Only 22% Of Schools In India Had Access To Internet In 2019-20: Report

Prime Minister Narendra Modi may have aggressively pitched his pet project 'Digital India' in various forums across the world. However, data reveals a not so pretty picture. Only 39 per cent schools in the country had computers while only 22 per cent had an internet connection in 2019-20, according to a report by Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+).

The report was put together after assessing more than 15 lakh schools by the UDISE. The data also shows that even though 84 per cent of schools have libraries on their premises, only 69.4 per cent of those libraries have books.

A Clear Digital Divide

The report highlighted the digital divide in various state. In many Union Territories and in Kerala, more than 90 per cent of the schools had access to the internet. In states like Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, installing computer facilities in government schools paid off. In contrast, in states like Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Maharashtra, private schools have better digital opportunities for students. Unfortunately, in states like Assam(13 per cent), Madhya Pradesh (13 per cent), Bihar (14 per cent ), Tripura (15 per cent) and Uttar Pradesh (18 per cent), less than one in five schools can provide computer facilities to their students, reported The Hindu.

More Than 83% Schools Had Electricity

More than 83 per cent schools had electricity in 2019-20, an improvement by almost 7 per cent over the previous year, 2018-19. "In 2012-13, about 54.6 pc schools had electricity. More than 84 pc schools in India had a library/reading room/reading corner in 2019-20, an improvement of nearly 4 pc compared to the previous year. In 2012-13, about 69.2 pc schools had library/ reading room/ reading corner," it said.

More Girls Enrolled For Pre-Primary Education

The data shows that a total of 26.45 crore students were enrolled from pre-primary to higher secondary level in 2019-20, up by 42.3 lakh as compared to the 2018-19 session. The enrollment of girls increased at all levels, highest at the pre-primary level —14.2 per cent more girls were enrolled at the pre-primary level in 2019-20 as compared to the academic year 2018-19.

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