Digital Inclusion: Strategies to Bridge Digital Divide in Farming Community

Digital inclusion is a way to empower people through Information Communication Technologies (ICTs), but the existing digital divide due to differential access to ICT tools, low digital literacy and lack of sustainable usage is the greatest hindrance to digital inclusion. Considering these facts, this study aimed at finding a suitable location specific strategy to bridge the digital divide. The study was conducted in Nasik and Varanasi districts of Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, respectively. Thirty stakeholders were selected from both districts from Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) or Farm Science Centers and line departments having frequent interaction with clientele and basic knowledge about ICT tools and services useful in agricultural information delivery. Strategic statements were prepared using previous literature, experience from different programs in India and abroad, and expert suggestions. These were graded into hierarchies and stages and were compared pairwise. Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used as a decision making tool to select best alternatives to bridge the digital divide.

Keywords:

Analytical Hierarchy Process , Access to ICT , Digital literacy , Information Communication Technologies.