The COVID-19 pandemic has created unforeseen challenges in India's educational landscape. Schools and colleges have switched to remote learning and started online classes and exams. The pattern of education has changed overnight, and digital learning has emerged as the primary alternative. This sudden switch and overdependence on technology have come with its fair share of constraints. Amidst this transition, for the first time in 34 years, the erstwhile Ministry of Human Resources and Development, now known as the Ministry of Education, launched the New Education Policy on 29th July 2020. Expectedly, the policy proposes several measures for promoting digital learning and enhancing infrastructure requirements. However, given India's socio-economic and regional diversity, there are multiple roadblocks to accessibility and the ability to widespread adoption of online teaching and learning, some of which are discussed in this commentary.
DIGITAL DIVIDE
Digital deprivation has been an ongoing issue in India even before the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The critical problem surrounding remote learning and online classes in the country is the issue of equitable access. Along with adequate penetration of internet and technology services, accessibility in this context also includes access to electronic devices such as computers and smartphones.
According to NSSO data, only 4.4% of rural households and 23.4% of urban households own computers. Moreover, while 42% of urban households have a computer with an internet connection, the same is available to only 14.9% of rural households. A report by Nielson in 2019 concluded that 70% of the rural population does not have an active internet facility, with states like West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha having the lowest internet penetration. Especially in the northeastern states, the report's findings indicate that users are less affluent and predominantly male. Remote learning has also been a challenge for students in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The ongoing ban on 4G internet has been particularly challenging for students and teachers in the state, with digital learning becoming the only option during the pandemic. It has been reported that the available 2G internet connectivity has led to unclear audio and frequent video call drops, among other problems.
There are approximately 500 million smartphone users in India, as per a recent report by the Indian Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA), which could reach 829 million by 2022. The increasing affordability of smartphones, growth in several users in rural India, and several government initiatives have led to the expansion of India's smartphone user base in recent years. However, on the other side of this growth is that there are still around 800 million people who do not have access to smartphones. The audio-visual content in online learning, whether in video calls or downloadable/streamable videos, requires high-speed 4G internet. As per the ICEA report quoted above, in 2018, India had approximately 277 million VoLTE capable devices and more than 50% 4G device penetration across India. However, the share of smartphone penetration was only around 25% in rural areas. Given that 99% of rural internet users access the internet on mobile phones, this effectively means that most students in rural areas do not have the tools required to access online classes. Some of the worst consequences of the lack of smartphone penetration and 4G internet have been incidences of student suicides, seemingly in response to the inability to afford intelligent devices and the mounting pressure to attend online classes to keep up with coursework.
E-learning will shape the way for advanced learning methods in ed-tech
With the internet penetration rate estimated to reach above 55 per cent by the end of 2025 in India, digitization of education remains one of the topmost priorities of our government. Taking the cue, many e-learning portals have appeared and are performing well as an increasing number of learners enrol themselves for online courses — the new regular post the pandemic.
Starting 2020, Indian universities and colleges, which were earlier not permitted to offer more than 20 per cent of a degree online, are now lifting the restrictions on online learning to widen access to higher education and raise the profile of Indian institutions globally. Many ed-tech companies have also surfaced and offer learning management resources, including blended learning, 3D and DIY kits and AI-based experiential and interactive learning, to provide an unrivalled experience. 
Emphasis on digitization 
RealizingRealizing that rapid development depends on widespread education, the government rolled out a new National Education Policy (NEP) that emphasizes digitization besides the use of technology in education. It also focuses on ed-tech for furthering education, particularly in rural areas. It was mainly done to take quality education to all parts of the country, especially the Tier-2 and three cities and villages. The government learnt that technology could reach small towns and villages and provide access to quality teachers. This was a distant dream, but massive tech disruptions across the country have successfully executed the mammoth task that was earlier unimaginable.
Budget 2021-22 allocated ₹93,224.31 crores to the Ministry of Education. It increased over ₹8,100 crores from the revised estimates for the current fiscal, and the Department of Higher Education was allocated ₹38,350.65 crores.
