The Townhall with Mr. Amandeep Singh Gill, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies, held at the 7th Digital Citizen Summit 2025 at T-Hub Hyderabad, focused on the theme “People & Platforms: Let’s Talk Accountability.”
DetailsArtificial Intelligence (AI), a technology that collects, classifies, and identifies patterns in data to perform tasks that are usually done by humans, can be considered one of the most prominent buzzwords of the 21st century.
DetailsUntil a few months back, Kalawati, a housewife from rural Ajmer, would mostly watch videos and reels on her son’s smartphone. Like her, many rural women across the country are made to hear, “Phone to mardon ke liye hota hai. Aurton ke haath me phone aye toh bas bigadne ka darr satane lagta hai” (Phones are meant for men—when a woman gets a phone, there is a fear of her going astray).
DetailsIn rural India, women have never been just caregivers—they have always been the backbone of their communities, the ‘silenced’ architects of the rural economy. Women-led micro-enterprises make up 20% of all MSMEs, employing 22–27 million people. Yet, an overwhelming 82% remain trapped in informality (NITI Aayog, 2023).
DetailsThe role of women in care work and reproductive labour has been discussed extensively in popular media and critical feminist scholarship. In a rapidly digitalising country, patriarchy has successfully penetrated the digital realms, reinforcing divides that are not only spatial between the rural and the urban but starkly gendered, too.
DetailsThe Digital Swaraj Fellowship concluded its first Cohort 2023-2024 with a reflective three-day workshop from July 1-3, 2024, marking a significant milestone in the journey towards building a generation of youth for a robust digital ecosystem in India.
DetailsThe Digital Swaraj Fellowship is a well-conceived program that applies the philosophy of Swaraj (meaning ‘self-governance’) to digital innovation in a democracy. It draws inspiration from Gandhi’s principles and integrates them with the ideals of constitutional democracy, exploring how technology can be embedded into societal processes.
DetailsOsama has been a good friend, guide, mentor, and a well-wisher to me for the last nine years. He is a visionary with 20 years of experience in transforming the lives of people and discussing the importance of digital in our lives.
DetailsAs the first cohort of Digital Swaraj Fellowship comes to an end, reflecting on the whole journey has been a mix of experiences, learnings and emotions. The seed that was sown a year back has started sprouting, and the aim, going forward, is to nurture it to become a full-grown tree in the coming years.
DetailsThere is a considerable difference in the consumption of digital information between rural and urban India. The access to the digital world is limited, in the case of rural India, by the digital divide. As per a study by the Internet and Mobile Association of India, only 29% of rural India can access the internet, compared to 64% of the urban population.
DetailsThis piece narrates my journey from being a resident of the Ziro Valley to a source of information and knowledge for my people. The opportunity given to me by Digital Empowerment Foundation, was a game changer for my professional life.
DetailsRuben is serving as the Center Coordinator at the Wireless for Community (W4C) Center in Vodarevu in Chirala, a coastal town in Andhra Pradesh state of India. The centre is popularly known as Vodarevu ISOC centre.
Details“This is the spot that gets a signal. Apart from this the entire village and in fact the entire island is unconnected” said Mukesh (name changed). Sawariyadigar is a village located on a river island in Nandurbar district of Maharashtra. The village has no access to the world outside; no road, rail, bridge, or even connectivity.
Details“Arrey yaar! Network aa hi nahi raha hai! (oh man there is no network)” groaned Saurabh, my colleague as we started our journey from Turtuk to Leh. The 200 km journey is amongst the most scenic roads I have been on. I was relying on his mobile hotspot since even with two sims I was disconnected.
DetailsThe joy of skywatching is never limited to young children. A sense of humility and wonder sets in effortlessly when one looks up into the vast expanse spotting the stars, constellations and planets. In a world where clear night skies are hard to find because of light pollution, spending the whole night understanding astronomy is a great treat. Even more exciting is the fact that digital mediums help in gaining more knowledge about the cosmic world.
DetailsSTEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) subjects not only fosters innovative thinking and serves as a foundation on which many skills get developed but instills confidence, stimulates the mind to think out of the box, provides a good platform to build human relationships through peer interaction, gives better opportunities to connect with the real world and keeps the curiosity to learn alive.
