The fine print of Modi Govt's lofty claims of 'Digital India' is marred by — Unfulfilled Promises & False Claims As of 26th June 2025, under the BharatNet project, a total of 6.55 lakh villages were supposed to be targeted for broadband connectivity. Out of these, 4.53 lakh villages, i.e. 65% of them are yet to be covered. The project's deadline has been revised at least 8 times in 11 years. A meagre - 0.73% (766) Gram Panchayats currently have active Wi-Fi services. When the private players are opting for 5G, BSNL has not yet completed its target of deploying 1 lakh 4G towers. One-third towers left to be installed. Even after receiving three revival packages worth over 3 lakh crore — 69,000 crore in 2019, 1.64 lakh crore in 2022, and 89,047 crore in 2023, it still lags behind private players. BSNL’s debt rose by 291.7%, from 5,948 crore in March 2014 to 23,297 crore in March 2024. MTNL’s debt increased by 136.2%, from 14,210 crore to 33,568 crore over the same period. Digital Exclusion of the Marginalised 75.3% of people aged 15 and above in the country do not know how to use a computer. This includes 81.9% in rural areas and 60.4% in urban areas, highlighting a significant digital skills gap. [NSS survey, 2020-21] Nearly 7 crore registered workers excluded from MNREGA by imposing the condition of AADHAAR based payment 54% of government schools do not have an internet connection, 79% have no desktop computer, 85% lack a projector, and 79% do not have a smart...
A new study released by NewsGuard reveals that 49 percent of Americans say they believed at least one of the top false news claims circulating online in June. The research, conducted through NewsGu...