The Impact of Digital Literacy on Social Inequality in Rural India: Bridging the Digital Divide for Inclusive Development

• Author(s): Dr. Y I Chawan
• Paper ID: 1707111
• Page: 987-998
• Published Date: 28-02-2025
• Published In: Iconic Research And Engineering Journals
• Publisher: IRE Journals
• e-ISSN: 2456-8880
• Volume/Issue: Volume 8 Issue 8 February-2025

Abstract

In rural India, where digital technology and skills remain limited, the widening digital divide fuels existing social inequalities, with digital literacy emerging as key to bridging gaps in economic opportunities, education, health care, and social services, yet despite government efforts to digitize rural sectors through initiatives such as the Digital India campaign, millions of rural dwellers, especially women, the old and cultures, remain unable to gain digital skills as infrastructure deficits, socio-economic factors, gendered inequalities and exorbitant technology costs prevent them from participating fully in the digital economy and society; this research examines how the shortfall in digital literacy in rural Indian communities exacerbates social inequality by hindering access to better job opportunities, economic mobility, quality formal education, as well as critical services like telemedicine and e-governance, focusing particularly on how marginalized communities experience these issues in varied ways based on their gender, caste and socio-economic status, and how digital literacy can be a tool of power to ameliorate disparities through equipping rural populations with the skills necessary to access online learning platforms and opportunities, skilling centres, remote work, e-commerce as well as digital finance, thus enabling them to properly engage in India growingly digitalized economy; by reviewing existing literature, government documents, case examples and digital literacy programming success stories, this paper offers a thorough framework for comprehension the impediments to digital literacy in rural India, pointing the necessity for attainable policies and targeted actions that facilitate accessible, affordable, and cross-gender both sensitive, digital literacy initiatives focused toward empowering rural communities, particularly inclusive towards women and marginalized groups, as well as providing suggestions towards policy for progressing digital infrastructure, diminishing the prices of digital gadgets and internet access, and developing learning systems adjusted to these populations, with the ultimate goal of stimulating a more inclusive, fairer, and digitally empowered rural India through the technology serving as one of the instruments for lowering social inequality along with promoting inclusive development.

Keywords

Digital Literacy, Social Inequality, Rural India, Digital Divide, Inclusive Development, Marginalized Communities

Citations

IRE Journals:
Dr. Y I Chawan "The Impact of Digital Literacy on Social Inequality in Rural India: Bridging the Digital Divide for Inclusive Development" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals Volume 8 Issue 8 2025 Page 987-998

IEEE:
Dr. Y I Chawan "The Impact of Digital Literacy on Social Inequality in Rural India: Bridging the Digital Divide for Inclusive Development" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals, 8(8)