The Central University of Rajasthan has established a new interdisciplinary academic department-The Department of Society-Technology Interface (DSTI) to promote research and teaching in postgraduate and research programmes for students and scholars from diverse educational backgrounds. The department seeks to integrate two advanced streams of knowledge-Science & Technology and Social Sciences, to prepare students for better career opportunities and to help them remain competitive in a rapidly evolving world.
Indian society and the economy are being profoundly transformed by the intrinsic role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). The country is progressing rapidly toward harnessing the developmental benefits arising from the fast-paced digitalization of society. Social, cultural, political, economic, and policy narratives are increasingly shaped and consolidated around the use of digital tools and technologies. Undoubtedly, India is in the midst of a transition to a digital society.
This transformation has created a strong need for futuristic academic discourse that reflects on “what can be” and “what ought to be” in a digitally driven society. The department is therefore envisioned with a broader understanding of modern-day technologies and the critical role that big data and analytics play in public policy and society.
We now stand at the brink of a data-driven transformation, where data can be harnessed to generate meaningful insights that support better functioning across business organizations, government, science, and technology. Data science, an interdisciplinary field, employs scientific methods, processes, algorithms, and systems to extract knowledge and insights from structured and unstructured data for informed decision-making. The growing need to understand and translate the impact of data science and digital technologies on society, polity, development, culture, and policy has driven the formation of this department.
The Department of Society-Technology Interface offers an innovative programme-the first of its kind in India, a two-year M.Sc. in Digital Society. This programme was launched with active academic collaboration from the International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Bangalore.
The department also offers a Ph.D. Programme in Digital Society that focuses on interdisciplinary research at the intersection of 'Digital' with Society, Policy, Development, and Management. As ICTs continue to transform India’s economy and social life, digital tools now shape socio-cultural, political, and policy narratives, placing the country firmly in the era of a “Digital Society.” In response to this global shift, the programme aims to develop forward-looking academic-research perspectives that critically explore both the possibilities and responsibilities of digital transformation.
