Musadeq Hussain
Technology plays an important role in our day to day lives & it’s role is worth mentioning in the present days of COVID-19 crisis. Decades ago we couldn’t imagine the possibility of online classes but technology has made it possible for us to provide the platform of Online class system to the students and the teachers. This virus has led to the closure of educational Institutions like college’s, schools, universities because it spreads wide and deep . Since it is not possible to reopen educational institutions, the importance of the online educational system can’t be underestimated in this pandemic era. We all know bad and good aspects of every technological tool. While the online class system is going on very well, unfortunately some students of underprivileged classes of the society don’t have access to Android smart phone as only children of affluent classes afford to buy smartphones and take online classes. Recently in Kerala a 10th class girl student committed suicide when she felt that her friends/classmates are taking online classes but she can’t due to her parent’s inability to buy a smart phone. So this pandemic has left the people of underprivileged classes to fend for themselves in many ways . Consequently a digital divide of the society has taken a heavy toll of the children of underprivileged sections of the society. In Kashmir internet frequently interrupted for security reasons remains mostly disturbed.
Government should constitute a committee to conduct a survey to see how many students can’t afford smart phones and design a welfare scheme to provide financial assistance to students coming from low income background to eliminate this digital divide.
After the revocation of Article 370 and 35A, high speed internet has not been restored in Kashmir even after the breakout of the COVID-19 pandemic. The low speed 2g Mobile internet service restored after 6 months this year has become an issue of deeper public concern within an outside Jammu & Kashmir. Since 2g internet mobile faciliy also remains mostly shut in Kashmir districts witnessing CASOs and encounters. Though many international communities and some NGO’s have appealed the central government to restore high speed internet services in Kashmir, but unfortunately the government always goes on denial mode on the grab of security related issues. Even Supreme Court prolonged the hearings of the petitions filed against low speed internet services in Kashmir and thus leaving the innocent people and particularly students to suffer. So online classes disrupt day in & day out and students are the worst victims of it. This internet snapping has pushed every Kashmiri into mental, psychological and social depression. Government should constitute a committee to conduct a survey to see how many students can’t afford smart phones and design a welfare scheme to provide financial assistance to students coming from low income background to eliminate this digital divide.
(The author is an undergraduate student at GDC Pulwama. Views are his own, [email protected])
