Proceedings of the 40th International Academic Conference, Stockholm

DIGITAL DIVIDE IN INDIA: A DISTRICT LEVEL STUDY

ATULAN GUHA

Abstract:

Despite very rapid increase in the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in India, there is a substantive level of inequality in use of digital technology exists in India. We have estimated the extent of digital inequality across the rural-urban divide, across the economic classes and across the political-geographic regions in the form of States and districts. Further, we have estimated the demand equation for ICT instrument for the household aggregated at the district level. In the process of estimating this equation, we have tried to identify the reasons for this inequality by analysing household characteristics. The estimation of the demand equation has been done by using the population census data of 2011. We found inequality of economic conditions of household, education, occupation profile, social disadvantage in the form of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe are the prime reason for this digital divide.

Keywords: Digital-Divide, India, Inequality

DOI: 10.20472/IAC.2018.040.020

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