Lok Sabha Question No. 3080 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-08-06
Subject: Digital Literacy Among Women
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Abhishek Banerjee

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UN-STARRED QUESTION NO.3080

TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.08.2021

## DIGITAL LITERACY AMONG WOMEN

## 3080.  SHRI ABHISHEK BANERJEE:

Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) the policy initiatives or schemes being implemented by her Ministry to increase the digital literacy among women;
- (b) whether the low digital literacy among women has forced them to be dependent on others thus creating an information gap for them, if so, the details thereof along with the  steps  taken  by  her  Ministry  to  reduce  this  dependence  and  increase  women's autonomy in access to information;
- (c) whether  the  Ministry  proposes  to  launch  a  joint  action  plan  along  with  other Ministries such as education and skill development to ensure that rural women are not left behind in the process and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) if so, the target and the timeline by which it will be implemented?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a)  to  (d):  The  Ministry  of  Electronics  and  Information  Technology,  Government  of  India implements a scheme titled 'Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA)' under  Digital  India  programme to  usher  in  digital  literacy  in  rural  India  by covering 6 crore rural households (one person per household) by 31.03.2022. To ensure equitable geographical reach, each of the 2,50,000 Gram Panchayats across the country are envisaged to register an average of 200-300 candidates. The Scheme aims to bridge the  digital  divide,  specifically  targeting  the  rural  population  including  the  marginalised sections  of  society  like  Scheduled  Castes  (SC)  /  Scheduled  Tribes  (ST),  Below  Poverty Line (BPL), Women, differently-abled persons, and minorities.

Digitally literate persons are able to operate computers/ digital access devices (like tablets, smartphones,  etc.),  send  and  receive  emails,  browse  the  internet,  access  Government Services, search for information, undertake cashless transactions, etc. and hence use IT to actively participate in the process of nation-building.

As  on  02.08.2021,  approximately   5.01  crore beneficiaries have  been  enrolled  and  4.21 crore  have  been  trained  under  the  PMGDISHA  Scheme. So  far,  over  2.59  crore  women beneficiaries are registered which is 52 % of the cumulative registration count. Out of the above, over 1.78 Crore women beneficiaries are certified under the scheme which is 54 % of the total certified beneficiaries under the PMGDISHA Scheme.

In  addition,  Department  of  Higher  Education,  Ministry  of  Education  is  administering 'National  Mission  on  Education  through  Information  and  Communication  Technology' (NMEICT) Scheme, SWAYAM (Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds), SWAYAM PRABHA, National Digital Library (NDL), Virtual Lab, e-Yantra, NEAT (National Education Alliance for Technology) etc. to ensure quality education through e-learning to students across the country.

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