A Baseline Study on Digital Skills for Entrepreneurship and Livelihoods

2021

By Sana Alam

Advancing Digital, Financial Inclusion and Empowerment of the Farm Communities in Assam

2021

By Council for Social & Digital Development and Digital Empowerment Foundation

Analyzing the Role of Community Radio in Countering Misinformation at Grassroot Level

2021

By Tarun Pratap

Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) in collaboration with Association for Progressive Communications (APC) in order to counter the misinformation, through its project Developing Rural Ecosystem Against Misinformation (DREAM) developed a pilot based on a hyper-local fact-checking initiative rooted in community-level interventions through Community Radio Stations (CRSs) and digital Community Information Resource Centers (dCIRCs). The project used Community Radios (CRs) as a tool to reach the larger community. This report talks about the project in detail and its impact on the ground.

Axis Bank Progress Report

2021

By Axis Bank and Digital Empowerment Foundation

Digital Gap of Bihar and Jharkhand

2021

By Sana Alam

Sana Alam has tried to understand the impact of digital literacy programmes on the rural leadership and entrepreneurship skills especially focusing on women as to how they may be able to become the disseminating points of digital and financial literacy with ripple effects on their bargaining power on acquiring social security benefits.

Understanding Pradhan Mantri Street Vendor Atmanirbhar Nidhi Scheme Among Street Vendors of India

2021

By Anoushka Jha

Anoushka Jha, Research and Advocacy, has
written about the awareness regarding Pradhan Mantri Street Vendor Atmanirbhar Nidhi Scheme amongst the street vendor especially after the nation-wide lockdown due to pandemic cause by Covid-19.

Driving Online Safety and Educational Content Creation

2020

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

Ravi Guria and Pankaj Sharma of digital empowerment foundation compiled impact assessment report at the end of phase-1on driving online safety and educational content creation in the view of rising violence, regulation and potential to create far-reaching positive impact through social media.

Roti, Kapda, Makan Ya Internet ?

2020

By Anoushka Jha

Anoushka Jha, Research and Advocacy has analysed a survey conducted by Digital Empowerment Foundation wherein 16098 respondents from 4 states and 51 districts were asked to rank Roti, Kapda, Makan, Employment, Mobile and Internet in order of preference.

Understanding Agriculture and ICT Practices in India

2020

By Anoushka Jha

Anoushka Jha, Research and Advocacy, has tried to understand the existing agricultural practices, agrarian finance, production, storage and distribution of agrarian produce, and their ICT usage and practices based on a survey done in 5 states with 735 people.

GOAL- Evaluation Study

2020

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

Evaluation study of DEF’s program GOAL (Going Online As Leaders) which aims to empower young women from the tribal communities to become village-level digital leaders. Launched in February 2019 it has provided digital literacy training and mentorship to 100 women between ages 17 and 26 in five states of India.

Existing Landscape of Sexual Harassment Online

2020

By Vidisha Lal and Anoushka Jha

Vidisha Lal and Anoushka Jha have written on DEF’s survey aiming to explore people’s understanding of cyber bullying, it’s effect on the survivors, the efficiency of the solutions at hand and most importantly, the changes that can be brought about to improve the efficiency of the mechanism to counter cyber bullying

The Negative Impacts of the COVID-19 lockdown in Rural India

2020

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

DEF conducted a survey to highlight the issues faced by the people in rural regions due to the lockdown. The survey was conducted across six states in the Hindi belt: Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Shramik Sampark Setu

2020

By Syed Kazi

One of the most affected population groups due to the COVID–19 and subsequent lockdown has been migrant workers, especially those in urban areas across the country, and those of them who returned home. Syed Kazi of DEF explores this humanitarian crisis in terms access to information, facilitation, rehabilitation.

Chronology of Misinformation Report- Hindi

2020

By Osama Manzar and Anoushka Jha

Misinformation has been posing a structural challenge to the society, it even become even more precarious during the COVID––19 pandemic. The pandemic demands scientific temperament, but that has been not the case and various misinformation become prevalent across communities. Anoushka Jha and Osama Manzar of DEF help us to understand various misinformation during the pandemic and its potential harm.

Chronology of Misinformation Report- English

2020

By Anoushka Jha & Osama Manzar

Misinformation has been posing a structural challenge to the society, it even become even more precarious during the COVID––19 pandemic. The pandemic demands scientific temperament, but that has been not the case and various misinformation become prevalent across communities. Anoushka Jha and Osama Manzar of DEF help us to understand various misinformation during the pandemic and its potential harm.

DEF – USIPI Survey Finds Food Shortage and Scare Access to Medical Care in Rural Areas

2020

By DEF and USIPI

The report tries to understand the food shortages and scarce medical supplies in rural India and how people are coping with Covid-19.

Enhancing Livelihoods of Artisans and Weavers in Knowledge Economy

2020

By Digital Empowerment Foundation & Commonwealth of Learning

India has a rich and vibrant history of craft tradition and craft skills with the textile and handicrafts sector being the second largest employment generator after agriculture. In this context it becomes imperative to understand the sector analysing its different aspects. Anoushka Jha of DEF helps us to do that in terms digital intervention in the sector.

DIGI POSHAN

2020

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

The Project report of DEF’s important work in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. DEF aimed to provide an effort to leverage digital technologies and community platforms for improved nutrition standards in India.

Understanding Linkages Between onlien harmful Speech Practices & Offline Violent Action

2020

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

This report is a result of grant from Facebook and is based on months long digital ethnography of social media account and discusses the nature of volatile content and hate speech on social media and its linkages to the offline violence taking place in the society.

Improving Livelihoods of Rural Weavers through Digital Training

2020

By Anoushka Jha

Anoushka Jha has written the end-line report which aims to assess the impact of digital skill training provided to rural weavers during Covid-19 and the subsequent change in their incomes.

Factors Determining Access to Public Schemes Information and Entitlement Benefits for the Tea Tribe Community: A Qualitative Study in Assam

2020

By Syed S. Kazi

Endline Evaluation of Soochna Seva

2019

By Ipsos Public Affairs

The endline evaluation report of Soochna Seva is an impact analysis of the program Soochna Seva by IPSOS Research Private Limited. The endline was conducted among 200 end –beneficiaries and 24 stakeholders at the Block level and the Panchayat level.

Gren Prakriya- Assessing, evaluating and mapping risks involved in the informal e-Waste sector in India

2019

By Ritu Srivastava

This case studies volume is a means of reflecting on collective experience of 14 major Indian CSOs that worked on the issue of improving last mile access to public schemes information in backward districts in India during 2014-2018, and supported by the European Union in India.

Protecting FOAA Online with Encryption Technologies

2018

By Zothan Mawii

Zothan Mawii has written about the necessity of private and secure communications as a condition for the effective exercise of FoAA. How private and secure communications can be ensured by encryption technologies making the call for encryption crucial.

Kept in the Dark

2018

By Zothan Mawii, Ritu Srivastava, Shivani Lal and Bijo P. Abraham

The paper tries to understand the social and psycho- logical impact of network shutdowns on the lives of people. It has analysed media reports of shutdowns (till August 2017) and conducted interviews in the affected areas of Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir to find the inter-link between Internet shutdowns and their impact on the socio-cultural-economic well-being of citizens.

Baseline Study on Smartpur

2018

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

DEF has written the Baseline report of SmartPur in Asoor village and 9 other villages of Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu. The study identifies the status of six pillars in hub and spoke villages.

What’s Up, Rural India?

