Topics Covered:
- Important International institutions, agencies and fora, their structure, mandate.
- Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers.
Inclusive Internet Index 2019
What to study?
For Prelims: About the Index, categories and performance of various countries.
Context: Inclusive Internet Index 2019 has been released.
About the Inclusive Internet Index:
The Inclusive Internet Index, commissioned by Facebook and conducted by The Economist Intelligence Unit, seeks to measure the extent to which the Internet is not only accessible and affordable, but also relevant to all, allowing usage that enables positive social and economic outcomes at individual and group level.
The aim of the Inclusive Internet Index is to provide researchers and policymakers with the information they need to enable the beneficial use of the Internet, irrespective of age, gender, location or background.
The index assesses the performance of 100 countries in four categories of inclusion: Accessibility, Affordability, Relevance and Readiness. Each category incorporates key indicators of internet inclusion, including quantitative measures such as network coverage and pricing, and qualitative measures such as the presence of e-inclusion policies and the availability of local-language content.
Key findings:
- The digital divide appears to be widening at the bottom of the income pyramid, risking a reversal of past progress.
- Gender gaps in Internet access continue to narrow globally, led by low and lower middle-income countries.
- Concerns about online privacy remain high, and trust in information from governments on the Internet has retreated in the West.
- Men have more Internet access than women globally but low and lower middle income countries narrowed the gender gap in 2018.
- Inclusion for women and those with disabilities have improved, with low income and lower-middle-income countries driving the progress.
Performance of various countries:
- Sweden has topped the rankings followed by Singapore and the US.
- India has been ranked 47th.
- The UK, Namibia, Ireland, Austria, Chile and South Africa are the top performers of the year in terms of gender equality. All these countries had female digital skills training plans.
Sources: toi.
