ensure the future well being of surroundings. Since waste management is becoming a sunrise industry, she urged not to politicise and corrupt it.

Describing the progress made in Genomics since the discovery of DNA for improving the well being of men and women Grace Sirju Charran from University of West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago, raised a number of ethical and philosophical queries about brain mapping, fertility clinics, designer babies, stem cell studies. She was speaking about ethics in Genomics and Neuro-biology.

The national conference which began on January 28, was organised by Indian Women Scientists Association, which has more than 2,000 members.

Need to modify ethical guidelines in communication sector

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