2018

By Udita Chaturvedi

‘What’s Up Rural India’ is a study of WhatsApp consumption and trend patterns in rural India carried out by Digital Empowerment Foundation

Community Networks

2017

By Ritu Srivastava

Access to connectivity is now well recognized as an enabler of socio-economic development, and can help address many of the barriers that presently exist for marginalized members of society. Ritu Srivastava of Digital Empowerment Foundation wrote experiences of India with community networks focussing regulatory, policy, spectrum, and legal challenges and how they affect Indian community networks.

Privacy in India in the Age of Big Data

2017

By Buddhadeb Halder

Buddhadeb Halder has tried to define big data in the Indian context, to further improve the understanding of big data, and help initiate public discourse around issues of privacy in the big data age.

Report: Digital Empowerment Foundation
EDGE Foundation Phase

2017

By Deepali Dharmaraj and Nataasha Southwell and Mansi Thakral

The English and Digital for Girls’ Education (EDGE) programme aims to improve the life prospects of adolescent girls in socio-economically marginalised communities in Bangladesh, India and Nepal where access to education and after-school learning is limited. The report puts light on the impact of the programme and need of educational learning such as English proficiency, digital skills and awareness of social issues in peer-led clubs.

Digiprayas- Digitisation of Villages

2017

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

The Project report of DEF’s project Digiprayas aiming to work with communities in 12 panchayats across five states, to help them seek modern forms of banking through the digital medium, by first familiarizing them with the digital interface, and then helping them access digital banking services.

Kaulava- Kollegal, Karnataka: Baseline Survey Report 2017

2017

By Ritu Srivastava, Vivek A.S.

Ritu Srivastava and Vivek A.S have written the baseline survey report to understand the ground situation of weavers in Kollegal.

Anatomy of Virtual Curfews: Human Rights vs National Security

2017

By Ritu Srivastava

Internet shutdown has become pathological response to maintain law and order but, shutting down internet directly infringe on people’s fundamental right to receive and impart information, prevent them from contacting their loved ones during emergencies, and have an adverse impact on the economy. Ritu Srivastava puts light on early warning signs such human rights violations and state violence.

NOFN SPOT STUDY REPORT- Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh

2016

By Raina Agarwal and Bijo P Abraham

National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) is an ambitious initiative to initiate broadband connectivity in rural India. Raina Agarwal and Bijo P Abraham help us to envisage envisaged as non-discriminatory access to network which helps to access information through the creation of a robust middle-mile infrastructure for reaching broadband connectivity to Gram Panchayats.

Baseline Survey Report Nokia-DEF’s Digital Cluster Programme in Kanchipuram

2016

By Rucha Deshpande, Vivek A.S

Rucha Deshpande and Vivek A.S have written a Baseline survey report on developing a traditional skill-based cluster as an integrated digitally enabled cluster to empower artisans, weavers and entrepreneurs for socio-economic prosperity. The project is being implemented in Kancheepuram district located in Tamil Nadu.

Limiting access restricting expression

2015

By Ritu Srivastava and Niki Shah

Ritu Srivastava and Niki Shah have tried to assess
the states of specific internet rights online, including freedom of expression using APC-La Rue Framework.

Digikala report – Struggling to make a life

2015

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

DEF’s report on its project Digikala in Barabanki which involves inclusive and decentralized use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in critical aspects of cluster development, especially to improve and scale up weaving skills, designs, marketing and entrepreneurship, besides creating sustainable livelihood options for youth in the clusters.

Overcoming challenges in weaving through technology

2015

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

This report underlines the impact of DigiKala, – a Digital Empowerment Foundation in partnership with Microsoft Corporate Citizenship collaborative initiative – which primarily involves inclusive and decentralised use of ICT in critical aspects of cluster development, especially to improve and scale up weaving skills, designs, marketing and entrepreneurship, besides creating sustainable livelihood options for youth in the clusters.

Study TATA-MIT Education Initiative

2014

By Shahid Ahmad and Rucha Deshpande

The TATA Trust and MIT University, USA collaborated to develop an educational program for high schools and B.Ed. colleges in three states of India using modern educational technology and Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Shahid Ahmed and Rucha Deshpande after studying their initiative, highlights challenges and some moving recommendations.

ICTs and Environmental Sustainability: Mapping national policy contexts India baseline study

2011

By Syed S. Kazi & Divya Menon

DEF in partnership with Association for Progressive Communications (APC) conducted a baseline study on the ICTs and its negative impact on the environment and ecosystem. With the growth of e-waste in India, the study aimed at developing understanding around ICTs’ sustainability and a way forward for the civil societies for ICTs’ management.

Barefoot Wireless Engineers: Using Human Networks to Grow The Internet

2021

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

An idea expands from a single community to a web of engineers, connecting thousands to opportunities

Soochna Seva- Final Narrative ReportS

2021

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

STEM FOR GIRLS

2021

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

STEM FOR GIRLS

2021

Digital Empowerment Foundation

COVID-19 Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) and Stigma & Discrimination Communication Campaign

2021

An initiative of COVID-19 response

Samarth SoochnaPreneur

2021

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

Samarth Goal Project Report

2021

Digital Empowerment Foundation

Community Radio in India: Unsung Heroes in the time of Covid-19

2021

By Ritu Srivastava

Community radios in India, with their presence in the media landscape for over 15 years, have indeed come of age.

Community Networks: Documenting and Celebrating Wireless Barefoot Engineers

2021

By Asheef Iqubbal

Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) has been working on digital access, governance and information poverty by instrumentalising Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for decades now.

A Report on Digital Literacy and Vocational Program for the Youth of Budgam District, J&K

2021

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) continuing its mission to bring digital inclusion a reality, together with School for Rural Development & Environment (SRDE, as a local parter), started a digital literacy center at Arizal village in Budgam district, Jammu & Kashmir.

Success Stories from Digital Sarthak

2021

By Sujith Ail

Digital Sarthak is a national digital entrepreneurship and empowerment programme of Digital Empowerment Foundation supported by USAID and DAI and this paper
has documented some success stories

The Digital Efficacy Of Women Micro And Nano Entrepreneurs Across India

2021

By Anoushka Jha

Anoushka Jha in this report has attempted to understand the current patterns of usage of digital tools amongst women entrepreneurs, their familiarity with financial tool and overall financial literacy, their existing business strategy and lastly their economic situation post lockdown.

Understanding Pradhan Mantri Street Vendor Atmanirbhar Nidhi Scheme Among Street Vendors of India

2021

By Anoushka Jha

Anoushka Jha, Research and Advocacy, has written about the awareness regarding Pradhan Mantri Street Vendor Atmanirbhar Nidhi Scheme amongst the street vendor especially after the nation-wide lockdown due to pandemic cause by Covid-19.

SMARTPHONES & DIGITAL SCRIPTS: Overcoming Literacy Barriers

2020

By Osama Manzar and Kriti Singh

The report has used case studies to highlight that a people using smartphone and digital technologies defy the traditional definition of calling them illiterate as they are able to operate digital tools with efficiency.

Digital Skilling of Rural Women Entrepreneurs in the time of COVID 19 Analytical report of digital

2020

By Tarun Pratap

Tarun Pratap in this report has written on the impact of digital skill building training on the rural women entrepreneurs.

