Apar GuptaIn Digital India, individual harms are left unaddressed and the creation of regulatory and institutional frameworks is rejected to favour the mirage of innovation.
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Left Out of Cowin
India is currently in the throes of a catastrophic second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has exposed the severe lack of our health infrastructure. Since March 2021, we have seen the situation spiral out of control to the extent that people are now left with no choice but to crowdsource life-saving drugs, oxygen cylinders and hospital beds on the internet. Technology is serving us during this crisis and it is natural for it to be viewed as a measure for vaccination. Here, the principal response has been through the CoWin portal that has been launched by the Government of India to digitise the vaccination drive. It is, however, resulting in vaccine exclusion and a lack of privacy.
Bridging India’s digital divide during COVID-19 requires a comprehensive strategy: Part 1
COVID-19 has forced the world to retreat and the internet has become more integral than ever before. The internet supports people to work from home, take online classes, stay in touch with loved ones, and access essential facilities. These essential facilities include e-payments, e-commerce, videoconferencing, instant messaging, critical information sites, e-medicine, social media, general entertainment, e-governance, etc. It also supports the continuing operation of institutions within government and the judiciary. These manifold applications of the internet convey the urgency for policymakers to support people on the wrong side of the digital divide.
Bridging India’s digital divide during COVID-19 requires a comprehensive strategy: Part 2
Robust internet governance is needed for equity and will support people to negotiate this pandemic as everyday life ports to the internet. Interventions must embed principles of proportionality, transparency and accountability which are centred on progressive constitutional and human rights value systems.
Due to lockdowns and social distancing, Internet usage and resulting traffic has shifted in a manner which diverges from existing network design and concomitant network capacities. This shift in internet usage in terms of total and peak traffic loads caused a surge in the use of high bandwidth low-latency solutions like real time video conferencing apps. This has also been an uptick in the general usage of services like video content services, social networks, live streaming platforms, video gaming, etc.