Growing Digital Divide in Indian Schools

Context: The recent data from the Ministry of Education shows that the majority of schools in rural areas in India lack robust digital infrastructure and internet access.

India’s education system has been known to draw criticism on several counts. One is the lack of access to basic amenities and adequate infrastructure and other is the consequential rise in dropout rates. However, one important criticism is the growing digital divide in Indian schools.

The recently released Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) 2023-24 report by the Ministry of Education underscores this crisis.

State of Digital Infrastructure in Schools

• As per UDISE+ 2023-24 report: 
  • Around 50% of our schools do not have access to modern information and communications technology (ICT), despite proclaimed increases in investment in education both by Centre and the States.
    • Functional computers are available in only ~52% of schools.
    • The Internet is accessible in only 54% of schools.
  • These figures mark a marginal improvement from FY22, when just 45% of schools had computers and 34% had internet access.
• Rural-Urban Gap in Internet Connectivity: Rural schools are behind urban schools in terms of internet connectivity by 29%. 69% of urban schools have access to digital infrastructure against 45% of rural schools. This indicates that a gap of 24% percent exists between urban and rural schools. 
• Persistent post-pandemic digital deprivation: A CRY survey during the pandemic found most school children lacked access to online classes, and this deprivation continues post-pandemic, despite the adoption of hybrid learning to improve access to quality education.
• Tele-Density Imbalance: Urban tele-density and rural tele-density stood at 134% and 59% respectively, as of March 2024, highlighting a substantial difference of 75%, between tele-density in rural and urban areas. 

Reasons for growing Digital Divide

Despite an overall increase in digital penetration, divide been growing because of following reasons: 

• Lack of infrastructure in rural areas:
  • Even though 89.7% of schools have access to functional electricity (UDISE+ 2023-24), frequent power outages especially in rural areas due to transmission and distribution losses often render digital infrastructure redundant and unusable.
  • Digital India School programme under the Digital India Campaign has failed to make any impact in rural schools due to poor internet connectivity. 
• Shortage of qualified teachers: Limits the quality and reach of computer literacy programs.
• Gaps in education system: Although computer education is part of the school curriculum, there are disparities in access and instructional standards, particularly in rural and economically disadvantaged areas. E.g: Assam (17.6%), Bihar (20.4%), Madhya Pradesh (21%).
• Limited access for older demographics: Older age groups often lack motivation or access to learning resources for computer literacy.
• Unequal distribution of resources: There is a significant disparity in resource allocation for computer literacy initiatives, leading to unequal progress across different states and regions.
• Delays in BharatNet Project: The persistent digital divide is partly due to delays in BharatNet Project, which aimed to connect 6 lakh villages with broadband by May 2023. As of October 2024, only 2.14 lakh villages were connected, pushing the deadline to 2025.

Government Initiatives to promote Digital Literacy: 

• Digital India Campaign 2015: To transform the country into a digitally empowered society.
• Education Integration: Computer education is being integrated into the formal education system from an early age. E.g., Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.
• Skill Development: Various programs target underprivileged communities to bridge the digital divide. E.g., Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA).

The growing digital divide highlights the urgent need to prioritise basic infrastructure in schools, especially in rural areas. Only after addressing these foundational gaps education system will become truly inclusive and effective. 

Also Read: Right to Digital Access part of Article 21: SC