DetailsI left for Jasidih, Jharkhand on 5th of February for training for Digital Didis’ who are going to work in the Jamui district of Bihar. Boarding the train from Kolkata Station, my mind was filled with all the thoughts that arose from the conversations I had with my family and colleagues when they got to know that I will be travelling alone to Bihar.
DetailsA few miles away from a town that is famously recognized for donkeys, Barabanki, one can glide to the rhythmic tune emanating from the hand looms along the lanes with kacha and pakka houses spread around the villages.
DetailsPammi Shukla is a Digital Sarthak training and mentoring Women Entrepreneurs of Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh. She shares about her experience, “A monotonous schedule, a 9 am to 3 pm job, a teaching career, was all that I had before the onset of the devastating pandemic.
DetailsRekha Kumari is a Digital Sarthak training and mentoring Women Entrepreneurs of Ramgarh, Jharkhand sharing her story, “I have heard stories of inspirational women all over the globe through the means of newspapers or sometimes television channels.
DetailsBabli from Nuh, Haryana shares her story, “I come from a social setting where people are riddled with the mentality that a woman is meant for getting married, cleaning, giving birth to kids and then looking after them. This was something that has always disturbed me as a woman myself.
DetailsAarti is a Woman Entrepreneur from Bharatpur, Rajasthan who shares,“Imagine being locked up in a room for years and having missed all the developments that happen in the world outside the confined room.
DetailsNeesha is one of the Women Entrepreneurs from Bharatpur, Rajasthan who trained under Digital Sarthak program and she shares her success story, “I was a mother, a housewife and someone who was trying to achieve more than what was expected of me.
Details“The trip to Assam was one of a kind and also it was my first visit to the state of simplicity, as I would like to call it. But, ‘simplicity’ would be hard to justify if we were to compare the most popular North-Eastern city, Guwahati, with the cultural capital Nagaon.
DetailsIndia level Civil Society Consultation to contribute to the campaign of United Nation’s ‘Global Digital Compact’ with the presence of UN Secretary General’s Office of Envoy on Technology, Dr Amandeep Singh Gill- there will be about 100 civil society organizations and as many community practices from all over India.
DetailsSeven years later, on the 16th of December 2002, the Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) was established to connect and empower India’s one billion plus people, taking the first step in the country’s digital development story. At the time, most Indians did not have access to information, education, and opportunities.
Details“Chal chal, saanp seedi khelte hain (come come let’s play snakes and ladders)” said Saleem (name changed), an 8-year-old to his friend. They both proceeded to the Makerspace stall of the Digital Empowerment Foundation. Pankaj, DEF’s project officer for the makerspace project, was surrounded by 15 children, all expressing their excitement over the activities he was curating for them.
DetailsCritical thinking skills are much valued in the current world and often enables the new generation to question the relevance of the practices in society. This proves to be refreshing in bringing open mindedness and different outlooks on any situation. These skills will further empower students to actively participate and contribute to the world by connecting with the scientific temperament. DEF has been actively engaged in focussing on STEM education through its well monitored programs.
DetailsSamarth SoochnaPreneur program, where rural people who are differently abled are trained to be digital entrepreneurs, has become successful on every front. It has been able to provide digital services and awareness to the unconnected society whose welfare depends on it and at the same time empowered the lives of those who were disempowered by the norms, limitations and standards set by the society.
DetailsA privileged few to whom information is available at the tip of their fingers take access to information for granted and it becomes hard to fully grasp what the consequences of lack of such access to information are. Nearly half of India’s rural and semi-urban women and adolescent girls face various health related issues due to lack of adequate knowledge about menstrual hygiene.
DetailsWith changing times, Chanderi is now better recognized for the popular fabric that the town has been weaving for years, while originally it was the other way around. With the rising sun that reflects its warm rays on at least half a dozen lakes distributed resourcefully across town, one of the numerous signs of prevailed prosperity, the sight of milking of cows that graze the lush hills surrounding Chanderi from which many women procure firewood on a daily basis to provide meals for their families cannot be missed.
DetailsSustainable living is not something that exists only in the urban dictionary. The Digital Didi program has allowed us to look at this way of living in a rural and conservative set up. Social and financial exclusions have been around for quite some time and the efforts to bridge these gaps have also been taken up.