Driving Online Safety and Educational Content Creation

2020

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

This is an impact assessment report done at the end of phase 1 of the EduTok which is an innovative and knowledge-based initiative that empowers TikTok users to create meaningful and inspiring content by offering a platform to not just independent creators, but also educational organisations that use TikTok to share their knowledge with millions of users, especially those who are willing to learn TikTok

Understanding Agriculture and ICT Practices in India

2020

By Anoushka Jha

Anoushka Jha, Research and Advocacy, has tried to understand the existing agricultural practices, agrarian finance, production, storage and distribution of agrarian produce, and their ICT usage and practices based on a survey done in 5 states with 735 people.

Understanding Linkages Between onlien harmful Speech Practices & Offline Violent Action

2020

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

This report is a result of grant from Facebook. It is based on months long digital ethnography of social media account and discusses the nature of volatile content and hate speech on social media and its linkages to the offline violence taking place in the society.

GOAL- Evaluation Study

2020

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

Evaluation study of DEF’s program GOAL (Going Online As Leaders) which aims to empower young women from the tribal communities to become village-level digital leaders. Launched in February 2019 it has provided digital literacy training and mentorship to 100 women between ages 17 and 26 in five states of India.

Existing Landscape of Sexual Harassment Online

2020

By Vidisha Lal and Anoushka Jha

Vidisha Lal and Anoushka Jha have written on DEF’s survey aiming to explore people’s understanding of cyber bullying, it’s effect on the survivors, the efficiency of the solutions at hand and most importantly, the changes that can be brought about to improve the efficiency of the mechanism to counter cyber bullying.

DEF’s Covid-19 Relief initiatives as a Digitally-Enabled Humanitarian Organisation

2020

By Kriti Singh

This report summaries the work done by DEF during the first wave of pandemic by implementing the Digital Emergency Relief Programme in 89 underserved districts located in 20 states of India.

Precarious Labour, Economic Inequality and Inadequate Social Protection in India

2020

By Asheef Iqubbal and Anoushka Jha

Asheef Iqubbal and Anoushka Jha have written this article which is a product of relief services provided by the Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) near the KMP Highway and the conversations that the staff had with migrant workers passing by. The aim of this article has been to understand the precarity that circumscribed the lives of this labour force and how progressive policy-making should include greater legal safeguards for this section of the population.

Understanding Institutional AI: Sectoral Case Studies From India

2020

By Anulekha Nandi

Anulekha Nandi has written the report aiming to form
the foundation for DEF’s sectoral deep dives and empirical social research in this area in contributing towards gap analysis, rights-based implications of automated decision-making systems, and working to mainstream a business and human rights framework within policy – making around emerging technologies.

Chronology of Misinformation Report- Hindi

2020

By Osama Manzar and Anoushka Jha

Misinformation has been posing a structural challenge to the society, it even become even more precarious during the COVID––19 pandemic. The pandemic demands scientific temperament, but that has been not the case and various misinformation become prevalent across communities. Anoushka Jha and Osama Manzar of DEF help us to understand various misinformation during the pandemic and its potential harm.

Chronology of Misinformation Report- English

2020

By Anoushka Jha & Osama Manzar

Misinformation has been posing a structural challenge to the society, it even become even more precarious during the COVID––19 pandemic. The pandemic demands scientific temperament, but that has been not the case and various misinformation become prevalent across communities. Anoushka Jha and Osama Manzar of DEF help us to understand various misinformation during the pandemic and its potential harm.

The Negative Impacts of the COVID-19 lockdown in Rural India

2020

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

DEF conducted a survey in across six states in the Hindi belt: Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan highlighting the issues faced by the people in rural regions due to the lockdown.

Annual Meeting of Community Network Practicioners and Enthusiasts

2020

By Ritu Srivastava, Saurabh Srivastva, Kriti Singh

DEF with Internet Society (ISOC) organised 3rd Community Network Exchange with the focus on ‘Community Network as a technological alternative to the Internet for people’s communications system which is infrastructurally independent. The theme of CNX 2019 was “Community Networks and Internet of People.”

DIGI POSHAN

2020

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

The Project report of DEF’s important work in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. DEF aimed to provide an effort to leverage digital technologies and community platforms for improved nutrition standards in India.

Between Rights And Risks: Life And Liberty In An Internet Dark Kashmir

2020

By Safwat Zargar

Safwat Zargar, a Srinagar based independent journalist, reports how longest Internet shutdown in Kashmir has impacted various realms of lives of people living in Jammu and Kashmir.

Building Participatory Institutions for Public Service Delivery through Access to Information in Rural India

2019

By Anulekha Nandi

Anulekha Nandi in this paper has discussed the strategies to overcome barriers of access to social protection using lessons from DEF’ s integrated access to information and micro-social entrepreneurship programmes.

Problem descriptions and background information guide for the creative problem solving and communication skills course

2019

By Anulekha Nandi, Anthony Silberfeld, Osama Manzar

DEF with Bertelsmann Foundation collaborated to develop the challenge scenarios for Maastricht University’s creative problem-solving course. Maastricht University’s Creative Problem-Solving (CPS) CPS is a structured process that involves breaking down a problem into several pieces to understand it, generating ideas to solve it, and evaluating the generated ideas to find the most effective solution.

Digital Citizen Summit -2019

2019

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

The DCS 2019 report presents in a comprehensive manner the details of the event that built on the issue of (mis)information in India.

A Last Mile Access to Information Initiative

2019

By Aparna Priyadarshi

This report primarily has tried to assess the extent of gender inclusion in welfare scheme service delivery by SoochnaPreneurs and the demand for varying types of welfare schemes by women in particular.

Social Media in a Networked World

2019

By Osama Manzar and Udita Chaturvedi

Osama Manzar and Udita Chaturvedi have written about the need and benefits of adoptions of digital tools by civil society organizations which will improve their visibility and efficiency.

How a Script-Agnostic Media Can Empower The Illiterate

2019

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

Osama Manzar has written about how people without basic primary education and mostly living in rural and tribal belts of India can engage in online activities with the help of digital tools such as mobile phone.

The binary Language to unbind digital literacy for illiterate

2019

By Ritu Srivastava

Ritu Srivastava has illustrated what imparting digital literacy to rural populations of the country seems like and the protentional weakness or lags that lay in it.

Kept in the Dark

2018

By Zothan Mawii, Ritu Srivastava, Shivani Lal and Bijo P. Abraham

The paper tries to understand the social and psycho- logical impact of network shutdowns on the lives of people. It has analysed media reports of shutdowns (till August 2017) and conducted interviews in the affected areas of Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir to find the inter-link between Internet shutdowns and their impact on the socio-cultural-economic well-being of citizens.

Community Network Exchange Report 2018

2018

By Udita Chaturvedi

The Community Network Exchange of 2018 focussed on identifying synergies between community networks and community radios in promoting public Wi-Fi access in Asia Pacific countries, this report documents the events, learnings shared knowledge produced.

Information Disorders: Disrupting Digital Citizenship Event Report 2018

2018

By Anulekha Nandi

DEF and the Internet Society (ISOC) organized the third Digital Citizen Summit from 1-2 November 2018 at India International Centre in New Delhi with the support from Mozilla and UNESCO. With the objective to find a solution to bridge the digital divide, find ways to extending access to information for the underserved, and create a platform for youth, women and social media enthusiasts to raiseawareness about internet rights, digital literacy, and digital security.

