Dreams vs. Reality:THE DIGITAL DIVIDE
In the government school of Rampur, the monsoon rain was beating heavily on the tin roof. Inside the classroom, ten-year-old Lakshmi was intently looking at an old map of India. According to the UDISE+ data of 2023-24, less than half of the country’s more than 1 million government schools, like hers, have internet access.
Outside, the world was changing. In cities, children were using digital boards and virtual classrooms in smart classrooms. But in Rampur, only 14.4% of government schools had smart classrooms in 2021-22, while the number was 18% in private schools. By 2023-24, these numbers had increased to 21.2% and 34.6%, respectively. Still, the gap was huge.
Lakshmi dreamed of becoming a doctor, but she knew how difficult it would be for her to compete. According to the UDISE+ data of 2023-24, only 44% of government schools have computers for teaching purposes, while this figure is 71% in private schools.
The government had announced to provide broadband connectivity to all government secondary schools through the BharatNet project. But by January 2025, only 200,000 out of 650,000 villages had received broadband. According to an IndiaSpend report, the government had missed several deadlines for this project.
Meanwhile, in a private school in Gurgaon, Rohan was studying the human heart through a hologram projection. His school had digital libraries and state-of-the-art laboratories. He was using the DIKSHA platform, which had more than 7,080 digital textbooks and content available in 101 Indian and 7 foreign languages. The government had informed the Rajya Sabha that many states had made textbooks available in their regional languages on the DIKSHA platform.
In Rampur, Lakshmi’s teacher, Mr. Sharma, was showing pictures of distant cities to the children using his smartphone. The government had allocated Rs 537 crore for smart classrooms, but only Rs 369 crore had been spent. The government had informed the Lok Sabha that funds for smart classrooms are provided under the Digital Initiative component of the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan. State governments can also provide funds as per their requirement.
One day, a group of NGO volunteers visited the school and taught the children about computers. Lakshmi used the internet for the first time. She realized how important digital skills are, especially for women, as IndiaSpend had reported earlier. An IndiaSpend report stated that due to lack of digital skills, women do not get adequate opportunities for higher education and employment.
Lakshmi knew that she would face many obstacles. Her village had electricity problems. The internet speed was also not good. But she was determined. She knew how important it was to bridge the digital divide. The government needed to implement its plans faster and ensure that every child gets a digital education.
This story is not just about Lakshmi, but about the millions of children who are being left behind in the digital age. This story, filled with data and facts, shows that India still has a long way to go.
According to UDISE+ data, there is a huge difference in the availability of smart classrooms among states. Some states are doing much better than others. For example, Kerala has prioritized digital education, and schools there have better infrastructure.
The government needs to not only invest in infrastructure but also train teachers to use digital tools. In addition, digital content needs to be made available in local languages so that it is accessible to all students.
The government, the private sector, and civil society need to work together to bridge the digital divide. Only then can we create a future where every child can benefit from digital education.
This article was originally published in IndiaSpend. The author, Vijay Jadhav, is an intern journalist with IndiaSpend.
We are republishing it with due credit and updates.