Digital divide & its prevention

Digital divide & its prevention

Digital technologies have spread rapidly in much of the world. Digital dividends—the broader development benefits from using these technologies have lagged behind.
In many instances digital technologies have boosted Growth, expanded opportunities, and improved service delivery.
Yet their aggregate impact has fallen short and is unevenly distributed.
For digital technologies to benefi t everyone everywhere requires closing the remaining digital divide, especially in Internet access.
But greater digital adoption will not be enough.
To get the most out of the digital revolution, countries also need to work on the “analog complements”—by strengthening regulations that ensure competition among businesses, by adapting workers’ skills to the demands of the new economy, and by ensuring that institutions are accountable
The term digital divide describes the discrepancy between people who have access to and the Resources to use new information and Communication tools, such as the Internet, and people who do not have the resources and access to the technology.
The term also describes the discrepancy between those who have the skills, knowledge and abilities to use the technologies and those who do not.
The digital divide can exist between those living in rural areas and those living in urban areas, between the educated and uneducated, between economic classes, and on a global scale between more and less industrially developed nations

Determinants of Digital Divide in India

As India is a multicultural, multi-language and multi-religion country with complex socio-economic conditions, there are six main difficulties in serving rural communities, each one of which has appeared insurmountable: POVERTY, Unemployment, age and Education.
There is huge gap of digital divide between rural and urban India where growth is biased in favour of urban areas; according to statistics, more than 75 per cent of the broadband connections in the country are in the top 30 cities
Some States are not able to adopt even one technology but others have adopted very efficiently.
It is not just about people who have access and those that do not; it is not just about haves and have-nots especially those who can communicate with the rest of the world and those that cannot.
Another important reason of digital divide in India is knowledge divide. Knowledge divide is directly related with digital divide.
Internet use is primarily associated with a large section of the English-knowing urban Population.
Added to these, the growing population, insufficient funds, affordability, and delays in implementation of government policies and programmes have been some of the challenges that have led to unequal development in the Society, which is responsible for digital divide.

The dividends: Growth, jobs, and service delivery

The benefits of digital technologies filter throughout the economy.
For businesses, the internet promotes inclusion of firms in the world economy by expanding trade, raises the productivity of capital, and intensifies competition in the marketplace, which in turn induces innovation.
It brings opportunities to households by creating jobs, leverages Human Capital, and produces consumer surplus. It enables citizens to access public Services, strengthens government capability, and serves as a platform for citizens to tackle collective action problems.
These benefits are neither automatic nor assured, but in numerous instances digital technologies can bring significant gains.

Challenges and Barriers to Bridging the Digital Divide

Infrastructural barriers:India still lacks a robust Telecommunication Infrastructure-2/”>INFRASTRUCTURE with sufficient reliable bandwidth for Internet connection
Literacy and skill barriers:Education in information literacy will play an important role in keeping the society from fragmenting into a population of information haves and have–nots. The lack of skill in using computer and communication technology also prevents people from accessing digital information.
Economic barriers:Poor access to computer and communication technology also causes a digital divide. In India the ability to purchase or rent the tool for access to digital information is less among the masses.
Content barriers:To solve the digital divide, steps should be taken by the government to ensure that all citizens are able to receive diverse content relevant to their lives as well as to produce their own content for their communities and for the Internet.
Language barriers: Having a multicultural and multilingual population, today a large Percentage of information content on the Internet is in English, which is a barrier for the people whose primary language is not English.

The risks: Concentration, inequality, and control

When the internet delivers scale economies for fi rms but the business Environment inhibits competition, the outcome could be excessive concentration of market power and rise of monopolies, inhibiting future innovation.
When the internet automates many tasks but workers do not possess the skills that technology augments, the outcome will be greater inequality, rather than greater effi ciency.
When the internet helps overcome information barriers that impede service delivery but governments remain unaccountable, the outcome will be greater control, rather than greater Empowerment and inclusion.

What need to be done to bridge Digital Devide?

