It's been 6 months since government school students have been struggling to access online classes without a smartphone. About two months ago, the DOE asked all government schools to begin online teaching during the COVID-19 lockdown. However, a shocking number of 1.6 million underprivileged students in Delhi lacked a smartphone gadget. With schools under the MCD (up to 5th grade) and upper-year students, especially 11th and 12th-grade students, are facing extreme issues simply trying to receive messages by their teachers.

Currently, there is no concrete plan by the government to help poor students with online classes who do not own smartphones. NGO's are struggling to retrieve funds from smartphone companies given the scale and expense of the issue.

If we are providing free food programs, then why are we taking a step back on providing free smartphones? 

The digital divide has reminded us of the excruciating income gap in our country and the educational gap between private and government schools. 

We are asking the Delhi Directorate of Education, Mr. Manish Sisodia, and the Board of Education to provide students with low-income backgrounds with a smartphone. The expectation that students will buy smartphones to receive their education undermines the Right of Education Act.