Inclusive Digitalisation: Digital Education in Rural Areas

"Digital education should not be a privilege of the few. In a truly inclusive society, every child, no matter how remote their village, deserves access to the tools of tomorrow," said Hasan Al Banna, President, Association for Parivartan of Nation
In the heart of Banha village, nestled in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, a wave of transformative dialogue unfolded on 15th January 2019, as 78 participants, including students, teachers, and education advocates gathered for a one-day colloquium on Digital Education in Rural Areas: Key Issues, Challenges, and Opportunities. Organised by the Association for Parivartan of Nation (APNA), the event was aimed at examining the digital divide and strategising on how technology could truly reach and enrich rural classrooms.

Despite India being home to the second-highest number of internet users globally, digital inequality remains a pressing issue. While 34% of the population uses digital platforms, large parts of rural India remain disconnected, not just from the internet, but from the idea of digital access itself. This colloquium sought to explore the current challenges in implementing digital education in rural settings, discuss inclusive models of digital learning, evaluate barriers such as infrastructure gaps, digital illiteracy, and economic constraints, highlight community-led solutions and grassroots innovation.

The event began with a compelling keynote by Br. Ehtesham, a student from Birla Institute of Technology (BIT). Drawing from his fieldwork and experience, he introduced the concept of technology-integrated education and spoke about its potential to radically improve learning outcomes. "In cities, students have tablets in classrooms. In villages, children are still walking miles for chalk and books. We need to reimagine education- not just improve it,” he said, to resounding applause. Ehtesham advocated for adaptive education models, which consider the realities of rural students while also exposing them to 21st-century digital tools.
The colloquium's centrepiece was a panel discussion, moderated by Hasan Al Banna (President, APNA) and Md Raihan (Noble School for Education and Development). The panel featured Raonaque Afrozz, Sujit Kumar, Abhishek Kumar Singh, and Md Faizan—a mix of educators, social workers, and community leaders.

Key themes discussed include a lack of Infrastructure as many schools lack electricity, let alone internet or devices. It also had the component of digital illiteracy for teachers and parents often don’t know how to operate digital tools, making implementation a challenge. More so, language barriers are present since most digital content is in English, creating hurdles for Hindi and tribal-language speakers. Lastly, social inequality as girls and marginalised groups often have less access to digital education.
"If we truly want rural India to thrive, digital education must speak the local language—literally and figuratively,” said Raonaque Afrozz, a panellist and local education activist.

Participants also shared first-hand accounts of challenges faced. X, a school teacher from a nearby village, noted, "Our students are curious, eager to learn. But we don’t even have basic digital tools. We need support, not just policies.”
The colloquium concluded with a group resolution to advocate for community-based digital learning hubs, organise teacher training programmes focused on digital pedagogy, partner with local authorities to improve infrastructure and internet access, develop multilingual, culturally relevant digital content.
Hasan Al Banna, in his closing remarks, summed up the spirit of the day, “This is not just about screens and software. It's about opportunity, dignity, and inclusion. Digital education is not an option- it is a necessity.”