DetailsMany SoochnaPreneurs across India have eventually found ways to help their communities grow in bigger ways. The training that skillfully empowers their empathising personality has pushed them to seek better means of bringing further changes on a large scale and here is a testimonial to support this.
DetailsSTEM has been the talk of many interventions in the education field and here is an excerpt from a DEF Dialogue which explores this aspect along with looking at the very definition of it from a purpose oriented perspective.
DetailsSoochnaPreneur program is one of the unique programs launched by DEF which always brings surprising elements into the sphere of social work. Most often, the SoochnaPreneurs share their stories of their learnings quite vividly and here is one such anecdote from Tarana Nazmi of Jharkhand.
DetailsHomelessness is a worldwide problem and government agencies and civil society organisations have come up with various initiatives to suppress the problem. However, none of the initiatives have been completely successful.
DetailsTea gardens of West Bengal spread mostly over the northern part of the state near sub-Himalayan hills and adjacent terrain. The population in these regions majorly belongs to scheduled caste and scheduled tribes, thus limiting their access to various necessities in life.
DetailsThe success stories of SoochnaPreneurs, Digital Sarthaks and Samarth SoochnaPreneurs continue to grow in quantity and quality as they are making the best use of the support system, resources and skills to improve their living. Nisha Tuti is a woman entrepreneur from Jharkhand and she is well acquainted with grocery business.
DetailsIn recent years, the notion of rural development has evolved; converging itself to governance and digital inclusion. The aim is to provide the basic services to the community inclusive of all those processes through which common people can access their confidential data and information about the government and its various development programs.
DetailsThe Digital Empowerment Foundation has always believed in a bottom up approach. All our programs are developed with consultation with stakeholders at the ground level. From district coordinators to SoochnaPreneurs, we regularly speak with them to understand the needs and requirements of the communities we work with.
DetailsThe Digital Empowerment Foundation presented its work at the Tenth Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning hosted by Commonwealth of Learning (COL) and Athabasca University (AU) from 14 to 16 September 2022.
DetailsWhen Indians termed ‘inspirational’ the story of a girl who climbed up a hill for a signal to access online classes during the pandemic and sat under an umbrella in the sun to study, Osama Manzar shook his turbaned head in disbelief. “It was deprivation news, not inspiration news.”
DetailsThe Internet came to India in 1995 and it brought a host of opportunities for this rising economy and developing nation. A few pioneers in the field grabbed this opportunity with both hands and got onto the Internet exploring its functions and its wide scope.
DetailsI have not worn anything other than handloom clothings for the last 20 years or perhaps even more. Except for rare occasions when we need some extra cover for extraordinarily low temperatures.
DetailsKalapuri collaborates with roughly 150 female artisans in the thriving village of Yalgud, some 30 kilometres from Kolhapur, to create imitation jewellery inspired by traditional Maharashtrian designs.
DetailsA Financial Education and Counselling (FEC) team has been formed consisting of a consortium of four partners namely DEF along with Fair Climate Fund (FCF), the Indian Institute of Banking Management (IIBM)
DetailsThe Covid-19 pandemic has forced everything to go online and this has restricted the movement of people in the workplace and offline workshops and training have been put to a halt. The Smartpur team has not been able
DetailsDigital Empowerment Foundation has been working towards connecting the unconnected and bridging the digital divide for the last 20 years and this endeavour has taken us to over 135 districts of the country across
Details“Those who don’t have education behind them don’t have anything” said Mushtaq Hussain, a resident of Tinda Mohalla, Dal Lake. Dal Lake has several small islands that are home to nearly 100,000 people;
Details“What is this?” I asked, looking at a feature phone hanging next to the man sitting in a meat shop. He said “it’s a radio; earlier this was my phone but as you know, lately these phones are of no use, so now it is my radio.”
Details“There is no Ola or Uber here sir, try to book through Jugnoo” said Naseer, our host in Srinagar. We decided to book a homestay instead of a hotel for our stay because we had gone during the peak of the season and none
DetailsAssam has been providing India and the rest of the world with high quality tea for the last 150 years now. Any visitor going to Assam will experience the aroma and savour the unique malty flavour of Assam tea.