Digitalisation Cost benefit analysis of digitisation interventions in Andhra Pradesh

2018

By Ritu Srivastava and Eshita Mukherjee

DEF in this paper evaluates the costs and benefits derived from connecting the unconnected GPs through Non-Optical Fibre Network and Connecting rural households to Broadband using the Non-Optical Fibre Network infrastructure in Andhra Pradesh

Benefits and costs of digitisation interventions in Rajasthan

2018

By Ritu Srivastava and Eshita Mukherjee

DEF in this paper evaluates the costs and benefits derivedfrom connecting the unconnected GPs through Non-Optical Fibre Network and Connecting rural households to Broadband using the Non-Optical Fibre Network infrastructure in Rajasthan.

Internet Saathi Performance Report 2018

2018

By Balram Keshari, Irfan Khan, Saili Saha and Sharada Kerkar

Balram Keshari, Irfan Khan, Saili Saha and Sharada Kerkar have assessed the Internet Saathi programme, the aim of which was to train rural women to provide digital and Internet literacy in two states – Bihar and Madhya Pardesh in the year 2017.

Chanderiyaan: Weaving Digital Empowerment into the Indian Handloom Industry

2018

By Bishakha Majumdar, Sriparna Basu and Shilpi Jain

Bishakha Majumdar, Shilpi Jain and Sriparna Basu of FORE School of Management traced DEF’s history and digital interventions like Chanderiyaan and how such interventions have been proven instrumental in transforming Handloom industry.

Report: EDGE Foundation Phase Report Digital Empowerment Foundation

2017

By Deepali Dharmaraj, Nataasha Southwell, Mansi Thakral

The English and Digital for Girls’ Education (EDGE) programme aims to improve the life prospects of adolescent girls in socio-economically marginalised communities in Bangladesh, India and Nepal where access to education and after-school learning is limited. The report puts light on the impact of the programme and need of educational learning such as English proficiency, digital skills and awareness of social issues in peer-led clubs.

Digiprayas- Digitisation of Villages

2017

By Axis Bank and Digital EMpowerment Foundation

The Project report of DEF’s project Digiprayas aiming to work with communities in 12 panchayats across five states, to help them seek modern forms of banking through the digital medium, by first familiarizing them with the digital interface, and then helping them access digital banking services.

Digital Safarnama

2017

By Sharada Kerkar

This is a personalised note about various trainings that were conducted by DEF for tribal youth across Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Jharkhand.

Anatomy of Virtual Curfews: Human Rights vs National Security

2017

By Ritu Srivastava

Internet shutdown has become pathological response to maintain law and order but, shutting down internet directly infringe on people’s fundamental right to receive and impart information, prevent them from contacting their loved ones during emergencies, and have an adverse impact on the economy. Ritu Srivastava puts light on early warning signs such human rights violations and state violence.

SAFA Network- Internet Access for urban poor living in Bhola Nagar Slum, Hyderabad

2017

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

DEF deployed its W4C initiative in Hyderabad’s Bhola Nagar via SAFA organisation and provided digital literacy to women in order to improve their livelihood.

Digital WOMEN of Rural India

2016-17

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

It is a documentation of rural women and how digital literacy changed their lives.

Barefoot & Connected: Socio-behavioural impact of wireless broadband & digital intervention in a village campus

2016

By Udita Chaturvedi

DEF has analysed how the people of Tilonia are using the wireless Internet connection at Barefoot College.

Digitally Enabled Report- 2016

2016

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

This is a five-part video series highlighting the role of the Internet and technology in people’s daily lives that aims to bridge the knowledge gap between policymakers and end users. The series is produced by the Alumni of US Government sponsored Exchange Programs in collaboration with Digital Empowerment Foundation and the US Mission to India.

Transforming Public Libraries – Stories of Reinvigorating Reading Spaces

2015

By Dr. Syed S Kazi and Dr. Neena Jha

The brochure presents case studies of public libraries projecting how libraries have the potential to become central places for learning, innovation, and community gathering.

Post event report- Social Impact award 2015

2015

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

It is a report of the North East Social Impact Awards 2015 which aims at identifying, recognising and documenting the initiatives by youth led organisations, NGOs, civil society organisations in North East India Region.

Communities, Engagement, Libraries – A collection of case stories from across India

2015

By Dr. Syed S Kazi and Dr. Neena Jha

Dr. Neena Jha and Syed Kazi have complied and analysed the public libraries spanning across India as a public and democratic space within community landscape.

No Profit High Impact report

2015-16

By Arjun Sen

It is a report of 2015 4th e-NGO awards of Indian and International level civil society organisations documenting the digital impact they have been instrumental in disseminating.

Mobile Phones in India: Mapping across the Formal/Informal Divide

2013

By Anne Stevens

Anne Stevens for Digital Empowerment Foundation
analysed the landscape of mobiles in India and mapping the formal and informal divide.

Connecting remote communities

2014

By Arjun Sen

Arjun Sen writes this report on how Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) and the Internet Society (ISOC) jointly launched the Wireless for Communities (W4C) initiative in October 2010, which involves deploying line-of-sight wireless technology and low-cost WiFi equipment which utilise the unlicensed 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz spectrum bands to create community-owned and operated wireless networks.

Mobile Effect

2013

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

This coffee table book provides a glimpse of 9 key mobile social projects and innovations being panacea to social and development needs.

Wireless- A case book for communities

2013

By Ritu Srivastava

DEF along with Ford Foundation throws light on on Technical and Policy Consultation focusing on empowering rural communities of India through unlicensed (free) spectrum.

Red Rickshaw revolution

2013

By Abner Manzar

Abner Manzar documented interactions-stories of eleven inspirational women across 5 states of India in the Red Rickshaw Revolution report that was initiated by Vodafone Foundation in association with Digital Empowerment Foundation.

Mobile for social Impact 2013

2013

By Osama Manzar and Laura Turkington

DEF in association with Vodafone Foundation shortlisted numerous organisations or initiatives that have instrumentalised mobile phones for social good in fields like health, education, governance, business and livelihood.

Mobile Phones: A tool for social and behavior change – Vol 3

2013

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

It is a three-volume white paper series presenting the key areas of emphasis in the growing mobile for development space in India especially how mobile phones are contributing to social and behavioural changes. It emphases on the limitations as well as the scope to expand the social space with rising mobile density.

Mobile Phones: A tool for social and behavior change – Vol 2

2013

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

It is a three-volume white paper series presenting the key areas of emphasis in the growing mobile for development space in India especially how mobile phones are contributing to social and behavioural changes. It emphases on the limitations as well as the scope to expand the social space with rising mobile density.

Mobile Phones: A tool for social and behavior change – Vol 1

2013

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

It is a three-volume white paper series presenting the key areas of emphasis in the growing mobile for development space in India especially how mobile phones are contributing to social and behavioural changes. It emphases on the limitations as well as the scope to expand the social space with rising mobile density.

Mobile for social impact India 2012

2012

By Osama Manzar and Laura Turkington

It is a compilation of all the innovation happened in 2012 at the intersection of technology and social good and have been made possible due to mobile phones.

A case study on Digital Empowerment Foundation’s Chanderiyaan Project

2012

By Ramendra Singh and Pratik Modi

Ramendra Singh of IIM (Calcutta) and Pratik Modi of IRM (Anand) conducted a case study on DEF’s flagship programme – Chanderiyaan.

NGOs empowered- Stories of NGOs of using ICTs for Impact

2012

By Osama Manzar and Devendra Singh Bhadauria

Osama Manzar & Devendra Singh Bhadauria complied a
set of stories of NGOs that have utilised ICT for greater impact on society.

Net Chakra

2011

By Osama Manzar and Madanmohan Rao

Osama Manzar – Founder, Director along with researcher Madanmohan Rao edited a series of papers on the ‘15 years of Internet in India: Retrospectives and Roadmaps’.

