DIGITAL DIVIDE IN EDUCATION: ANALYSING ACCESS, EQUITY AND CHALLENGES IN WEST BENGAL


Dr. Samir Biswas
Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Gazole Mahavidyalaya, Gazole, Malda, West Bengal
Abstract
This study critically examines the digital divide within West Bengal's educational landscape through an integrative analysis of infrastructural inadequacies, socio-economic disparities, and entrenched cultural barriers. By synthesizing extensive secondary data, the research illuminates how inequitable access to digital technologies undermines academic performance and restricts long-term socio-economic mobility. The pronounced contrasts between urban centres like Kolkata and rural hinterlands reveal the limitations of technocentric policy approaches that overlook intersectional determinants such as gender, caste, and economic status. Using both quantitative and qualitative approaches, the analysis advocates for a comprehensive and context-sensitive framework that combines substantial infrastructural investments with tailored digital literacy programs and community engagement. Ultimately, the findings advocate transformative strategies that reconceptualize digital education as a catalyst for equitable social advancement.
Keywords: Digital Divide, Educational Inequality, Intersectionality, Technocentric Policy, West Bengal
Journal Name :
EPRA International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (IJMR)

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Published on : 2025-02-25

Vol : 11
Issue : 2
Month : February
Year : 2025
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