DetailsRisk Communication and Community Engagement is a program that Digital Empowerment Foundation has been doing with the support of UNICEF. The program aims to spread health awareness amongst people across
DetailsDisappearing acts are quite popular among the magicians, but when the act is heading towards becoming quite literal, threatening an end to the long standing art form among street performers, they go looking
DetailsSoochnaPreneur is an initiative of Digital Empowerment Foundation to create digital women entrepreneurs who provide access to vital information to their communities along with earning an income for themselves.
DetailsGlobalisation has normalised cross country movement to a large extent adding an explorative value addition to the cultural exchange that follows. While most of us cherish such an experience, it often slips from our minds
DetailsHere are a few stories from the women entrepreneurs who are being trained in digital tools in the district of Alwar in Rajasthan. The unique theme in this month’s stories has been the focus that the Digital Sarthak trainers
DetailsLast December, on the 20th foundation day of Digital Empowerment Foundation, a panel was organized to discuss “opportunities and challenges vis-a-vis digital development in the next 20 years” by CDPP and DEF.
DetailsWhile some parts of the world complain about being spoiled for choice, it is heartening to see some other parts struggling to find a voice in a choiceless environment. Unfortunately, even the 21st century does not allow
DetailsFor any project to see its full potential, community mobilization plays an integral role as the purpose of the schemes would not be served unless the beneficiaries are fully aware about their entitlements.
DetailsWomen empowerment plays a pivotal role in the overall development of any country besides positively impacting the day to day lives of women. The progressive change in the fields of employment and information technology
DetailsIt seems like 20 years is a long journey. Someone asked me what after 20 years, I feel like changing the name to Digital Disempowerment Foundation. The job is certainly going to change. I would like to share here
DetailsWhat is the government’s perspective on digitization? I am sure all of you are aware that our national government has launched a flagship program called “Digital India”. This was done 6 and a half years ago.
DetailsThe digital services received through the Internet are both a communication channel and a marketplace. In a way, it can be called a global integrator. But the fruits of such services are not easily accessible to all.
DetailsMany lost education and job opportunities as life inclined towards the online mode during the Covid-19 pandemic. Covid related information seldom reached the remote corners of the country. The digital divide became
DetailsI have been working at Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) for the last 10 years under various programs and now I am handling Digikargha, a social enterprise that works towards the digital empowerment
Details“If I don’t understand something I just ask Sushma and without hesitating she comes immediately and helps me” said Anita Kumari, a Samarth SoochnaPreneur (SSP) from the village of Beyang in Ramgarh district of Jharkhand.
DetailsParwada in Visakhapatnam is an industrial area; consequently, talks of industrial safety measures and fire hazards are frequent among its inhabitants. Ever since a fire broke out last year and claimed eleven lives
DetailsI have been travelling to Smartpur’s locations across the ten districts in India and this is a travelogue of my journey to the district of Nuh, Haryana where there are 10 Smartpur centres. Having connected with the district
DetailsOn 11th Feb, 2022 I got an opportunity to visit the Smartpur centre in Nuh. The primary vision of the program is to empower marginalised communities in information dark regions to access, consume
DetailsOn the occasion of International Women’s day, Kaithwalya Hub Centre in Ghazipur district held an elaborate celebration to commemorate its women participants and its students for their outstanding contributions.
DetailsOn International Women’s Day, beyond the long conversations on women’s rights, never ending debate on gender equality vs equity, testimonials of change or intellectual talks on feminism, we had the opportunity
DetailsSince the establishment of a DEF Centre at Vikrampur two years ago, we have worked tirelessly to organise activities and drives that help us remain true to the vision of ‘Smartpur’. Many noteworthy activities
DetailsEarly that morning around 8 am we started from Pondicherry to visit our RCCE (Risk Communication Community Engagement) volunteers in Chennai. As we didn’t know the exact location, Sindhu
DetailsAt the onset of the pandemic in 2020, nobody could have foreseen how long it would last, how quickly it would spread, and how many lives it would claim. Two years have passed and in 2022,
DetailsThe internet is an incredibly powerful tool and its importance in today’s world cannot be exaggerated. Information about all the topics we can think of exists on the internet. However, not all that information
DetailsIt is not uncommon to associate big cities with the ideas of ever increasing employment opportunities and a sense of freedom that the young seek and a notion of security and comfort sought by the old.