4 Ed-Tech platforms elevating online learning amidst Covid-19
Bridging the digital divide
The shift to online education also brings forward the conversations around the digital divide and the digital readiness of every stakeholder and institution. School and higher education institutions like colleges and universities are two different markets with their own set of challenges and digital preparedness.
Education rising on the digital learning curve.
The digital divide in schools is significantly higher than in higher education institutions. The Budget talks about bridging the digital divide in government and private schools, which is another area that needs improvement. Work is required in order to make education accessible through digital means for all school students, irrespective of their location, financial background, and internet and bandwidth connectivity. Creating the proper infrastructure, hiring good teachers and building a suitable curriculum for every school is the way forward. We also need to measure school students' readiness for adoption of online examination processes by way of mock test sessions and their analytics.
Industry-ready students
The key priorities for higher educational institutions are to make the students industry-ready by assessing their competencies and aligning them to what is needed by the industry. This can be achieved by bringing research and innovation into the core of education and making it affordable for everyone across the nation. It is, therefore, time to bid adieu to the traditional and monotonous rote-learning methods, which stress memorization rather than a proper understanding of the subject.
With these initiatives, education is likely to witness a sea change in the forthcoming years as the Indian government is leaving no stone unturned to rapidly evolve with the most sophisticated educational technologies and raring to transform the nation's digital landscape. And with social distancing still in place amidst the pandemic, an increasing number of educational institutions continue to move entirely online to facilitate students. This indicates that e-learning is the future and will shape the way for advanced learning methods in ed-tech.
Latest tools, methodologies
Bidding adieu to the traditional teaching methods and issues such as shortage of teachers, inadequate student-teacher ratio, and insufficient teaching resources, digitization in education have made way for the latest teaching tools and methodologies that are now reaching students in the remotest corners of the country. And with inclusive education being one of the goals of the government, the hidden teaching model is likely to serve well.
The technology is also helping teachers connect with several students spread across several locations simultaneously. Interactive digital media also is an excellent solution to the shortage of teachers in the country. To facilitate the same, it plans to use technology to upgrade the skills of teachers through the online portal DIKSHA. It is a digital platform for teachers across the nation that allows them to stay equipped with advanced digital technology while giving their lifestyle a digital twist.
Online exams too
In line with the education trends, examinations to are being conducted online. Digital platforms support assessments, online proctoring and certification, and secure, scalable, and credible remote exams. These web-based computerized exams have many benefits as they reduce costs, are time-saving, have a wider reach and are highly secure. This is because the process minimizes human, operational, infrastructure and logistical costs apart from saving the time consumed in planning, coordination and result generation. The platform can support a much larger candidate pool with no geographical constraint while ensuring auto invigilation of each candidate through strict prevention of content leaks and impersonation.
In the days to come, digital education will further witness significant changes in the way universities and colleges provide education. This accelerated shift towards digital means in access to teaching and assessment isn't a temporary trend. Still, it will have long-term consequences that will shape the new normal future. We will soon experience a myriad of possibilities emerging out of digital education to empower the youth of India.
LITERACY GAP
Along with a prevalent urban-rural divide, there also exists a deepening male-female digital literacy gap in India. Data from NSSO's 75th round national survey (2017-2018) shows a significant gap between the male and female population in rural and urban areas about operating a computer and using the internet. As shown in Table 1, only 8.5% of women in rural India can use the internet compared to their male counterparts (17.1%). For urban areas, the percentage of users is significantly higher, but the gender gap remains.
Table 1: Share of persons able to operate a computer and use the internet in India

Source: Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation 2019
Other micro-level studies also show similar findings. In a study in the urban slums of Delhi, Aggarwal found that 90% of men had mobile phones, out of which 59% had a smartphone, and 58% had internet connection on their phones. On the other hand, 58% of women had a phone, 22% had a smartphone, and 18% had internet connectivity [9]. Another study in Aligarh found that 52.25% of male and 14.28% of female respondents owned smartphones. Moreover, none of the female respondents could download applications or know about Google Play Store/any other app store.
