Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala is set to be declared the country’s first digitally literate state on 21 August, following a year-long campaign aimed at familiarizing every section of society with digital technology.
The ‘Digi Keralam, Complete Digital Literacy Program’, launched in 2023 by the state’s local self-government department, sought to extend the benefits of the digital revolution to all, regardless of age, enabling people to access e-services with ease.
The initiative began with a door-to-door survey of 83 lakh households, covering 1.5 crore people, to identify those without basic digital skills. Conducted by 2.57 lakh trained volunteers, including MGNREGA supervisors, National Service Scheme members, the National Cadet Corps and Nehru Yuva Kendra, the survey found 21 lakh digitally illiterate individuals, among them many over 90 years old.
According to officials, 99.98 per cent of those identified, including 15,223 people above 90, have now successfully completed the program.
“We had motivated the aged persons to overcome their hesitancy to use a smartphone,” said project assistant director Sajina Sathar. “We told them they could make video calls (to their children and relatives), watch their favorite programs and TV serials and hear music. That’s how we had evoked an interest in them.”
Training was delivered in work clusters, at homes, and at Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme sites during lunch breaks. Volunteers used their own smartphones to train participants without devices.
The program featured three modules covering 15 activities, from taking photos and videos and setting up social media profiles to sending WhatsApp messages and performing basic Google searches. Participants also learned to use state online platforms for applications, booking services such as gas, and retrieving OTPs. A key component was the ‘Satyameva Jayate’ campaign to combat fake news.
All participants under 65 were required to undergo an evaluation, with many older individuals also opting to be tested. Those who did not initially meet the standards received additional training.
The state’s economic and statistics department carried out a third-party evaluation of the initiative, which was modelled on the digital literacy program piloted in Pullampara village panchayat in Thiruvananthapuram. In 2022, Pullampara was declared digitally literate after training 3,900 people identified as digitally illiterate from a population of 22,100.