Details“These kids don’t have access to digital devices, I have been trying to support these 8 families here by raising funds with my friends to distribute food to them every couple of weeks but I don’t know how to support
DetailsSonia runs a Community Information Resource Center (CIRC) in Vitchanthangal village, Kanchipuram district. She helps her customers gain access to online services like government documents, pan card, aadhaar card,
DetailsThe “3rd WiFi India Virtual Summit” was organized by Broadband India Forum (BIF) on 22nd January, 2022. Following the decision by the Union Cabinet which approved the setting up of public WiFi networks across India
Details“Digital Rights Explored: Local Rights, Global Perspective”, is a podcast series hosted by Media and Information Literacy Expert Network (MILEN) which revolves around some case studies of violations of digital rights across
DetailsThis travelog is about traveling by road, day and night, with people to publicly talk to the government in Rajasthan about the meaning of daily harassment of basic rights of the masses because of the non performance,
DetailsDigital Empowerment Foundation’s journey of 19 years, since 2002, has shown how they have taken a community driven approach in all of their policies. All along, they also advised several wings of the government to formulate
DetailsWith over half of India’s population unconnected to the Internet, the country is divided into haves and have nots. People who have access tend to be well educated and have higher income, while people who lack it tend to
DetailsAs the world is turning more digital every passing day, the problem of e-waste also increases. The increasing use of electronic devices and rapid development in these devices means there is more electronic waste lying outside
DetailsDespite being considered a cornerstone of democracies, media, has also played an active role in stoking ethnic killings, and genocide. Indian media is mirroring behavioural patterns under the garb of freedom of speech by
DetailsOsama Manzar travels by road through the coasts of Chirala in Andhra Pradesh and makes visits to several digital interventions of Digital Empowerment Foundation that are making a difference in the lives of weavers,
DetailsThe Access (In)Equality Index [AEI] of OP Jindal Global University, 2021 puts a sharper and timely light on growing inequality in India in terms of access to health care, sanitation, water, education, decent work and other socio-economic opportunities.
DetailsWhen the lockdown was first imposed in March 2020 and everything was shut down, rural and remote India was the worst hit. Unlike the urban populations, people from rural and remote locations in India didn’t have access to…
DetailsThe Legatum Center at MIT has been conducting research on Innovation-driven enterprises (IDE) that are unlocking significant business and societal value by solving systemic problems that conventional business models have not been able to solve.
DetailsIt’s interesting that we must share and narrate this story with so many friends throughout time. It is hard to begin with describing who I am, especially when there has been an evolution of thinking and applying and a growth of consciousness over time.
DetailsChouttupal is a one hour drive from Hyderabad on the Hyderabad-Vijayawada highway. Jagdish, Digital Empowerment Foundation’s project officer in Chouttupal had sent me the location of DEF’s centre in Chinna Kondur village near Chouttupal.
DetailsThe COVID-19 pandemic led to the nationwide lockdown in March 2020. The millions of migrants living in cities lost their source of livelihood and head back to their villages. Deepak Kumar Munda, 21 was one such migrant worker.
DetailsJakhopur is a small village near Tijara. As one enters the village one can often be welcomed by camels with a cart tied to them navigating through the narrow lanes of the village. The narrow lanes meet at an intersection where a group of men can be seen sitting and chatting.
DetailsDigital Empowerment Foundation has been working in the district of Barabanki for the last seven years. With one hub center in the village of Saidanpur, DEF has expanded to 60 villages in the district through their entrepreneurs.
DetailsOver the past years India has seen some of the most adverse fallouts of online misinformation. Whether it is the form of offline violence, social panic, or targeted campaigns of harassment, the problematics of misinformation
DetailsIndia enacted Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (IT Rules, 2021) on 25 May 2021 that regulates user generated content and is being criticised for directly unleashing
DetailsIn June 2021, Research and Advocacy division of DEF along with Osama Manzar (Founder-Director of DEF) the Projects division organized a webinar to interact with the DEF’s Soochnapreneurs and Smartpur Coordinators
DetailsBritish Council and Digital Empowerment Foundation [DEF] started a flagship programme by the name English and Digital for Girls’ Education [EDGE] with an aim to develop English skills and digital literacy as well as
DetailsArif was from a very small but highly populated village called Tain. The village is a part of one of the most underdeveloped areas in India called Mewat. Just 65 kilometres from Delhi, development unfortunately failed to reach the region.
