By Rohit Verma
Edited by Anandita Malhotra,Senior editor,The Indian Economist
According to the most recent census, India is surviving with a population count of 1.2 billion, out of which the urban societys share is 69% and the rural societys share is 31%. This means about 82.8 million people live in urban areas and 37.2 million people live in rural India. Out of these massive population figures the literacy rate in urban society is around 85% and around 69% in rural. Between these two majorities of India that are rural and urban, the rural society is the more disadvantaged wedge. People in rural society do want to be educated but they want to become able to apply that knowledge into practical world. A good education must be a perfect blend of the theoretical knowledge and the practical applicability of the theories; in India there is a substantial lack of this blend.
But, now-a- days, times are changing, there are numerous examples of corporate like- Azim Premji Foundation by Wipro, Nasscom Foundation, which started the National Digital Literacy Mission in 2012 with Intel, Microsoft and other IT companies, which have already been doing exceptionally well to improve the education status and literacy rates in rural areas and the government too is taking initiatives to improve the rural wings as well. Our government has set up a target to connect around 2.5 lakh villages by 2019 digitally, this includes increase in computer and internet education in rural schools. Government and the aforementioned corporate have planned to work concurrently to boost the fragile condition of rural majority in India.
Currently, there are 251.6 million internet subscribers in India, out of this figure 92.5% people come on web by mobile phones, 0.2% use Fixed Wireless and only 7.3% have been using wired connections. Specifically in Rural Society, 33.8% use internet and 26.2% people use it on their mobile phones. The government has also been working continuously to increase these numbers by almost double.
There are multiple benefits of this policy. People will be able to use computers than to only see its pictures in books. Kids of rural society will be able to compete with the kids of urban. Our Panchayat system would also come online to what we call an e-panchayat including about 2.5 lakh panchayat committees. Government services would be available on internet. Because of the internet, people in majorly underprivileged areas will get better healthcare, trade and other services.
Though, there are several benefits to these government strategies but there might be some major loopholes in this system like wrong use of government resources by the public, thus the concerned authorities should keep a close eye over the execution of plans formulated so that it will only lead to some growth in GDP and not its reversal.
Rohit is an ingenious and a very industrious personality. He is presently pursuing Bachelor of Business Studies from Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies, University of Delhi. He has worked as a Business Development Executive for a well renowned organization, Neon Group of Institutions. He has befittingly shaped himself by grabbing much experience from organizing many college events. He has a vision to see our nation as a developed and self-reliant nation in basis by empowering the future of the country i.e., our human capital.