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Today, I looked at a lit ATM screen. It said “Temporarily Out of Service” again. The woman behind me, wearing a torn saree and with a sleeping infant perched on her shoulder, said nothing. She just sighed, turned to the screen and walked away. Is this the India we’ve created for her?”

Chapter 1: The Trick of Clicks and Codes

They say we're a digital superpower. That we are a nation of satellites and new businesses, QR code bhajiwalas, and classrooms powered by AI.

The slogans ring out with pride: "Digital India," "New India," and "Developed India."And yes, it does have magic in it. With a tap, you can send money. You can call your grandmother for free across oceans. Next to the glass jar of Parle-G biscuits at even the smallest tea stall, uncle's shop is a laminated Paytm QR code. But there is a truth behind this digital sparkle that we don't tweet enough. There is a village behind each mobile tower where you can only get a signal if you climb the mango tree. There is a classroom with no electricity behind every trending hashtag. In that classroom, chalk still screams against broken blackboards. We are two countries. One swipe. The other waits.

Chapter 2: The Girl With the Smartphone But No Soap

I once met a girl named Rukmini in a slum close to Howrah station. She had a broken screen on her old Redmi phone, and the Instagram app was glowing. She posted reels of herself and her friends dancing, lip-syncing and smiling. Her life was so bright that it could blind you. Rukmini, in contrast, did not have a toilet in her home. She stepped two miles down to a community, holding her breath due to the smell. Some days, she would not go to school—the vending machine for sanitary pads would be broken, and no one would come to repair it. Always. Online was infinitely cooler (and more dangerous) than real life. And that's the sad part. In Digital India, there are now filters for poverty.

Chapter 3: 5G in the air, but no water below

We talk about the introduction of 5G in major cities. However, children still have to walk five kilometres to get drinking water in some parts of Bundelkhand. There are no tankers. The faucets aren't working. The teacher still uses an app to take attendance even though the school's roof collapsed last year. Isn't that odd? We provided the teacher with a tablet, but no roof over her classroom. Yes, digital India has expanded quickly. AI-powered government portals, record-high UPI transactions, and more than 850 million smartphone users.

However, how many of us stop to consider digital literacy? Even though a farmer might have a phone, is he aware of how to use the Kisan portal?

A pregnant woman may be enrolled in a government health app… but does she know how to use it without someone’s help? Technology without access is like offering glasses to the blind, without teaching them to see.

Chapter 4: Bridging the Gap or Building a Wall?

The government had good intentions. To make India a knowledge economy that is inclusive and empowered by technology, "Digital India" was introduced in 2015. Indeed, it has transformed lives: Craftspeople in rural areas now sell their wares on Instagram. In towns without good teachers, students use smartphones to attend classes. Pensioners receive their benefits directly, bypassing intermediaries. Digital self-help groups have taught women in remote areas how to be financially independent. However, this change is not consistent. You become aware of the glitch when you move between districts. Sometimes the app loads. Sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes the person knows how to use it. Sometimes they don’t even know what an app is. The result? Those who were already privileged zoom ahead. And those who weren’t — fall further behind.

Chapter 5: Data is Cheap, Dignity Isn’t

Although mobile data rates are the lowest in the world in India, access is not equal. Five siblings in rural Bihar frequently share a single smartphone. If the phone breaks, it won't be fixed for months. A 2024 study revealed: In rural India, just 31% of households had internet access. Less than 20% of women in rural areas are digitally literate. Local languages are not even available on many government portals. A chatbot in English is not necessary for a widow in Jharkhand who is attempting to apply for her pension. In her native tongue, she needs a human voice. Paperless governance, a cashless economy, and faceless systems are all promised by Digital India. But occasionally, people require faces. Heat. A helpful hand rather than merely a redirecting link.

Chapter 6: When Hope Clicks 'Retry

Something lovely is attempting to blossom despite the cracks. Fisherwomen in Kerala use WhatsApp groups to keep tabs on fish prices. Rajasthani villagers can apply for jobs with the assistance of e-Mitra centres. Schoolgirls in bamboo huts in Assam are learning to code. There is pain, indeed. The digital divide does exist. However, resistance also exists. Resilience, too. Grandmothers are being taught how to use Google Pay by non-governmental organisations. There are slum-dwelling YouTubers who win silver play buttons while filming with broken tripods. Perhaps that's what true progress is. Motion, not perfection. 

Final Chapter: Two India, One Dream, Dear Diary

They say that India is reportedly on the move, that we will become the next superpower and Silicon Valley. However, I argue that until everyone has a seat at the table, no power is supreme. Let's avoid creating an India where villages are silent and skyscrapers reach the sky. We shouldn't let a child be able to take selfies but not write her name. Let's avoid using "Digital India" as a front to conceal the true India.

Let us dream of one India.

Where signal towers rise beside school buildings. Where QR codes share space with grain sacks. Where every click also means every child eats. That India is possible. Not with apps alone. But with empathy. Not just with smartphones. But with smart hearts. And until then, dear diary, I’ll keep writing. Because if I can’t fix the glitch in the system, maybe I can soften the silence in someone’s story. 

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