Regulations that promote competition and entry
Lower the barriers to digital adoption
Increase competition through eff ective regulation and enforcement
Skills for the digital economy
Start early with foundational skills
Rethink curricula and teaching methods
Develop advanced technological skills and encourage lifelong Learning
Institutions that are accountable to citizens
Strengthen e-government delivery and citizen engagement
Improve informational services and monitoring
Deepen collaboration and participatory policy making

Three Policies that should be followed by Government/Country

A business environment where firms can leverage the internet to compete and innovate for the benefit of consumers
Workers, entrepreneurs, and public servants who have the right skills to take advantage of opportunities in the digital world
An accountable government that effectively uses the internet to empower its citizens and deliver services

Policy/Programmes for Addressing the Challenges in Bridging the Digital Divide

India taking significant steps towards acquiring competence in information and technology, the country is increasingly getting divided between people who have access to technology and those who do not.
The Indian government has passed Information Technology Act, 2000 to make to E-Commerce and e-governance a success story in India along with national e-governance plan.
Steps are being taken to fulfil Universal Service Obligation (USO), funding, and administration.
The government allowed Mobile number portability (MNP) which enables mobile telephone users to retain their mobile telephone numbers when changing from one mobile Network operator to another.
National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN), a project aimed to ensure broadband connectivity to over two lakh (200,000) gram panchayats of India by 2016

Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan’ for covering 6 crore rural households

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved ‘Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan’ (PMGDISHA) to make 6 crore rural households digitally literate. The outlay for this project is Rs.2,351.38 crore to usher in digital literacy in rural India by March,.2019. This is in line with the announcement made by Finance Minister in the Union Budget 2016-17.
PMGDISHA is expected to be one of the largest digital literacy programmes in the world. Under the scheme, 25 lakh candidates will be trained in the FY 2016-17; 275 lakh in the FY 2017-18; and 300 lakh in the FY 2018-19. To ensure equitable geographical reach, each of the 250,000 Gram Panchayats would be expected to register an Average of 200-300 candidates.
Digitally literate persons would be able to operate computers/digital access devices (like tablets, smart phones, etc.), send and receive emails, browse internet, access Government Services, search for information, undertaking cashless transactions, etc. and hence use IT to actively participate in the process of nation building.
The implementation of the Scheme would be carried out under the overall supervision of Ministry of Electronics and IT in active collaboration with States/UTs through their designated State Implementing Agencies, District e-Governance Society (DeGS), etc.

State Government Services

Sourkaryan and E–Seva:Project of the government of Andhra Pradesh is now operational in the port city of Visakhapatnam, provides the facility for a citizen to pay property taxes online and also view details of plans and projects of the government and local bodies.
The Bhoomi Projectof Karnataka state covers 6.7 million farmers and holds millions of records of land ownership. The project has earned the goodwill of many people and also international funding agencies.
The Gyandoot Project: is the first ever project in India for a rural information network in the Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh which has the highest percentage of tribes and dense forest. Every village has a computer centre or “soochnalayas” at prominent market places or major roads. People can easily log in and complain or request information on crops, forest fields, Water Resources, etc. of the district.

Training

Role of community information centres:The central and state governments of India, especially the Ministry of Information Technology, have taken a step known as rural electronic libraries. The project has been started in Sikkim and North Eastern states of India to provide IT facility in each and every block. Each CIC will have one server computer system and five client configuration computer systems linked in a local area network and connected to a V–SAT for Internet access.
Microsoft’s community technology skills programme, which was launched in 2004 in India and 2005 in Chennai, focuses on providing access to technology and EMPLOYMENT. Their new programme ‘Youth Spark’, which will focus on holistic education and developing Entrepreneurship skills
National Science Digital Library (NSDL):The National Science Digital Library Project was conceived by the government to provide cheaper access to science and technology books to students. NSDL is a facility planned to provide focused content to undergraduate and higher–level students.
Digital Mobile Library:
- In order to bridge the digital divide in a larger way the government of India, in collaboration with the Centre for Advanced Computing (C–DAC) based in Pune.
- It aims to bring about one million digital books to the doorsteps of common citizens. The Internet–enabled digital library will promote literacy.
- It will make use of a mobile van with satellite Internet connections. The van will be fitted with printers, scanners, cutters and binding machines for providing books in bound form to end users.
Unnati Project
Unnati, is a project of the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) which strives to bridge the digital divide in schools by giving the rural students with poor economic and social background an access to computer education
The project provides for supply of five computers for each school. The HPCL will draft the services of the National institute of technology (NIT) for imparting training to the students and even the teachers in computer operation.

