Announcements

Back to Rural households have substantially less internet and device access than urban households, and the current size of the gap is not reliably established

Sub-problem

Adolescent smartphone access is near-universal in households but ownership is sharply unequal by gender

  • National
  • Rural

ASER 2023 found over ninety per cent of 14–18 year olds have a smartphone in the household and can use one, but 43.7% of males owned one against 19.8% of females. Household access and personal access are not the same thing, and policies that assume the former reach girls as well as boys are working from the wrong number. Evidence confidence: High — ASER 2023 'Beyond Basics', 34,745 youth across 28 districts.

This is the most specific entry on this branch of the catalogue. The evidence behind it is below.

Who is responsible

  • State Education Departments · State Government
  • Ministry of Education · Ministry or Department

Evidence and sources

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