Source: The post Digital gap in Indian schools remains a serious concern has been created, based on the article “Digital divide in schools needs to be bridged” published in “Businessline” on 26 May 2025. Digital gap in Indian schools remains a serious concern.
UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper2- governance-Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Education.
Context: The UDISE+ 2023–24 report highlights the widening digital divide in Indian schools. Despite increased investment in education, more than half the schools still lack access to basic digital infrastructure, especially in rural areas. This deepens inequality and hinders hybrid learning.
Digital Infrastructure Remains Inadequate
Limited Availability of Devices and Internet: According to the 2023–24 UDISE+ report, only 52.7% of schools have functional computers, and 53.9% have internet access. This shows that nearly half of schools still lack basic digital tools.
Slow Progress in Recent Years: In 2021–22, only 44.9% of schools had computers and 33.9% had internet. The 2022–23 and 2023–24 reports were released late, in December 2024, with only marginal improvement.
Lack of Access in Rural Areas: Despite higher spending, rural schools remain digitally excluded. Many students still cannot access online resources, a problem that existed even during and after the pandemic.
Urban–Rural Divide Widening
- Digital Disparity Across Regions: As per MoE data, 68.7% of urban schools have digital infrastructure, compared to only 44.9% of rural schools — a gap of 23.8%.
- Uneven Connectivity: Internet access in rural schools lags behind urban schools by 29%. This gap stems from the unequal availability of resources.
Policy Failures and Delayed Projects
- Ineffective Outcomes of Government Initiatives: The Digital India School programme has failed in rural areas due to poor connectivity. The BharatNet Project, launched in 2011, aimed to connect 6.3 lakh villages with broadband.
- Repeated Delays and Missed Targets: By October 2024, only 2,14,283 villages were connected. The earlier May 2023 deadline was missed, and the project is now expected to complete in 2025.
Gaps in Tele-density and Electricity Supply
- Tele-density Shows Stark Contrast: As of March 2024, urban tele-density was 133.72%, while rural tele-density stood at just 59.19%, a huge gap of 74.53 percentage points.
- Electricity Issues Undermine Progress: Though 89.7% of schools report having electricity, frequent outages in rural areas limit usability. Even existing digital tools become redundant without stable power.
- Basic Amenities Must Precede Digitisation: If schools lack electricity and water, they likely lack digital tools too. Fixing these essentials must come first.
Question for practice:
Discuss how the UDISE+ 2023–24 report highlights the digital divide between urban and rural schools in India.