Role of academic and research institutions

IIT Karagpurdesigned a project to “bridge the communication gap between the sightless and the sighted.” The project has enabled the blind to surf the Internet, read text in Indian languages and even take up normal office work. A Software IIT Webel has been developed to translate Braille into plain English.
Telemedicine systemmust be expanded and designed to be more user–friendly and economical. What is needed is to bring awareness among people about telemedicine and telehealth and their advantages.
The Azim Premji Foundationhas been involved with universalization of elementary education by creating effective and scaleable models to improve the quality of learning in school.
Tata Council of Community Initiatives, are playing an important role in promoting adult education in the country. The council has extended several innovative computer–based literacy programs to improve India’s adult education by preparing multimedia presentations.
The unequal access to information and communication technologies has led to the digital divide though India has made encouraging efforts to bridge the gap by initiating a number of projects and programmes for rural and remote locations, a strong determination among people, good policy–makers and political support is also required to bridge the digital divide.
The country needs to improve the infrastructure of public libraries and link them with community information centres.

Bridging the disability divide through digital technologies

Over 1 billion people around the world have disabilities, and 80 percent of them live in developing countries.
Persons with disabilities face barriers to communicate, interact, access information, and participate in civic activities. Digital technologies are helping overcome some of these barriers.
Technology enables multiple means of communication—voice, text, and gestures—to access information and engage with others. Voice recognition, magnification, and text-to-speech functionality benefit persons with visual, cognitive, learning, and mobility disabilities.
Short message service (SMS), instant messaging, telephone relay, and video captions reduce communication barriers for persons with hearing and speech disabilities. Hands-free navigation and gesture-controlled interfaces assist persons with severe mobility impairments in using digital devices.
But the mere existence of technology is an insufficient condition to bridge the gaps in the socioeconomic inclusion of persons with disabilities.
A supportive ecosystem is needed to drive the implementation of accessible digital technologies.

Conclusion- Reaping digital dividends for everyone

Digital technologies are transforming the worlds of business, work, and service delivery. These advances are making the leading parts of the economy and society more productive—even as many still wait for the most basic benefi ts of the digital revolution.
To ensure that everyone will reap the dividends of the internet, focusing on access to technology is essential but far from suffi cient. Why? Because technology needs to be complemented by improvements in areas that determine whether fi rms, people, and governments can make effective use of new digital tools.
The analog foundation cannot be strengthened overnight. It requires overcoming some of the most protracted development challenges: how to create an environment for firms to thrive, how to build effective education and training systems, and how to make service providers more responsive to citizens. The stakes are high, because the digital revolution leaves behind countries that do not make the necessary reforms.
For those that do, technology investments will produce ample digital dividends, and these dividends will be widely shared among all stakeholders

What is digital divide?

Digital divide is the gap between people who have access to information technology and those who do not. It can be caused by a number of factors, including income, education, race, and geography. The effects of digital divide can be far-reaching, impacting everything from education and employment to Health and civic engagement.

Causes of digital divide

There are a number of factors that can contribute to digital divide, including:

Income: People with lower incomes are less likely to have access to technology, such as computers and the internet. This is because they may not be able to afford the devices or the necessary services.
Education: People with lower levels of education are also less likely to have access to technology. This is because they may not have the skills or knowledge necessary to use technology effectively.
Race: People of color are more likely to live in areas with low levels of access to technology. This is due to a number of factors, including historical discrimination and economic inequality.
Geography: People who live in rural areas are more likely to have low levels of access to technology than people who live in urban areas. This is because rural areas often have less infrastructure, such as broadband internet access.

Effects of digital divide

The digital divide can have a number of negative effects on individuals and society as a whole. These effects can include:

Educational disadvantage: Children who do not have access to technology at home may fall behind their peers in school. This is because they may not have the same opportunities to learn about technology and how to use it effectively.
Employment disadvantage: People who do not have access to technology may have difficulty finding and keeping jobs. This is because many jobs now require employees to be able to use technology effectively.
Health disadvantage: People who do not have access to technology may have difficulty accessing health information and services. This can lead to poorer health outcomes.
Civic engagement disadvantage: People who do not have access to technology may be less likely to participate in civic activities, such as voting and volunteering. This can lead to a less informed and engaged citizenry.

Mitigation strategies for digital divide

There are a number of strategies that can be used to mitigate digital divide, including:

Providing affordable access to technology: One way to mitigate digital divide is to provide affordable access to technology. This can be done through government programs, such as the E-Rate program in the United States, or through private initiatives, such as libraries and community centers that offer free or low-cost internet access.
Offering digital literacy training: Another way to mitigate digital divide is to offer digital literacy training. This can help people learn how to use technology effectively and how to find and use information online.
Developing policies that promote inclusion: Governments and businesses can also develop policies that promote inclusion and help to close the digital divide. This could include things like providing subsidies for technology access in low-income areas or requiring that all job postings be made available online.

