Each year, the Learning Societies UnConference (LSUC) convenes a diverse network of individuals and communities who challenge dominant paradigms of education, development, and social organisation. Far from being a conventional event, LSUC seeks to open a space to imagine and resist the monoculture of thought in order to rethink and imagine how institutionalised schooling, consumer-driven […]
Bazm-e-Sukhan is nurtured under A-CODE (Art & Collective for Digital Empowerment), an initiative led by Centre for Development Policy & Practice (CDPP) in partnership with the Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) that foregrounds community knowledge systems, cultural agency, and ethical digital inclusion. A-CODE situates digital transformation within lived social and cultural contexts, emphasising that technology must […]
From Digital Wrongs to Rights: The Fallacies of Misinformation/Disinformation and Cyber Fraud in Rural India Introduction India’s digital landscape reveals a stark divide between rural and urban areas, exacerbating vulnerabilities to misinformation and disinformation in underserved communities. While urban India boasts 67% internet penetration, only 31% of rural residents are online, according to the India […]
Misinformation and cyber fraud represent increasingly pervasive threats in rural India, where digital literacy remains limited, and access to secure financial platforms is still in its developmental stages. The intersection of technology and rural socio-economic conditions has led to a growing number of vulnerable populations falling victim to fraud. This case study focuses on Yogita […]
Cyber fraud is a growing menace in rural India, as rapid digitalisation outpaces the spread of digital literacy. Vulnerable communities often fall prey to sophisticated scams that exploit their limited understanding of online safety. Badla village in Jharkhand is a case in point, where a resident, Sasita Oraon, was defrauded of INR 58,000 in a […]
As social media usage rapidly expands across rural India, it opens new channels of communication and interaction but simultaneously creates opportunities for cybercrime. The perils of digital misuse, including the hacking of social media accounts, are becoming more apparent in rural regions, where many users lack sufficient knowledge of cybersecurity protocols. This case study examines […]
The cyber fraud incident began when Reena received a phone call from a person claiming to be a senior officer from the “toilet head office” in Lucknow. The caller informed Reena that her household had been approved for a toilet under a government scheme worth ₹36,000. Initially sceptical, Reena questioned the validity of the claim, […]
The village of Siyadih is situated in Handia Block, Uttar Pradesh, and is primarily inhabited by women, many of whom are from marginalised communities. The socio-economic conditions of this rural area are representative of much of rural India, where low levels of education and digital literacy, combined with deep-rooted cultural and religious beliefs, contribute to […]
Nonar, a small village in Sakaldhia Block of Chandauli district, Uttar Pradesh, represents the socio-economic realities of much of rural India. The population is predominantly engaged in agricultural activities and daily wage labour. Many households in Nonar, like that of Reshma, are dependent on the income of male family members who work in urban centres […]
Devpura is a small village inhabited by around 700 people from the Banjara community, a traditionally nomadic group classified as a Scheduled Tribe in India. Ashok Banjara’s experience represents the intersection of two crucial issues faced by marginalised communities in rural India—digital vulnerability and cyber fraud. As the sole breadwinner of his family, Ashok, who […]