{"id":52568,"date":"2019-09-25T16:27:11","date_gmt":"2019-09-25T10:57:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogadmin.forumias.com\/?page_id=52568"},"modified":"2019-09-25T16:27:18","modified_gmt":"2019-09-25T10:57:18","slug":"answered-right-to-internet-access-and-digital-literacy-should-be-recognised-as-a-right-in-itself-discuss-in-the-light-of-digital-inequalities-in-india","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/answered-right-to-internet-access-and-digital-literacy-should-be-recognised-as-a-right-in-itself-discuss-in-the-light-of-digital-inequalities-in-india\/","title":{"rendered":"[Answered] \u201cRight to Internet access and digital literacy should be recognised as a right in itself.\u201d Discuss in the light of digital inequalities in India."},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Demand of the question<\/strong>
Introduction. <\/strong>Contextual Introduction.
Body. <\/strong>Need of recognising right to internet access and digital literacy as right. It\u2019s significance.
Conclusion. <\/strong>Way forward. <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n

Recently, in Faheema Shirin v. State of Kerala, the Kerala High Court declared the right to Internet access as a fundamental right forming a part of the right to privacy and the right to education under Article 21 of the Constitution. In present digital world where almost every service is being digitised, it is important to recognise the right to Internet access as an independent right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Need of recognising Right to\nInternet Access and digital literacy as a right in itself:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Social injustice: <\/strong>Digitalinequalities\nlead to gross social injustice and hinder development of the individuals. It\nprevent Indian citizens and marginalised to enjoy various services and rights\nprovided to them<\/li>
  2. Poor Access to services: <\/strong>In recent times,\nseveral government and private sector services have become digital. Some of\nthem are only available online. This leads to a new kind of inequality, digital\ninequality, where social and economic backwardness is exacerbated due to\ninformation poverty, lack of infrastructure, and lack of digital literacy. <\/li>
  3. Digital economy: <\/strong>We are moving to a\nglobal digital economy where knowledge of digital processes will transform the\nway in which people work, collaborate, consume information, and entertain\nthemselves. This has been acknowledged in the Sustainable Development Goals as\nwell as by the Indian government and has led to the Digital India mission. Thus\nit is important for an economy to provide equal access to Internet as a right.<\/li>
  4. Preventing exclusion: <\/strong>Services are now\noffered online with lesser cost and better efficiency. It also allows citizens\nto bypass lower-level government bureaucracy. In the absence of Internet access\nand digital literacy enabling that access, there will be further exclusion of\nlarge parts of the population, exacerbating the already existing digital\ndivide.<\/li>
  5. Good governance: <\/strong>Moving governance and\nservice delivery online without the requisite progress in Internet access and\ndigital literacy do not make economic sense. For instance, Common Service\nCentres, which operate in rural and remote locations, are physical facilities\nwhich help in delivering digital government services and informing communities\nabout government initiatives. <\/li>
  6. Employment opportunities:<\/strong> Lack of\ninternet access prevent many people from equal employment opportunities\nvis-\u00e0-vis available to one who have Internet access and digital knowledge.\nFurther digital illiteracy lead to lack of required skills, as digital skills\nare must nowadays to get any job.<\/li>
  7. Women empowerment: <\/strong>Digital literacy and\ninternet access help in furthering women rights and help them to be aware of\ntheir rights. It help in educating women. Also it provide employment\nopportunities to them, as many women work from home through internet.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Significance of right to\ninternet access and digital literacy being recognised as a right in itself:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Digital literacy allows people to access information and services, collaborate, and navigate socio-cultural networks. <\/li>
    2. Acknowledgement of the right to access Internet in accessing other fundamental rights, is imperative that the right to Internet access and digital literacy be recognised as a right in itself. <\/li>
    3. Once recognised as right the state would have: