For many years, farmers in India have had little freedom in choosing markets and buyers for their produce. All states in the country, except three, mandate that marketing and selling of farm produce must be routed through state-owned mandis, retail markets where middlemen squeeze farmers to increase margins. In such a situation, can technology-enabled solutions…
A survey conducted among 200 women in Bhadohi and Ferozabad, two small towns in Uttar Pradesh, revealed a picture of cybercafe use in the country’s hinterland. The survey, published in Public Access ICT Across Cultures, found a strong correlation between education, income and the use of Internet and communication technologies. It also found that the…
I want to share with you a couple of breathtaking stories of how mobile phones have made a difference in women’s lives The week before last, I was having one of those regular conversations with Sunil Jaglan, the sarpanch who has been more in the news than perhaps our prime minister, more recently for his…