Analysing Internet access and digital skills in India : THE HINDU EDITORIAL SIMPLIFIED

 Analysing Internet access and digital skills in India 

Internet Access and Digital Skills in India

Importance for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

• SDG 4 focuses on inclusive and equitable quality education.

• Targets:

  • 4.4.1: Share of population with ICT skills.

  • 4.4.2: Proficiency in digital skills.

• ICT infrastructure and digital skills are essential to achieve SDG 4.

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Comprehensive Annual Modular Survey (CAMS)

Overview

• Conducted by NSSO from July 2022 to June 2023.

• First sample survey on access and use of digital technology.

• Covered 3.02 lakh households and 12.99 lakh people.

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Internet Access in India

National Level

• 76.3% of households have broadband Internet.

  • Rural: 71.2%

  • Urban: 86.5%

State-wise Variation

• Over 90% households with broadband:
  Delhi, Goa, Mizoram, Manipur, Sikkim, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh

• Below 70%:
  West Bengal (69.3%), Andhra Pradesh (66.5%), Odisha (65.3%), Arunachal Pradesh (60.2%)

Caste-wise Variation

• General category: 84.1%

• OBC: 77.5%

• SC: 69.1%

• ST: 64.8%

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Digital Divide by Income (MPCE - Monthly Per Capita Consumption Expenditure)

Broadband Access by Economic Class

• Lowest 10%: 71.6% don't have broadband.

• Highest 10%: Only 1.9% lack broadband.

• Second lowest decile: 56.2% have broadband.

• Economic status strongly affects broadband access.

Government View

• High-speed Internet is a basic utility, like water or electricity.

• Suggestion: Subsidise broadband for the poorest for universal access.

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Mobile and Telephone Connectivity

Household Access

• Rural: 94.2%

• Urban: 97.1%

Mobile Phone Use (Aged 15+)

• Urban: 92.4% can use mobile phones.

• Rural: 83.9% can use mobile phones.

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Disparities in Mobile Usage

By Gender and Caste

• General category women using mobile exclusively:

  • Rural: 25.3%, Urban: 51.2%

• SC, ST, OBC women and men use mobiles less than general category.

Technology Used

• Rural 4G users: Just over 50%

• Urban 4G users: Over 70%

• 40.4% of population still use technology older than 4G.

• 5G usage is negligible.

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Digital Skills in the Population

Basic Tasks Measured

• Internet use

• Sending/receiving emails

• Copy-pasting in documents

• Arithmetic in spreadsheets

• Online banking

Skill Levels (Aged 15+)

• Internet Use:

  • Rural: 53.6%, Urban: 74%

• Emails:

  • Rural: 20%, Urban: 40%

• Copy-paste:

  • Rural: 40%, Urban: 60%

• Spreadsheet operations: Very low.

• Online banking: 37.8% nationwide.

  By: Shivam Saxena