The Digital Divide and Niti Aayog

By Zahra Shirpurwala

Digital Divide has pressured economic growth and technology will revolutionise the world. Digital Divide can be simply described as the barrier between the privileged and the domestically disadvantaged. Technology in this digital era is a boon, and a bane affecting and impacting ones lives in various ways.

Effects of technology have acted on many start-ups, food industries, travel and tourism, communications, and other businesses. In contrast, it has promoted pollution, inactivity, dependency upon devices, cyberbullying, and other menace hazards. Universal Accessibility needs to be improved to bridge this divide so that all could be provided with technology. Technology is costly for the underprivileged to afford. To let all experience the technology’s true and full potential, we should reduce the price by five to six percent. The Internet can provide education for the youth to grow, innovate and excel so devices at cheaper rates could be provided. The digital divide is a symptom of a more profound and a further problem that can hamper India’s economic growth. This is where inclusive growth steps in. Inclusive growth is beneficial because it provides equal opportunities treating everyone equal and one. Inclusive growth is linked with economic growth giving justice and showing a neutral and unbiased effect on all.

Niti Aayog comes up with problems and solutions, believing in evolving and revolutionising India and bringing up the digital divide as a priority. Niti Aayog believes in paying particular attention to those citizens that are not being benefited adequately even with economic progress. They want to design a long-term strategic policy organised with proper frameworks. Bringing up and pushing initiatives and projects such as “BharatNet” to monitor progress and provide connectivity to villages and more that helps the growth of the nation. Innovative improvements are too considered. When we touch upon the Pandemic topic and ask whether Covid – 19 has widened usage of technology in India or made it truly worse? Technology has widened in our nation due to the pandemic, but it has made the addiction even worse. We spend more than 5 hours per day on our screens regarding online classes, work from home and other activities. This was simply to prevent stepping out of our homes and avoid infection and spread of the disease. Has it really helped our new routine? No! “It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity”, a quote by Albert Einstein. India together can prove him wrong! Stay home, Stay safe!

By Zahra Shirpurwala