Steps soon to bridge digital divide: Kerala CM

He says State will equip all students for online learning

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said the government and private sectors will work in tandem to bridge the digital divide that has disadvantaged schoolchildren from needy families in online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Answering Opposition queries during the Question Hour in the Assembly on Tuesday, Mr. Vijayan said a significant number of school students could not afford computer, television or smartphone. Many risked educational backwardness. The government would accord priority to address the issue, he said. Many other students, especially tribal children, lived in remote localities with no access to the Internet or mobile phone network coverage. Some families could not afford the Internet rate charged by service providers. “The government would not leave them behind,” he said.