DetailsThe second wave of Covid-19 has shattered the healthcare system, which was already wounded since the first wave brought by the Covid-19 pandemic. The situation on the ground is rapidly changing in terms of the rising number of cases, lockdown…
DetailsThe times are difficult for all of us, someone is losing their life, and someone is losing their job and their only source of livelihood.
DetailsWhen people successfully become adept at Twitter, it can help them to make connections with people they would not have otherwise encountered, and strengthen existing relationships by encouraging conversation that is likely to be topical and interesting to others.
DetailsCricket in India is a religion as it is repeatedly said by commentators, experts and fans. Indian men’s cricket team boasts of the biggest fan support in the world and thus enables Indian cricket board…
DetailsThirty years since the invention of Internet there are still regions without any connectivity. There are still villages that don’t know about Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram…
DetailsIf you are a regular, avid (even if sadly an unsubscribed) user of Spotify, you must be tired of listening to this, and other such advertisements popping up, and ruining the whole music experience.
DetailsThe year 2020 is coming to an end, fore most part of the year many of us stayed locked inside our houses and tried avoiding social gatherings as much as possible. Educational Institutions and offices all were forced to close down.
DetailsThe Social Dilemma is an American docudrama movie directed by Emmy Award winning director Jeff Orlowski. The movie talks about the rising impact of the social media applications on human lives…
DetailsWith all its pros and cons, social media has been proved to be successful in creating a democratic space in terms of giving platform to people from all walks of life, often blurring the boundaries of what is explored below the rural and urban divide…
DetailsHave you ever been part of an award night? No, Neither I. I never really got to attend those Sahara Awards that my father used to get passes for. But who knew that All That Jazz of the award gala night would become thing of past?…
DetailsEvery human being is an ensemble of multiple pieces of unique information and data points, almost like a machine. The human civilisation has always attempted to discover itself, and the ‘machine’ like tendencies and processes that make up an individual.
DetailsIf one would recall the times when features phones were new, wireless Internet a rarity and text messages chargeable, there would still be somebody or the other who would share a long prayerful message.
DetailsSocial stigma, cultural differences, linguistic diversity, traditional practices, localised community believes & practices — all of them are hallmarks of India. In the middle of deep social & traditional practices…
DetailsThe digital revolution, especially the rise and pervasiveness of mobiles and smart phones powered by apps, have given new meaning to communication across ethnic and linguistic diversity .
DetailsAbout five kilometres from Tamil Nadu’s Musiri, a famous weaver cluster, is a small village in the district of Trichy called Manamedu. At its heart is a computer centre equipped with everything required to digitally enable the community’s weavers.
DetailsOsama Manzar Founder and Director of DEF spoke with Nashim Hashmi who was associated with Digital Empowerment Foundation as a centre coordinator.
Details“I used to attend Award functions organised by Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) where innovators from across the world participated. There I came across Magsaysay Award winner Mahabir Pun from Nepal who worked in the field of connectivity.
DetailsCOVID-19 pandemic has changed the daily routine of people’s lives. On March 25, the government of India announced nationwide lockdown till April 14, 2020, again extended till May 3, 2020, closing schools,
DetailsThe Covid-19 crisis is expected to have a lasting economic effect on many low-income communities across the country, especially in rural India. The lockdown led to a halt in the main source of livelihood for many families in villages, making survival tough…
Detailsबिहार के आरा जिले के ललन यादव दिल्ली के वज़ीरपुर में मछली मोहल्ले में रहते हैं. ललन को कोरोना से अधिक रोज़गार की चिंता सता रही है. वह कहते हैं, “हमलोग मज़दूर आदमी कमायेंगे नहीं तो परिवार खायेगा क्या. मैं अपने घर में अकेला कमाने वाला हूँ. मार्च से काम नहीं मिला है.
Detailsदिल्ली के इंदिरा विकास कॉलोनी में रहने वाले 32 वर्षीय प्रमोद दास लॉकडाउन की बढ़ती अवधि से चिंतित हैं। प्रमोद निर्माण के क्षेत्र में दिहाड़ी-मज़दूरी करते हैं। वह कहते हैं, “पहले तो प्रदूषण के कारण काम बंद रहा। अब कोरोना वायरस के कारण काम मिलना बंद हो गया है। हम लोग दिहाड़ी-मज़दूरी करते हैं, काम नहीं मिलेगा तो कहां से खाएंगे?”
