New phones, old woes: anganwadi workers struggle with patchy Internet, digital disconnect in U.P. villages
Anganwadi workers in Uttar Pradesh are struggling to use government-issued smartphones due to poor internet connectivity and technical complexity. These issues hinder their ability to perform mandatory tasks like facial recognition for welfare schemes.
Why it matters
Exposes the digital divide and the challenges of implementing high-tech governance in rural infrastructure-poor regions.
In the villages of Uttar Pradesh’s Naugarh block in Chandauli district, surrounded by forests on all sides, Internet connectivity is still patchy in several areas. While anganwadi workers received new mobile phones this month from the government, accompanied with expectations of conducting a chunk of their work online, connectivity issues were not taken into consideration, they said.
Focuses on systemic failure and the struggles of workers against government mandates.
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