India’s digital divide remains huge because of spatial divide, gender divide. There are millions still with no easy, reliable, and inexpensive access to the internet. In fact 400 million people have no access to the internet. 60% of the population in India resides in rural areas and the internet penetration in the hinterlands is a low 25% as compared to the internet density in urban areas (90%).
While India has a high aggregate of Internet users, it needs to keep taking strides towards enabling every citizen.
India has the world’s second-largest pool of internet users, about 600 million, which means 1 in 8 internet users in the world is Indian. That is more than the total population of the US, the United Kingdom, Russia and South Africa put together. Yet, half of the population lacks internet access, and even if they can get to be online, only 20% of Indians know how to use digital services. India’s fifth National Family Health Survey (NFHS) reveals that there is a significant digital chasm in the country, with rural women least likely to have internet access.
The significance of digital revolution in economic growth, job creation and bettering human development index cannot be understated. It is important to note that for every 10% increase in India’s internet traffic delivers a 3.1% increase in per-capita gross domestic product (GDP).
Positive trends in India include a competitive e-commerce market, a booming video streaming industry and a choice of affordable devices. However, a person’s location, income, gender, education, language, and age are some of the factors that define their access. This issue has to be addressed. The pandemic has revealed stark realities in the education sector with schools being forced to go online, it is those who are less well-off that bear the brunt of a changed scenario. Education of millions of school and college-going students have been directly impacted by this deep gulf. A new situation is arising of digital haves and digital have-nots.
A fundamental requirement in taking steps towards a holistic internet-enabled society is to prioritise the development of the communication infrastructure. Sure there are infrastructural, economic, content and language barriers to overcome, but this is where NGOs lend a helping hand, including the ones supported by Rukmani Trust.
Determination among people, non-profit organisations, good policy–makers, coupled with strong political will can ensure the beginning of the bridging of the digital divide. There’s encouraging signs for India’s quest of a digital push with multinational giants like Google ($10 billion investment over the next 5-7 years) significantly contributing towards it. There needs to be awareness of the need of the country to better its human development index.
Access to the internet is now a human right as classified by the United Nations and to provide universal, affordable access to information to citizens in every geographical area of the country should be a goal that India must actively pursue and quickly achieve.
Mgawanyiko wa dijiti wa India unabaki kuwa mkubwa kwa sababu ya mgawanyiko wa nafasi, mgawanyiko wa kijinsia. Bado kuna mamilioni bila upatikanaji rahisi, wa kuaminika, na wa bei nafuu wa Intaneti. Kwa kweli, watu milioni 400 hawana upatikanaji wa mtandao. India ina idadi kubwa ya watu wanaoishi vijijini na mtandao wa mtandao unaenea katika maeneo ya mashambani, na ni chini ya asilimia 25 ya idadi ya watu wanaoishi vijijini. India ina idadi kubwa ya watumiaji wa mtandao, lakini inahitaji kuendelea kuchukua hatua kuelekea kuwezesha kila raia. India ina idadi kubwa ya watumiaji wa mtandao duniani, karibu milioni 600, ambayo inamaanisha 1 kati ya watumiaji wa mtandao 8 duniani ni wa India. Hiyo ni zaidi ya idadi ya watu wa Marekani, Uingereza, Urusi na Afrika Kusini pamoja. Hata hivyo, nusu ya idadi ya watu hawana upatikanaji wa mtandao, na hata kama wanaweza kupata kuwa online, tu 20% ya Wahindi kujua jinsi ya kutumia huduma za digital. Uchunguzi wa tano wa Kitaifa wa Afya ya Familia (NFHS) unaonyesha kuwa kuna pengo kubwa la dijiti nchini, na wanawake wa vijijini wana uwezekano mdogo wa kupata mtandao. Umuhimu wa mapinduzi ya dijiti katika ukuaji wa kiuchumi, uundaji wa ajira na kuboresha kiashiria cha maendeleo ya binadamu hauwezi kupuuzwa. Kwa kila ongezeko la asilimia 10 la trafiki ya mtandao nchini India, inamaanisha ongezeko la asilimia 3.1 la pato la ndani kwa kila mtu. Mwelekeo mzuri nchini India ni pamoja na soko la e-commerce la ushindani, sekta ya utiririshaji wa video inayoongezeka na chaguo la vifaa vya bei nafuu. Hata hivyo, eneo la mtu, mapato, jinsia, elimu, lugha, na umri ni baadhi ya mambo ambayo hufafanua upatikanaji wao. Suala hili linapaswa kushughulikiwa. "Mgonjwa huu umefunua hali halisi katika sekta ya elimu, na shule zinalazimika kwenda mtandaoni, ni wale ambao hawana pesa nyingi ambao wanakabiliwa na hali iliyobadilika. """ Elimu ya mamilioni ya wanafunzi wa shule na vyuo vikuu imeathiriwa moja kwa moja na pengo hili kubwa. Hali mpya inaibuka ya digital haves na digital have-nots. Mahitaji ya msingi katika kuchukua hatua kuelekea jamii ya jumla iliyowezesha mtandao ni kuweka kipaumbele katika maendeleo ya miundombinu ya mawasiliano. "Hata hivyo, kuna ""vizuizi vya miundombinu, kiuchumi, maudhui na lugha"" vya kushinda, lakini hapa ndipo mashirika yasiyo ya kiserikali yanapoweza kusaidia, ikiwa ni pamoja na yale yanayoungwa mkono na Rukmani Trust." Uamuzi kati ya watu, mashirika yasiyo ya faida, watunga sera wazuri, pamoja na mapenzi ya kisiasa yenye nguvu inaweza kuhakikisha mwanzo wa kuunganisha mgawanyiko wa dijiti. Kuna ishara za kutia moyo kwa utafutaji wa India wa kushinikiza dijiti na majitu ya kimataifa kama Google (uwekezaji wa bilioni 10 katika miaka ijayo ya 5-7) inayochangia sana kuelekea hilo. Kuna haja ya kuwa na ufahamu wa haja ya nchi kuboresha index yake ya maendeleo ya binadamu. "Kutumia mtandao ni haki ya binadamu, na kutoa habari kwa kila mtu katika kila eneo la nchi inapaswa kuwa lengo ambalo India inapaswa kufuatilia kwa bidii na kufikia haraka."""