Detailsबिहार के पश्चिमी चंपारण के पचकहर गांव की 35 वर्षीय मनीषा देवी को राशन कार्ड में संशोधन के लिए आवेदन दिए हुए इस महीने की 27 तारीख को पूरे दो वर्ष हो जायेंगे, उन्हें अपने राशन कार्ड का अब तक इंतज़ार है. मनीषा कहती हैं, “राशन कार्ड के लिए चक्कर लगा-लगा कर थक गयी, अब तक राशन कार्ड बन कर नहीं आया”.
Detailsलिंचिंग जैसी घटनाएं रुकने का नाम नहीं ले रहीं हैं. आये दिन कहीं न कहीं भीड़ किसी को भी पकड़ कर हत्या कर दे रही है. 16 अप्रैल, 2020 को भीड़ ने महाराष्ट्र के पालघर में 2 साधु समेत उनके ड्राइवर की पीट-पीट कर हत्या कर दी. शुरुआती ख़बरों के अनुसार इलाके में बच्चा चोरी की अफ़वाह गर्म थी.
Details“मर्ज़ कहीं और है दवा कहीं और ढूंढ रही है सरकार,” यह बात रिहाई मंच के सचिव राजीव यादव ने आईटी एक्ट, 2000 में इंटरमेडियरी के दिशा-निर्देशों में सरकार के द्वारा किये जा रहे रहे बदलाव के संदर्भ में कही. राजीव आगे कहते हैं, “लिंचिंग के लिए फेक न्यूज़ और सोशल मीडिया से कहीं अधिक ज़िम्मेदार राजनीतिक वातावरण है.
Detailsनिष्पक्ष पत्रकारिता किसी भी लोकतंत्र के फलने-फूलने के लिए महत्तपूर्ण है. हाल के दिनों में ये देखा जा रहा है कि अधिकतर पत्रकार सत्ता पक्ष का शंख बजा रहे हैं. सत्ता पक्ष को छोड़ कर विपक्ष को कटघरे में खड़ा करने की कोशिश कर रहे हैं. सरकार के खिलाफ उठने वाली हर आवाज़ को देशविरोधी बता कर उन्हें दबाने का प्रयास कर रहे हैं.
Detailsभीड़ के द्वारा हो रही हत्याएं थमने का नाम नहीं ले रही हैं. आए-दिन कहीं न कहीं से हत्या की ख़बरें आती रहती हैं. कहीं गाय ले जा रहे किसी व्यक्ति को कोई भीड़ घेर कर हत्या कर देती है, तो कहीं बच्चा चोर के नाम पर किसी सड़क चलते व्यक्ति की भीड़ जान ले लेती है.
Detailsइंटरनेट ने समाज को अलग-अलग ढंग से बदला है. इंटरनेट ने नए-नए सोशल मीडिया प्लेटफॉर्म को जन्म दिया. सोशल मीडिया प्लेटफॉर्म ने समाज के सबसे निचले तबके तक को एक आवाज़ दी, एक पहचान दी. सामाजिक परिवर्तन में यह एक अहम भूमिका निभा रहा है. सोशल मीडिया से शुरू हुए मीटू आंदोलन ने पूरी दुनिया को झकझोर दिया.
DetailsIt has been more than two years since Manisha Devi, 35, applied for a correction in her ration card, the document that 814 million Indians officially classified as poor must have to get cheap food from the government. When she was single, Devi shared her name on the ration card with her father.
DetailsThe article tries to understand the chronology of events that started rumors, fake news and misinformation about COVID-19 that eventually managed to spread across the communities. It highlights the conditions that provide a fertile ground for rumors and the role that social media and word of mouth play in giving them unprecedented speed and reach.
Details“We need immediate help to ensure our mobiles are working and we can make calls,” said one of the migrant workers stranded on the road from Delhi towards Bundelkhand. Another said, “Our pre-paid amount is over and we do not have money to recharge our phones.”
DetailsShivkumari, an Internet Saathi from Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, is currently producing 300 masks per day and is supplying it to the local hospitals. At the time of writing, she had received an order of 16,000 masks from a government hospital out of which she has delivered 2500.