Mobiles for social impact 2011

2011

By Osama Manzar and Laura Turkington

It is a compilation of all the innovation happened in 2012 at the intersection of technology and social good and have been made possible due to mobile phones.

APC and DEF submission to the ITU Council Working Group on International Internet-related Public Policy Issues (CWG-Internet)

2021

By Association for Progressive Communications and Digital Empowerment Foundation

Draft Policy Paper and Action Plan on Circular Economy in Electronics and Electrical Sectorin India

2021

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

Digital Empowerment Foundation organized a panel discussion based on a policy paper and action plan publishedby Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) on the issue of e-waste. This document outlines the entire panel discussion.

COWIN- An Exclusionary Vaccination Process By Design?

2021

By Sana Alam and Asheef Iqubaal

This report critically evaluates the Cowin portal and its role in facilitating in vaccination against Covid-19. How the portal itself when created and used becomes exclusionary for a vast majority.

The Second Wave of Covid-19 Misinformation

2021

By Tarun Pratap and Anoushka Jha

The saga of misinformation and fake news didn’t stop spreading, rather the second wave saw a different kind misinformation being peddle across platforms. The research paper has analysed various mis/disinformation prevalent during the second wave of Covid-19.

The New IT Guidelines- Privacy censored

2021

By Tarun Pratap and Sana Alam

Tarun Pratap and Sana Alam have critically analysed Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code Rules 2021

FAQs/Dummies Guide on Information Technology

2021

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

Tarun Pratap has created a FAQ or a dummies guide on Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.

Understanding the Role and Potential of M-Health during Covid-19 Crisis in India- Part 1

2021

By Vidisha Lal

Digital Empowerment Foundation has written a 5-part series on critically understanding the role and potential of m-health during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Understanding the Role and Potential of M-Health during Covid-19 Crisis in India- Part 2

2021

By Vidisha Lal

Digital Empowerment Foundation has written a 5-part series on critically understanding the role and potential of m-health during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Understanding the Role and Potential of M-Health during Covid-19 Crisis in India- Part 3

2021

By Vidisha Lal

Digital Empowerment Foundation has written a 5-part series on critically understanding the role and potential of m-health during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Understanding the Role and Potential of M-Health during Covid-19 Crisis in India- Part 4

2021

By Vidisha Lal

Digital Empowerment Foundation has written a 5-part series on critically understanding the role and potential of m-health during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Understanding the Role and Potential of M-Health during Covid-19 Crisis in India- Part 5

2021

By Vidisha Lal

Digital Empowerment Foundation has written a 5-part series on critically understanding the role and potential of m-health during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Protests in the times of social media: A case of farmer’s agitation

2021

By Sana Alam and Asheef Iqubbal

The essay written by Sana Alam and Asheef Iqubbal attempts to explore the role of social media in terms of the mobilisation of protestors, tackling dis/misinformation campaigns, propaganda and the facilitation of the entire against new farm laws.

GLOBAL INFORMATION SOCIETY WATCH 2020

2021

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

Anoushka Jha contributed a country report on behalf of DEF. The paper talks about the rise in e-waste and the urgent need to recycle the same and contextualises the role of informal sector waste workers in this process of recycling and policy framework.

Digital Empowerment and Indian Handlooms: Case-based Policy Recommendations

2021

By Bishakha Majumdar, Sriparna Basu, Shilpi Jain

This paper provides a policy framework for the digital empowerment of handloom workers and the digital transformation of the handloom trade. It draws upon the Digital Cluster Development Programme (DCDP) of Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) in three handloom clusters in India

Reclaiming The Narrative: What Farmer Protests and Trolley Times Tell Us About The Media’s Systemic Failure

2021

By Asheef Iqubbal

Asheef Iqubbal has written on the birth of the Trolley Times, a biweekly, community run newspaper initiated by farmers in order to reclaim their discourse.

Food Delivery Workers in India: Emerging Entrepreneurs or Informal Labour?

2021

By Asheef Iqubbal

Asheef Iqubbal in this article has analysed the situation of food delivery workers in India, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.

PM Wani: The PCO model of public wi-fi stands to fulfill long pipe dream

2021

By Tarun Pratap

Tarun Pratap writes on the how the continuous advocacy efforts of DEF that resulted in developing PM Wani which is a PCO model of providing access to public wi-fi

Bridging the Digital Divide for girls in India

2021

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

Centre for Catalyzing Change (C3), in association with Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF), embarked on a primary survey to understand the yawning digital gap that India’s adolescent girls are faced with, at a time when the country itself is undergoing a heightened interest in and demand for a digital transformation in economy and society.

Understanding Pradhan Mantri Street Vendor Atmanirbhar Nidhi Scheme Among Street Vendors of India

2021

By Anoushka Jha

Anoushka Jha, Research and Advocacy, has written about the awareness regarding Pradhan Mantri Street Vendor Atmanirbhar Nidhi Scheme amongst the street vendor especially after the nation-wide lockdown due to pandemic cause by Covid-19.

Why Millions Cannot Claim Emergency Food Rations

2020

By Asheef Iqubbal

Asheef Iqubbal has written on exclusion of people from public distribution system due to technical constraints such as Ration and Aadhar card.

Lockdown Leaves Handloom Weavers Hanging by a Thread

2020

By Asheef Iqubbal

Asheef Iqubbal in this article has written on the situation of handloom weavers and their access to social protection during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Covid-19 Lockdown Leaves Delhi Migrant Workers With Neither Jobs Nor Social Security; Experts Blame Political Apathy, Lack of Legal Protection

2020

By Asheef Iqubbal

This report highlights the precarity of workers during the pandemic as scores of migrant workers were forced to leave cities and head towards towns, with no food, transport and social security net.

Understanding Agriculture and ICT Practices in India

2020

By Anoushka Jha

Anoushka Jha, has tried to understand the existing agricultural practices, agrarian finance, production, storage and distribution of agrarian produce, and their ICT usage and practices based on a survey done in 5 states with 735 people.

Social Media, Disinformation, and Democracy in Aisa: Country Cases

2020

By Asia Democracy Research Network

This report offers country-specific analyses, highlights areas of improvement, and suggests policy recommendations for ensuring the protection of social media and online platforms from the spread of disinformation.

Understanding Linkages Between onlien harmful Speech Practices & Offline Violent Action

2020

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

This report is a result of grant from Facebook. It is based on months long digital ethnography of social media account and discusses the nature of volatile content and hate speech on social media and its linkages to the offline violence taking place in the society.

Existing Landscape of Sexual Harassment Online

2020

By Vidisha Lal and Anoushka Jha

Vidisha Lal and Anoushka Jha have written on DEF’s survey aiming to explore people’s understanding of cyber bullying, it’s effect on the survivors, the efficiency of the solutions at hand and most importantly, the changes that can be brought about to improve the efficiency of the mechanism to counter cyber bullying.

Rural Broadband Policy Framework: Connecting the Unconnected

2020

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

DEF has contributed in partnership with the Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI) in form of a policy framework paper which can provide a basis for considering and adopting policy approaches most likely to facilitate the deployment and adoption of new and/or better broadband infrastructure and services in underserved rural areas.

Understanding Institutional AI: Sectoral Case Studies From India

2020

By Anulekha Nandi

Anulekha Nandi has written the report aiming to form the foundation for DEF’s sectoral deep dives and empirical social research in this area in contributing towards gap analysis, rights-based implications of automated decision-making systems, and working to mainstream a business and human rights framework within policy – making around emerging technologies.

