On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, UNESCO India in association with DEF, along with media partners The Statesman and Go News, organised a dialogue on ‘Critical Minds for Critical Times: Media’s Role in Advancing Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies’ in New Delhi on May 3, 2017. The forum facilitated a rich discussion between…
On International Labour Day, Team Baank-e-Loom organised an awareness camp in Saidanpur, Uttar Pradesh, where more than 70 per cent of the population works in the unorganised sector, mostly as agricultural labourers, brick-kiln labourers and other daily wage earners. Despite a large weaving community, most men in the village are dependent on daily wage for…
After the successful leg of 52 Parindey in 2015-2016, the project is back with Chapter II. After documenting initiatives and innovators that look at sustainable, environment-friendly vocations, 52 Parindey Chapter II will focus on India’s handloom sector. Over the next 52 weeks, fellow Rahul Karanpuriya will digitally documenting the history, heritage, culture and livelihood of…
A one-day ICT Capacity Building workshop was organised in Samastipur, Bihar, on May 15, 2017, to apprise NGOs with Google applications and other digital tools that are available to help them improvise their operations and management. Around 50 representatives from NGOs, SHGs, CBOs and farming communities participated in the workshop to learn about various digital…
In the month of May, DEF adopted two more handloom clusters in Kollegal (Karnataka) and Pochampally (Telangana) with support from Microsoft under its Digital Cluster Development Programme (DCDP). Kollegal is located in Chamrajnagar district of Karnataka; and is situated on the foothills of the Western Ghat, providing temperature that is suitable for growing silk cocoons.…
Set in the West Garo Hills of Meghalaya, Tura is the largest town in this hilly region. The area is mostly inhabited by the Garo tribe. Amid this backdrop, CIRC Tura was set up here in 2014, with an aim to impart digital literacy, and provide access to information. In the last three years, the…
Every year, the world observes May 28 as Menstrual Hygiene Day to call attention to and ‘normalise’ menstruation. The day was also observed at Baank-e-Loom in Saidanpur, Uttar Pradesh, in collaboration with Water Aid and FICCI Lucknow-Kanpur. Just like the rest of the country, especially rural India, young girls’ and women’s potential in Saidanpur, too,…
As many as 60 people participated in a day-long programme called Beti Padhao, Beti Bachao that was organised by DEF in Sonapur village, Dimoria block of Assam. In this village alone, DEF has provided training in digital literacy to more than 5,000 people and digitally enabled thousands of others through other services. DEF Programme Coordinator…
India and other South-Asian countries have leapfrogged technologically to adapt to digital lifestyles. The Government of India’s push towards digital initiatives and increasing ubiquity of digital tools and services renders it imperative to discuss what would be our lives in the digital world and how the definition would and context of being a digital citizen…
As much as 67 per cent of India’s population lives in rural India; and one billion Indians do not have access to the Internet. More than 300 million identified individuals fall under the category of below poverty line (BPL) who, by definition, earn less than a dollar a day. This is the same share of…