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Understanding the Necessity to Bridge the Digital Divide:An Evaluative Study


Affiliations
1 The Business School, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Kashmir, Jammu & Kashmir, India
     

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The term ‘Digital Divide’ refers to the difference in the amount of information among individuals who have an access to the Internet and those who lack such access. This gap includes imbalances in terms of access to Internet infrastructure, information and knowledge, and equality of opportunity depending on income, race, ethnicity, gender, or other similar criteria. This paper explores the meaning of digital divide and connects it to Indian scenario. It talks about the causes of digital divide in the society like gender, physical access, age, income, and lack of information and communication technology (ICT) skills. It also analyses the causes and remedies of Digital Divide and further discusses the role of digital libraries in eradicating the digital divide. Finally, the paper suggests some steps that need to be taken by government in order to bridge the digital divide in the country.

Keywords

Digital Divide, Digital Libraries, Gender Divide, ICTs, Role of Government.
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  • Understanding the Necessity to Bridge the Digital Divide:An Evaluative Study

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Authors

Farzana Gulzar
The Business School, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Kashmir, Jammu & Kashmir, India
Aiman Fayaz
The Business School, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Kashmir, Jammu & Kashmir, India

Abstract


The term ‘Digital Divide’ refers to the difference in the amount of information among individuals who have an access to the Internet and those who lack such access. This gap includes imbalances in terms of access to Internet infrastructure, information and knowledge, and equality of opportunity depending on income, race, ethnicity, gender, or other similar criteria. This paper explores the meaning of digital divide and connects it to Indian scenario. It talks about the causes of digital divide in the society like gender, physical access, age, income, and lack of information and communication technology (ICT) skills. It also analyses the causes and remedies of Digital Divide and further discusses the role of digital libraries in eradicating the digital divide. Finally, the paper suggests some steps that need to be taken by government in order to bridge the digital divide in the country.

Keywords


Digital Divide, Digital Libraries, Gender Divide, ICTs, Role of Government.

References