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." .