DetailsAn awareness program on Corona Virus was held at Kuruvimalai, Tamil Nadu, on March 14, 2020 under the Health pillar. Twenty Seven people were in attendance and was conducted by Roselin, the resource person for this program. The reason for conducting awareness camp…
DetailsWith new cases reported every day, corona virus has disrupted the people’s life globally. The pandemic has had a major effect on the entire social and economic structure of the society. In India, limited healthcare resources like covid-kits, medicines, masks, PPEs among others is one of the major issues.
DetailsIt is about a month that the onset of Coronavirus or Covid-19 in India has become prominent. Described a rudimentary virus like any other normal cold, fever and chest congestion; its spread can be so fast and certain that the causalities both as sufferers and deaths can reach a very high proportion.
DetailsDigital Empowerment Foundation’s team in Nuh works closely with the community through the Community Information Resource Center to cater to the various digital needs. In the time of Covid-19, they have been producing masks which we went to collect to distribute to those in need in Delhi.
DetailsNot much sets the village of Saidanpur, Barabanki, apart from any other village in India. At least that’s one’s first impression. Until he / she dares to take a closer look at the jaw dropping craftsmanship that happens inside each of the villagers homes.
Details“Come and sit!” That was the invitation Sharafat Ali made me, when I asked him what he had been learning in the past couple of weeks. The boy, who couldn’t have been older than twelve, kindly showed me a place to sit in his friends circle, while grabbing a couple of batteries and wires in his hands.
DetailsAlmost 27 years ago the World Wide Web rolled out the red carpet for the public without discrimination. Yet, today we stand here still talking about a digital divide that continues to exist, pushing people further into marginalisation, now more than ever before.
Details“There is a crisis of a condition that has happened in our lives as the members of the human society. The condition being that we are now isolated and our regular interaction suddenly disrupted.
DetailsAbhinav Pandya is a SoochnaPreneur (Information Entrepreneur) from Guna, Madhya Pradesh. He has been working on the ground to ensure the community’s safety from the corona virus by delivering money to their homes from the schemes that the government has put in place for them.
DetailsPrabhu, a 29 year old digital entrepreneur has been working in the district of West Champaran, Bihar, as a DEF representative from the past few years. As a digitally equipped SoochnaPreneur (Information Entrepreneur) he has been diligently serving the people in his village Fachkahar by providing access to digital services and ensuring government entitlements.
DetailsDigital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) through its flagship programme Chanderiyaan has been demonstrating the power of digital intervention to improve the financial status of traditional artisans of Chanderi in Madhya Pradesh and creating a model for traditional-skill based clusters for over 10 years now.
DetailsCovid-19 DEFDialogue is a special series initiated by Digital Empowerment Foundation where the Founder & Director Osama Manzar connects with key individuals within the DEF network in 600 locations across 25 states.
Details“Essential items have become costlier. Now, getting food is becoming difficult because there is no work or earning,” said Mohammed Shiraj Ansari from Saidanpur cluster of Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh who is one of the many weavers who earn a living through daily wages.
Details“We need immediate help to ensure our mobiles are working and we can make calls,” said one of the migrant workers stranded on the road from Delhi towards Bundelkhand.
DetailsAs public health and safety measures like social distancing and lockdowns demonstrated agile responses like work from home for many of the urban milieu, a rapid assessment survey by Jan Sahas showedpaid wages.
DetailsShivkumari, an Internet Saathi from Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, is currently producing 300 masks per day and is supplying it to the local hospitals. At the time of writing, she had received an order
DetailsSocial media has seen a surge of sociality in recent times. When social platforms emerged – with a noble pursuit to make communicating as an act more accessible, democratic and personal – barely had anyone
Detailsदेश की राजधानी या यू कहे की शहरो में बैठ कर डिजिटल इंडिया, केशलेश इंडिया की कल्पना करना या सपना देखना माध्यम वर्ग और निति निर्माताओ के लिए सुखद अनुभव एवं सपना हो सकता है लेकिन दरअसल दूर दराज़ ग्रामीण इलाके
DetailsI didn’t know where Deoria was when I first heard that I had to make a trip there. I was told that it is near Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh. When I shared with others that I’m going to Deoria,
DetailsOne has seen spellbinding visuals of the Little Rann of Kutch in the magazines and the Internet, but nothing prepares you for the experience, than actually being there. I arrived in Ahmedabad, and set off for Patdi,
DetailsFor more information, please mail us at info@defindia.org