Case studies of digital divide

The digital divide is a global issue, but it manifests itself in different ways in different countries. Here are a few case studies of digital divide from around the world:

The United States: The United States has a long history of digital divide, with certain groups of people being less likely to have access to technology than others. This is due to a number of factors, including income, race, and geography. In recent years, there has been progress in closing the digital divide in the United States, but it remains a significant issue.
India: India is another country with a significant digital divide. The gap between those who have access to technology and those who do not is particularly wide in rural areas. This is due to a number of factors, including poverty, lack of infrastructure, and low levels of education. The Indian government has taken steps to address the digital divide, but it remains a major challenge.
Africa: Africa is the continent with the widest digital divide. The gap between those who have access to technology and those who do not is particularly wide in rural areas. This is due to a number of factors, including poverty, lack of infrastructure, and low levels of education. The African Union has taken steps to address the digital divide, but it remains a major challenge.

Future of digital divide

The future of digital divide is uncertain. On the one hand, there is the potential for technology to bridge the gap between the haves and the have-nots. On the other hand, there is the risk that technology will exacerbate the divide, as those who are already well-connected become even more so. It is important to be aware of the potential risks and challenges of digital divide, and to work to mitigate them.

Here are some frequently asked questions and short answers about technology:

What is technology?
Technology is the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes. It is the use of tools, machines, techniques, and other human-made objects to solve problems or carry out tasks.
What are the different types of technology?
There are many different types of technology, including:
- Information technology (IT): IT is the use of computers and other electronic devices to store, retrieve, and process information.
- Communication technology: Communication technology is the use of electronic devices to send and receive information.
- Transportation technology: Transportation technology is the use of machines to move people or goods from one place to another.
- Medical technology: Medical technology is the use of machines and other devices to diagnose, treat, and prevent diseases.
- Agricultural technology: Agricultural technology is the use of machines and other devices to grow crops and raise Livestock.
- Industrial technology: Industrial technology is the use of machines and other devices to manufacture goods.
What are the benefits of technology?
Technology has many benefits, including:
- It can make our lives easier and more efficient.
- It can help us to communicate with others more easily.
- It can help us to learn new things.
- It can help us to be more productive.
- It can help us to be more creative.
What are the drawbacks of technology?
Technology also has some drawbacks, including:
- It can be addictive.
- It can be expensive.
- It can be used for harmful purposes.
- It can be used to invade our privacy.
- It can be used to spread misinformation.
How can we use technology responsibly?
We can use technology responsibly by:
- Being aware of the potential risks of technology.
- Using technology in a way that is safe and ethical.
- Teaching others how to use technology responsibly.
- Advocating for the responsible use of technology.
What is the future of technology?
The future of technology is uncertain, but it is likely that technology will continue to evolve and become more powerful. It is also likely that technology will become more integrated into our lives.
What are some ethical issues related to technology?
Some ethical issues related to technology include:
- Privacy: Technology can be used to invade our privacy.
- Safety: Technology can be used for harmful purposes.
- Addiction: Technology can be addictive.
- Misinformation: Technology can be used to spread misinformation.
- Inequality: Technology can exacerbate inequality.
What are some ways to address ethical issues related to technology?
Some ways to address ethical issues related to technology include:
- Developing ethical guidelines for the development and use of technology.
- Educating people about the potential risks of technology.
- Promoting the responsible use of technology.
- Regulating the use of technology.

Which of the following is not a factor that contributes to the digital divide?
(A) Income
(B) Age
(C) Education
(D) Gender
Which of the following is a government program that aims to reduce the digital divide?
(A) The E-Rate program
(B) The Digital Literacy Corps
(C) The Connect America Fund
(D) All of the above
Which of the following is a non-profit organization that aims to reduce the digital divide?
(A) The Digital Divide Network
(B) The Benton Foundation
(C) The National Center for Education Statistics
(D) All of the above
Which of the following is a way to prevent the digital divide?
(A) Provide free or low-cost internet access to low-income households.
(B) Offer digital literacy training to people who need it.
(C) Make sure that all schools have access to computers and the internet.
(D) All of the above
Which of the following is a benefit of reducing the digital divide?
(A) It can help people get better jobs.
(B) It can help people stay connected with friends and family.
(C) It can help people learn new things.
(D) All of the above