Internet Revolution and Digital Inequality in India- Internet Haves and Have Nots

Twenty first century has been the century of Internet and “Internet” is a Buzzword among all human beings of all age groups across the globe. The internet revolution accelerated in the beginning of this century as a result of which there was a glut of electronic gadgets. This revolution no doubt had a global effect but India being one of the largest democracy and thickly populated countries became a market for global internet and electronic gadgets. But the internet network has been a major factor contributing to the low internet access problem faced by rural India. The digital divide of which India is one of the victims has been major hurdle in India’s growing journey.

For those of us in India's metropolises, the last decade has been an era of major transformations with the explosive advent of the internet. Book shops closed, retail traders shut down shops, and travel agents ran out of business; all thanks to everything being just a click away for customers.
With such radical changes taking place, it came as no surprise that India was expected to overtake the USA and have the second largest internet base in the world by the end of 2015. However, as the ground reality has revealed, it appears that economic status and location both act as significant limiting factors on access to the internet.

Thus, a survey by the Pew Research Centre found that only 22% of the adult population in India has access to the internet, against the global median on 67%, – indicative of the existence of digital inequality in India. The evidence of this inequality is only further buttressed by a recent survey by the National Survey Sample Organization.
According to this latest survey, no more than 161 out of every 1000 households in rural India had access to internet, as against 487 per 1000 households in urban areas.

Further, when economic status is also taken into account, only 49 of every 1000 rural households had access to internet for lowest strata (the poorest households), while the same number for the top strata (richest households) was 336. In urban areas, 193 of 1000 households had internet access in the lower strata, while the number for the upper strata was 749.
The ratios of households possessing a computer at home was 62 per 1000 households in rural areas, against 292 for every 1000 in urban areas, that is, only 6 per cent of rural and 29 per cent of urban households possessed a computer. Already, for most jobs in the organized sector, basic computer skills have become vital and with further penetration of technology into the economy, the necessity for aspiring job seekers to know how to operate a computer will only grow.

However, in rural areas, no more than 183 of every 1000 persons in the age group of 14 to 29 years were able to operate a computer, whereas in urban areas that number increases to 489 for every 1000.
The gender divide is also quite evident in regard to computer skills, with only 229 out of every 1000 women knowing how to operate a computer, as against 323 men in every 1000.
When it came to using the internet to find necessary information, the survey found that only 331 persons in every 1000 in urban areas were able to do so, as compared to just 100 in rural areas. The ratios for being able to send emails were even lower.

Evidently, the so-called digital revolution has not thus far been a real revolution. It has just been a privilege obtained by economic empowerment. At a time when an increasing number of public welfare services and programmes are moving online, it is imperative that many more Indians should be able to access the internet and leverage it to improve their lives.
It is yet to be seen whether the centre's Digital India mission and its many associated initiatives to boost internet connectivity in rural areas, can truly deliver tangible benefits to India's rural population and its poor.

Digital India was launched by the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on 2 July 2015 - with an objective of connecting rural areas with high-speed Internet networks and improving digital literacy. The vision of Digital India programme is inclusive growth in areas of electronic services, products, manufacturing and job opportunities etc. and it is centred on three key areas – Digital Infrastructure as a Utility to Every Citizen, Governance & Services on Demand and Digital Empowerment of Citizens.

The Government of India entity Bharat Broadband Network Limited which executes the National Optical Fibre Network project will be the custodian of Digital India (DI) project. BBNL had ordered United Telecoms Limited to connect 250,000 villages through GPON to ensure FTTH based broadband. This will provide the first basic setup to achieve towards Digital India and is expected to be completed by 2017.

The government is planning to create 28,000 seats of BPOs in various states and set up at least one Common Service Centre in each of the gram panchayats in the state.

The 2016 Union budget of India announced 11 technology initiatives including the use data analytics to nab tax evaders, creating a substantial opportunity for IT companies to build out the systems that will be required. Digital Literacy mission will cover six crore rural households.It is planned to connect 550 farmer markets in the country through the use of technology.

Schemes have been launched at regular intervals but it is pertinent to see that how long will it take to Digitise India as a Nation and the digital access should be inclusive and a proper monitoring mechanism should be in place. In order to extend the benefits of E-Governance there is an explicit need to make every citizen Tech Savy and introduce E-Literacy in educational institutions specially in rural and far flung areas.
 

By: Ajay Kumar