DIGI POSHAN

2020

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

The Project report of DEF’s important work in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. DEF aimed to provide an effort to leverage digital technologies and community platforms for improved nutrition standards in India.

Between Rights And Risks: Life And Liberty In An Internet Dark Kashmir

2020

By Safwat Zargar

This report is a semi-journalistic deep dive to understand individual experiences of living under internet, information, and communication darkness in Kashmir.

Building Participatory Institutions for Public Service Delivery through Access to Information in Rural India

2019

By Anulekha Nandi

Anulekha Nandi in this paper has discussed the strategies to overcome barriers of access to social protection using lessons from DEF’ s integrated access to information and micro-social entrepreneurship programmes.

Problem descriptions and background information guide for the creative problem solving and communication skills course

2019

By Anulekha Nandi, Anthony Silberfeld, Osama Manzar

DEF with Bertelsmann Foundation collaborated to develop the challenge scenarios for Maastricht University’s creative problem-solving course. Maastricht University’s Creative Problem-Solving (CPS) CPS is a structured process that involves breaking down a problem into several pieces to understand it, generating ideas to solve it, and evaluating the generated ideas to find the most effective solution.

Social Media in a Networked World

2019

By Osama Manzar and Udita Chaturvedi

Osama Manzar and Udita Chaturvedi have written about the need and benefits of adoptions of digital tools by civil society organizations which will improve their visibility and efficiency.

Response to the Consultation on Regulatory Framework for Over-the-top (OTT) Services/Internet Services and net Neutrality

2019

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

This is DEF’s publication presents the organisation’s response to the Consultation on Regulatory Framework for Over-the-top (OTT) Services/ Internet Services and Net Neutrality.

Submission of Comments on DIPP’s Draft E-Commerce Policy

2019

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

The Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) submitted comments/ suggestionson the draft National E-Commerce Policy 2019

Gren Prakriya- Assessing, evaluating and mapping risks involved in the informal e-Waste sector in India

2019

By Ritu Srivastava

Ritu Srivastava has written about the Green Prakriya research and advocacy project aimed to identify the gaps between policy and social reality. The paper compares the recycling process of informal sector with formal sector. The paper also attempts to highlight health and environmental issues created by informal sector.

Submission to the United Nation’s High Level Panel on Digital Cooperation

2019

By Anulekha Nandi

The report provides an insight into the comments Submitted to the United Nation’s High Level Panel on Digital Cooperation.

Submission of Comments on MEITY’s draft Information Technology [Intermediary Guidelines (Amendment) Rules], 2018

2018

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

The Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) submitted comments/suggestions on the draft Information Technology [Intermediary Guidelines (Amendment) Rules] 2018.

Protecting FOAA Online with Encryption Technologies

2018

By Zothan Mawii

Zothan Mawii has written about the necessity of private and secure communications as a condition for the effective exercise of FoAA. How private and secure communications can be ensured by encryption technologies making the call for encryption crucial.

Kept in the Dark

2018

By Zothan Mawii, Ritu Srivastava, Shivani Lal and Bijo P. Abraham

The paper tries to understand the social and psycho- logical impact of network shutdowns on the lives of people. It has analysed media reports of shutdowns (till August 2017) and conducted interviews in the affected areas of Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir to find the inter-link between Internet shutdowns and their impact on the socio-cultural-economic well-being of citizens.

Privacy in India in the Age of Big Data

2018

By Buddhadeb Halder

Buddhadeb Halder has tried to define big data in the Indian context, to further improve the understanding of big data, and help initiate public discourse around issues of privacy in the big data age.

Benefits and costs of digitisation interventions in Rajasthan

2018

By Ritu Srivastava and Eshita Mukherjee

DEF in this paper evaluates the costs and benefits derived from connecting the unconnected GPs through Non-Optical Fibre Network and Connecting rural households to Broadband using the Non-Optical Fibre Network infrastructure in Rajasthan.

Digitalisation Cost benefit analysis of digitisation interventions in Andhra Pradesh

2018

By Ritu Srivastava and Eshita Mukherjee

DEF in this paper evaluates the costs and benefits derived from connecting the unconnected GPs through Non-Optical Fibre Network and Connecting rural households to Broadband using the Non-Optical Fibre Network infrastructure in Andhra Pradesh.

Chanderiyaan: Weaving Digital Empowerment into the Indian Handloom Industry

2018

By Bishakha Majumdar, Sriparna Basu and Shilpi Jain

This publication presents Chanderiyaan’s case story, an initiative of DEF which focused on integrating digital inclusion in the handloom sector of Chanderi.

Submission of Comments on TRAI’s Consultation Paper on Proliferation of Broadband through Public WI-FI Networks

2018

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

The Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) submitted comments on the Consultation Paper on Proliferation of Broadband through Public Wi-Fi Networks.

Community Networks

2017

By Ritu Srivastava

Access to connectivity is now well recognized as an enabler of socio-economic development, and can help address many of the barriers that presently exist for marginalized members of society. Ritu Srivastava of Digital Empowerment Foundation wrote experiences of India with community networks focussing regulatory, policy, spectrum, and legal challenges and how they affect Indian community networks.

Understanding the lack of privacy in the Indian Cultural Context

2017

By Osama Manzar and Udita Chaturvedi

This report tries to explore what does privacy mean in the Indian cultural and behavioural context and has been written by Osama Manzar and Udita Chaturvedi.

Digital Safarnama

2017

By Sharada Kerkar

This is a personalised note about various trainings that were conducted by DEF for tribal youth across Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Jharkhand.

Building Sustainable Wireless Community Networks: Experiences from India

2017

By Ritu Srivastava

Ritu Srivasatva has written on Wireless for Communities program of DEF and how this program aims to provide affordable, ubiquitous and democratically controlled internet access in rural regions of the country.

Digital WOMEN of Rural India

2017

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

This publication is a collection of case studies featuring women from rural India who has been impacted through DEF’s flagship programme-Community Information and Resource Centres (CIRCs).

Seelampur – India’s Digital Trashcan

2017

By Osama Manzar

Barefoot & Connected: Socio-behavioural impact of wireless broadband & digital intervention in a village campus

2016

By Udita Chaturvedi

DEF has analysed how the people of Rajasthan’s Tilonia are using the wireless Internet connection at Barefoot College.

Exclusion from Digital Infrastructure and Access

2016

By Eshita Mukherjee, Osama Mazar, Raina Aggarwal and Rajat Kumar

Eshita Mukherjee; Osama Mazar; Raina Aggarwal; and Rajat Kumar have written for India Exclusion Report (IXR) 2016. They have defined digital inclusion as a “wagon to social inclusion that ensures individuals and disadvantaged groups have access to Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) and the skills to use them to be able to participate in and benefit from an increasingly electronically mediated knowledge economy and information society”.

Submission of Counter-Comments on TRAI’s Consultation Paper on Differential Pricing for Data Services

2016

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

Osama Manzar on behalf of DEF submitted its comments on TRAI’s Consultation Paper on Differential Pricing for Data Services.

Comments on National Policy of Women 2016

2016

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

The Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) submitted counter-comments on the draft National Policy for Women 2016.

Submission of Counter-Comments on TRAI’s Consultation Paper on Differential Pricing for Data Services

2016

By Ritu Srivastava and Rajat Kumar

The Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) submitted counter-comments on the Consultation Paper on Differential Pricing for Data Services.

Submission of counter comments on TRAI’s consultation paper on free data

2015

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

The Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) submitted counter-comments on the Consultation Paper on Differential Pricing for Data Services.