This digital literacy divide among males and females is a critical structural constraint in the proliferation of digital learning methods that carries multiple negative impacts on women's educational attainment, skill development and workforce participation.
IMPACT OF REMOTE LEARNING ON PUPILS AND TEACHERS
According to UNICEF, the closure of schools in 2020 has affected more than 1.5 billion children and young people worldwide, leading to a wide range of psychological and behavioural challenges. The increase in screen time impacts children physically and can also lead to a heightened risk of online exploitation. The rise in virtual platforms may expose young children to harmful virtual content, which may also contribute to cyberbullying.
An online survey conducted among 155 students across 13 states in India showed that students often complained about frequent headaches and neck/back pains due to long online classes. The survey indicates that students are subjected to 5-10 hours of screen time in a day, including school lessons and private coaching classes. Also, since 45% of students use headphones while attending lectures, there is an increased risk of developing hearing issues and eye problems and musculoskeletal pains. Lockdown teaching has also restricted students to the sit-down method of learning and reduced their extracurricular and physical activities opportunities.
Online learning has further proven to be a considerable challenge for students with disabilities. As per a phone-based survey of 387 students with disabilities conducted by the NGO Swabhiman in May 2020, 56.8% were found to be continuing their studies, with the rest opting to drop out. Additionally, only 56.4% of those interviewed had access to personal or collectively used smartphones. The survey also found that deaf students were struggling during webinars with multiple speakers and generally found it difficult to lip-read on screens.
Notably, teachers are also at a high risk of being impacted both physically and mentally because of increased online learning. Media reports indicate that virtual classrooms have made significant adverse impacts, particularly on female teachers. Remote understanding has led to the rise in bullying of female teachers by older students and has thrown up numerous incidents of violation of teachers' privacy.
CONCLUDING REMARKS: NEP 2020 AND BEYOND
The NEP 2020, taking cognizance of the present education scenario in India, seeks to encourage "carefully designed and appropriately scaled pilot studies to determine how the benefits of online/digital education can be reaped while addressing or mitigating the downsides".
As part of its recommendations for leveraging digital technology for learning, the NEP aims to build a new autonomous body – the National Educational Technology Forum (NETF) – that will standardize the content and pedagogy and promote the adoption of continuously evolving technologies for digital learning nationwide. Some of the more tangible initiatives recommended by the NEP are:
•    Extension of existing e-learning platforms like DIKSHA and SWAYAM to provide teachers with user-friendly assistive tools like two-way audio and two-way video for monitoring pupils' progress.
•    Development of a digital repository of coursework, simulations, game-based learning, augmented reality and virtual reality.
•    Develop virtual labs using DIKSHA and SWAYAM to make such programs accessible to students and teachers belonging to socio-economically disadvantaged groups through preloaded tablets.
•    Provision of a new National Assessment Centre to design and implement new assessment frameworks that incorporate 21st-century skills.
However, when it comes to addressing the digital divide, as discussed previously, the NEP recommends using television, radio and community radio for 24*7 broadcasts of educational programmes, including in regional languages. Whether such programmes can replace online classes and e-learning tools and provide the same quality of education to students who do not have access to smartphones or the internet is up for debate. Indeed, the NEP doesn't seem to offer any specific recommendations to bridge the gender gap in digital literacy, nor does it directly address online classes' physical and mental health consequences. It also doesn't seek to cover issues faced by students with disabilities while accessing online learning methods.
It can be concluded that though the NEP offers some progressive initiatives for the development of e-learning tools and seeks to encourage equal access to technology, it misses the mark when it comes to addressing the grave structural challenges that characterize digital learning in India. In the future, it is imperative to bring about convergence between the goals of the NEP and flagship schemes like Digital India that seeks to expand access to communication infrastructure and internet connectivity across the country. Therein, a key focus has to be on bridging the gender gap in internet usage and access to smartphones and simultaneously making digital learning disability-friendly.