Do you know that a large number of people from marginalized backgrounds risk being left out of online education? Read our blog to know how this can be remedied.

1. How Stark is India’s Digital Divide and How to
Bridge it
India is known for being a preferred IT destination for companies from around the
world, thanks to its vast reservoir of skilled resources, a robust digital
infrastructure, at least in the cities, and cost advantage. The burgeoning service
sector in India that offers employment opportunities to scores of young people,
especially in the IT and ITES sector, is something to tom-tom about. However, is
everything hunky-dory about the sector, especially when it comes to people having
access to digital resources across the length and breadth of the country? The
answer is a stark NO as large sections of people living on the margins continue to
miss the digital revolution sweeping the country. This reality has come to haunt
policymakers and educationists during the pandemic when online classes became
the norm with schools being closed.

2. The stark digital divide between the rural and urban areas has made education
unaffordable and inaccessible for many at a time when most schools have switched
to online classes. Let us understand what digital divide is all about and how to
bridge the same.
What is digital divide and how stark is it in India?
Digital divide relates to the gap that exists between regions and demographics
having access to the IT ecosystem and those who do not have the access. The IT
ecosystem refers to the presence of internet connectivity, mobile devices,
telephony, and personal computers. This has turned out to be a big problem as
many students and teachers in rural areas or among the marginalized groups in
urban areas have had to opt out of mainstream education during the pandemic.
This is due to the lack of access to digital devices and not possessing sufficient
digital skills. If the digital divide continues to exist, then India risks losing a large
number of students from getting access to mainstream education due to the
pandemic-induced disruption.
To show the situation in contrast - most students in Himachal Pradesh with an
internet penetration of more than 70% have access to online classes and digital
textbooks. On the other hand, in rural Odisha where only 6% of households
have access to internet facilities, most students cannot afford to continue online
classes. In fact, around 10 states have less than 20% of internet penetration,
including the IT biggies such as Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. So, what needs to be
done to remedy the situation and bring more number of students into the
digital ambit?
How to bridge the digital divide
It is only by adopting a multi-pronged strategy involving many stakeholders that the
digital divide existing between demographics and regions can be bridged. Let us
know more about them.
Expanding the digital footprint: Since digital is going to be the future enabling
people cutting across regions to have access to digital resources, including those
offered by the government, there should be a massive investment to augment
India’s digital infrastructure. Care should be taken to spread it to the nook and
corner of the landmass. Importantly, the connectivity should be of the landmass.
Importantly, the connectivity should be of proper bandwidth so that people with
digital devices can get access to online education, healthcare, e-governance, and
other services.

3. Empowering non-profit organizations: In the vast landscape of India, expecting the
government to reach every household and provide quality services is not feasible,
at least in the foreseeable future. This is where non-profit organizations such as
Anudip can do their bit by expanding their network of skill development centers.
The ground experience of these organizations in working with marginalized yet
aspirational people and empowering them should be leveraged.
Crowdsourcing: On the one hand, we have people buying newer digital devices at
the drop of a hat and discarding the ‘operational’ old ones, there are people who
don’t have the resources to get hold of any functioning digital device. To ensure a
uniform distribution of such devices, crowdsourcing can be of help. It can enable
people with limited means to get access to digital devices and continue their online
education and other vocations. Also, people discarding their old ‘operational’
devices for new ones should be asked to donate the old devices to their less
privileged brethren thereby empowering the latter to continue education.
Conclusion
India’s vast landscape and demography have led to uneven growth of internet
connectivity. This has created a digital divide where the have-nots are losing out on
education and employment opportunities, especially during the pandemic when
online classes have become the norm. However, this digital divide needs to be
bridged to enjoy the demographic dividend.
Source: https://www.anudip.org/how-stark-is-indias-digital-divide-and-how-to-
bridge-it/
Anudip Foundation
Email: info@anudip.org
Phone No.: +91 33 4062 4187
Visit Us: https://www. anudip.org/
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