Mobile Phones in India: Mapping across the Formal/Informal Divide

2013

By Anne Stevens

Anne Stevens in this report has tried to analyse all factors affecting the life cycle of Indian mobile phones.

Wireless- A case book for communities

2013

By Ritu Srivastava

The publication provides an overall understanding of the wireless programme along with an over view of policy regulation and regulatory framework of India.

Shrinking Spaces- Status of Freedom of Association & Assembly in India

By Ritu Srivastava

Buddhadeb Halder of DEF in this paper has explored the issue of privacy in the present big data age, and how big data gathered through ICT tools and social media platforms can be used against citizen.

Accumulation of Power and Counter Power Around Internet Regulation

2021

By Asheef Iqubbal

The regulations are an attempt of accumulation of power by the state through: enabling traceability of the content creator; and unchecked power of the government agencies.

We are the digital designers fighting information poverty

2021

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

The 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.

Osama Manzar and Digital Empowerment FOundation

2021

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

The journey and the making of a social entrepreneur and a social enterprise

The story of Digitally Empowered India

2021

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

CSR NGO Box first published this article that talks about the story of Digital Empowerment Foundation, an organisation built over the years to fight information poverty by Osama Manzar.

Solidarity and Struggle for Survival

2021

By Asheef Iqubbal and Sana Alam

Sana Alam and Asheef Iqubaal of Digital Empowerment Foundation have pictorially documented the farmers agitation at Ghazipur, Singhu, and Tikri borders –– starting from 30 December 2020 to 06 January 2021.

Internet to the Rescue of Unscripted Languages

2020

By Osama Manzar, Udita Chaturvedi and Abner Manzar

Osama Manzar, Udita Chaturvedi and Abner Manzar on behalf of Digital Empowerment Foundation submitted a response to the Best Practice Forum (BPF) on the issues and challenges faced by India on the preservation of local language, history and/or cultural heritage.

Community Networks: A boon in times of pandemic and lockdown

2020

By Kriti Singh and Osama Manzar

The document entails the story of a rookie computer engineer who brought digital entrepreneurship and wireless technologies to his tribal village in India to connect people living in remote areas through Community Networks.

The Impact of Coivd-19 on the Weavers of Musiri

2020

By Abner Manzar and Shreya Sehgal

Abner Manzar and Shreya Sehgal have written about the impact of COVID-19 on the weavers of Musiri, a weaver cluster in Tamil Nadu. The cluster has been a part of Digital Empowerment Foundation and Mphasis’s initiative of digitally empowering the marginalised community of Trichy weavers.

CIVIL SOCIETY – A phone is not enough

2020

By Osama Manzar

The binary Language to unbind digital literacy for illiterate

2019

By Ritu Srivastava

Ritu Srivastava, Research and Advocacy, has written this paper which takes a long term and meta-level view of existing literature and narratives from the ground that explore the journey of digital literacy for first generation technology learners.

How a Script-Agnostic Media Can Empower The Illiterate

2019

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

Osama Manzar has written about how people without basic primary education and mostly living in rural and tribal belts of India can engage in online activities with the help of digital tools such as mobile phone.

Data Rights for Communities- Hindi

2020

By Asheef Iqubbal

The presentation has been written to provide and create a sense of understanding amongst communities about data, how it is collected and used and the rights associated with it.

Data Rights for Communities- English

2020

By Asheef Iqubbal

The presentation has been written to provide and create a sense of understanding amongst communities about data, how it is collected and used and the rights associated with it.

A Course for Barefoot Wireless Engineers- Setting up Wireless Networks Module I

2019

By Vasanta Akondy and Ritu Srivastava

This is a two-part course this first part covers some basic concepts related to planning the setup of wireless networks such as conducting a location survey and selecting the required hardware.

A Course for Barefoot Wireless Engineers- Setting up Wireless Networks Module II

2019

By Vasanta Akondy and Ritu Srivastava

This is a two-part course; this part of the handbook covers details of actual installation and maintenance of wireless networks.

Keeping Yourself Safe Online-Volume 1

2018

By Zothan Mawii

The has been compiled keeping in mind the security and safety needs of secondary school and college students. This kit contains basic online safety measures that should be adopted by everyone to have a safe and secure online experience.

Gender Sensitisation Handbook

2018

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

The handbook provides the reader with information and difference between gender and sex with an objective to identify socially constructed norms and biological features.

State Public Library Conference 2018

2018

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

The report is made on a two-day State Public Library Conference (SPLC) organised by Indian Public Library Movement (IPLM) and Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF). The theme of the conference was ‘Transforming Public Libraries in India: Opportunities and Challenges in Digitising Information, Content and Services’.

Digital Security Training Kit

2018

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

The toolkit provides the reader with an overall understanding and steps they can take for securing themselves online.

Rural Information Society & Economy: Leveraging Citizen Need through Information Enterprise, Digital Skill & Entrepreneurship

2017

By Digtial Empowerment Foundation

This is a consultation report prepared by DEF for Soochnapreneurship 2017 event organised at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi on 3rd August, 2017 by Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) in partnership with Qualcomm’s Wireless Reach programme.

Digital Safarnama

2017

By Sharada Kerkar

This is a personalised note about various trainings that were conducted by DEF for tribal youth across Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Jharkhand.

Digitally Enabled Report- 2016

2016

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

This is a five-part video series highlighting the role of the Internet and technology in people’s daily lives that aims to bridge the knowledge gap between policymakers and end users. The series is produced by the Alumni of US Government sponsored Exchange Programs in collaboration with Digital Empowerment Foundation and the US Mission to India.

SBCC South Asia Regional Conversation Summit 2021

2021

By Dr.Syed S. Kazi, Arpana Sharma, Shruti Narula & Misbah Rashid

Information Poverty

2021

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

Mobile Ecosystem

2021

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

Mobile Development Ecosystem

2021

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

Digital Library Program in Telangana

2021

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

DEF Gets Justice Sunanda Bhandare Award

2021

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

Babita Saini of Digital Empowerment Foundation is the recipient of the 2021 Justice Sunanda Bhandare Award for its crucial role in helping to bridge India’s digital gender gap at time when the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has made online learning and access to digital information a necessity in a country where only one in four citizens has access to a digital device.

Empowering people @ the edge of information

2021

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

CIRC Ecosystem Chart

2021

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

WhatsNext- Building Community Entrepreneurship and Fighting Misinformation

2020

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

WhatsNext is an initiative of WhatsApp India and DEF that has emerged out of their partnership in ‘Fighting Fake News. WhatsNext aims to enhance the reach of WhatsApp as a primary tool of productive communication and constructive capacity building across India by driving the entrepreneurial efficiency of small and medium-sized enterprises through WhatsApp Business and reaching out to over 50,000 people with the knowledge and awareness to fight misinformation towards building an evolved digital society.

WhatsApp Deck- Fighting Fake News

2020

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

With an aim to curb fake news, in partnership with WhatsApp, Digital Empowerment Foundation conducted community-based workshops to create awareness among users about the need to verify the information before sharing it.

WhatsApp “FAKE NEWS’ & “MISINFORMATION”

2020

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

This kit is designed to give the trainers along with the community people, students, police officials and NGOs, a framework to deal with fake news, misinformation and disinformation. The activities are contextual and extremely practical and participatory.

DEF Models

2021

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

This document gives a glimpse of all the foundation projects of DEF like Smartpur, IP Ville, etc.

