Digital Divide in Education in Urban, Peri-Urban, and Rural Areas in India: Coochbehar, A Backward District of West Bengal in Perspective

The adoption of digital technology in education since the post-1990s has exacerbated urban–rural dichotomies, particularly during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. It led to digital information asymmetry among different population strata and paved a digital divide. The divergence in public internet access created an information gap, resulting in inequality in information technology and socio-cultural inequalities. The digital divide become part of the academic lexicon. The digital revolution in healthcare, education, and banking failed to incorporate the existing inequities. This chapter highlights inconsistencies in India’s urbanisation and income inequality. While urban population growth has slowed, peri-urban areas have grown significantly, and rural regions are becoming more urbanised. The digital divide between urban and rural areas has remained wide during the pandemic and post-pandemic, particularly in education. It highlights the need for careful planning and coordination to address these disparities. Furthermore, this chapter examines the impact of compulsory online and blended education during the pandemic and post-pandemic period in urban, peri-urban, and rural areas of Coochbehar district of West Bengal, a relatively backward district. Two significant findings have been observed. The digital gap between the backward district of Coochbehar and the advanced district of Kolkata has remained markedly different. Again, the digital gap among urban, peri-urban, and rural areas of Coochbehar has remained significantly broad.