DEF Project Information

2021

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

The presentation highlights the various pillar and projects of DEF and their presence across the country.

Digiprayas – Digitisation of Villages

By Axis Bank and Digital Empowerment Foundation

DigiPrayas, a joint Initiative of Axis Bank and Digital Empowerment Foundation, aiming to empower communities in rural India with financial-digital literacy like e-banking, ATM etc. across 5 states in India.

DIGI SUPPORT

By Axis Bank and Digital Empowerment Foundation

DigiSupport is a project initiated by Axis Bank and Digital Empowerment Foundation to empower financially excluded communities to digitally access and consume financial products, services and information through rural digital interventions.

DIGI SUPPORT- Progress Report

By Axis Bank and Digital Empowerment Foundation

What is the future jobs

2020

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

Establishing Women Soochnapreneur

2020

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

The presentation elaborates on the process of building Soochnapreneurs which involves their identification, enrolment, and engagement with the community. The presentation also explains the need, types, areas of training and capacity building of the Soochnapreneurs in a sustained mode including identifying community needs, planning and design for services, outreach and engagement, promotion, visibility, running NANO SP centres, documentation & reporting.

Historical Milestones of Public Engagement Policy Service since 2002

2020

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

This documents DEF’s milestone works, initiatives, areas of research as well as the ever-spanning network of countries DEF is associated with, ever since the foundation has started.

What, why and how for establishing a smart village ecosystem

2020

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

Equally Able Academy of Digital Empowerment Foundation

2020

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

Rural Connect DEF Deck

2020

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

This document while putting out the data describes the realities of digital India and how DEF has been working to connect the Rural India.

MIL for oralilliteratenon-script

2019

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

The presentation elaborates how Media Information and Literacy can be imparted to people without basic literacy. It also introduces the START kit, a digital learning toolkit that has been designed for first generation technology users to promote digital inclusion and fight information poverty

Fighting Fake News Whose Responsibility is it?

2019

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

DEF conducted a survey of 3000 people across 11 states to analyse the mis/disinformation and fake news disorder that has been aggravating through messaging applications, focusing primarily on WhatsApp.

Establishing Smartpur- Part 1

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

Is a holistic guide for creating smart villages
with an aim of describing the digital ecosystem of a village and map an integrated design procedure for building a smart village.

Establishing Smartpur- Part 2

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

The module elaborates the entire methodology
of setting up an entire village ecosystem. With an aim to make the reader identify the social problems, needs of the community, project planning, identifying human resources, establishing the centres, training and capacity building of rural entrepreneurs, documentation & reporting and community engagement.

Establishing Smartpur- Part 3

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

The third module elaborates the entire process of service delivery under six pillars of education, health, governance, finance, livelihood and entertainment. Along with detailed description what each pillar aims to achieve, what are its infrastructure and tool requirements and lastly the methodology behind implementation.

Rural Dip – Rural Digital Immersion Program

2017

By Ravi Guria & Udita Chaturvedi

Rural Digital Immersion Programme or Rural DIP is an initiative of the DEF that has been conceptualised to share experiential learning from rural India with people across the globe. This programme facilitates an individual or a group of people to take a “dip” into the lives of rural citizens and their culture in regions where digital interventions have made an impact.

The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2021

2021

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

Fast Forward to Civilizational Greatness: Agenda for India

2021

By Pradip N. Khandwalla

Encryption Pros and Cons

2021

By Adeola Akinla, Ayesha Gulley, Kirthika Selvakumar, Zoe Tilsiter

Asia-Pacific Regional Community Networks Summit 2021
Innovating Policymaking to Connect the Unconnected

2021

By Internet Society

It is a summary report of Asia-Pacific Regional Community Networks Summit 2021 which reflected on the progress since the 2019 Summit in improving connectivity, and the use of Community Networks (CN) as a complementary access solution in the Asia-Pacific region. COVID-19 has made this work especially pressing.

Rural Broadband Policy Framework: Connecting the Unconnected

2020

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI) in partnership with DEF, among others, developed a Rural Broadband Policy Framework (RBPF) which aimed to provide guidance to address the persistent ‘Digital Divide’, with a focus on the context and challenges faced in rural areas.

Challenges of Last Mile Connectivity

2019

By Osama Manzar, Zothan Mawii and Udita Chaturvedi

This is a policy paper that advocates the usage of strategies and technologies that must be implemented to achieve the last mile connectivity by 2024.

Artificial intelligence: Human rights, social justice and development

2019

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

Anulekha Nandi, Research and Advocacy,
contributed to GIS Watch 2019 edition on the contextual parameters and questions around evaluating institutional application of AI and developing ethical governance frameworks.

Building Sustainable Wireless Community Networks: Experiences from India

2017

By Ritu Srivastava

Ritu Srivastava, Research and Advocacy,
contributed to Alliance for Affordable Internet’s (A4AI) 2017 affordability report shedding light on DEF’s initiative — W4C, aiming to provide affordable, ubiquitous and democratically controlled internet access in the rural regions of India.

Disrupting Democracy

2017

By Osama Manzar and Udita Chaturvedi

Osama Manzar – Founder, Director and Udita Chaturvedi contributed to Bertelsmann Foundation’s series called ‘Disrupting Democracy’ aimed at arguing how connecting India institutionally would not only open access to information, rights, entitlements and possibilities of a better livelihood but also enables behavioural and social changes in communities.

Community Connectivity: Building the Internet from Scratch

2016

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

Ritu Srivastava, Research and Advocacy,
contributed to Community Connectivity: Building the Internet from Scratch, an annual report of the UN IGF Dynamic Coalition on Community Connectivity, exploring the efficacy of creating wireless community networks (WCN), Rural Internet Service Provider (RISP) or Community-based Internet Service Provider (C-ISP) as well as the possibility of policies in wide spreading information infrastructure for the larger masses of the country.

Kurukshetra- A Journal on Rural Development

2016

By Osama Manzar, Rajat Kumar, Udita Chaturvedi

DEF examined the budget 2016-17 with respect to the focus on the intersection of ICT tools and social welfare schemes as well as other sectors of Education and Agriculture.

Unlicesed Spectrum

2014

By The Centre for Internet & Society

This is a set of policy recommendations demonstrating the importance of unlicensed spectrum as a medium for inexpensive connectivity in rural/remote areas and source of innovation by serving as a barrier-free and cost-effective platform.

Mobile Effect

2013

By Digital Empowerment Foundation

Vodafone Foundation in association with DEF began the ‘Mobiles for good’ initiative under which NGOs/initiatives that have been working towards instrumentalising mobiles for social good, were provided with crucial grants for improvising and scaling up.

Red Rickshaw revolution

2013

By Abner Manzar

Abner Manzar documented interactions-stories of eleven inspirational women across 5 states of India in the Red Rickshaw Revolution report that was initiated by Vodafone Foundation in association with Digital Empowerment Foundation.

Net Chakra

2011

By Osama Manzar and Madanmohan Rao

Osama Manzar – Founder, Director along
with researcher Madanmohan Rao edited a series of papers on the ‘15 years of Internet in India: Retrospectives and Roadmaps’.

ICTs and Environmental Sustainability: Mapping National Policy contexts India baseline study

2011

By Syed S. Kazi & Divya Menon

DEF in partnership with Association for Progressive Communications (APC) conducted a baseline study on the ICTs and its negative impact on the environment and ecosystem. With the growth of e-waste in India, the study aimed at developing understanding around ICTs’ sustainability and a way forward for the civil societies for ICTs’ management.