Corresponde al esquema de vivienda unifamiliar en un piso, en lotes pequeños (son pocos casos).

Dr Singh Sumanjeet (2011) discusses in the paper the digital divide between nations and states and communities global, regional and many levels of rich and poor and those old and young too. The author in his paper comments on reasons and possible changes that can be referred within the Digital Divide for the benefit of people. It highlights the fact that reasons such as lack of infrastructure, tele density, illiteracy, lack of skills and the geographical divide of resources in urban and rural sector.

Panda Ipsita (2013) elaborates on the gap between developed and underdeveloped nations in accessing technology and utilizing for better growth and development of the nation. This gap resonating amongst the rich and poor makes the divide very wide and the paper discusses this in context to India.

Singh Neena (2010) comments about the role of various schemes and initiatives towards ensuring the narrowing of the gap and divide created via access through digitization of the information and communication technology. The paper also discusses the barriers and challenges towards narrowing this rift and measures that the government and authorities need to take to ensure the Digital Divide is mitigated.

Statement of the Problem: The Digital divide strongly rests on the penetration of the ICT yet the need of the hour is to integrate people with skills and training to optimally using of those resources. Information and Communication technology can be most beneficial for the progress of the nation if all sectors of population join hands. Age and access to Internet and training with acquiring of skill set in elderly group of people above 50 years of age can be very productive for their own identity and functioning along with creation of a working human capital of Digital India.

Objectives:

 To assess and understand the penetration of ICT in urban sector of India on elderly people.

 To validate the Digital Divide barriers in India.

 To claim the untapped potential of elderly people to learn and absorb skills for ICT.

 To verify the role of the Skill acquisition, age and gender overcoming Digital Divide. Research Methodology:

Hypothesis:

H1

Ho: There is no significant relationship between Digital Divide and acquiring skills for ICT.

H1: There is a significant relationship between Digital Divide and acquiring skills for ICT.

H2

Ho: There is Inverse relationship between age and literacy with adapting to ICT leading to Digital Divide in the people.

H1: There is direct relationship between age and Literacy with adapting to ICT leading to Digital Divide in the people.

Research Design and Sources and Method of Data Collection:

The research study is based on both Primary and secondary data. The Research Design is Exploratory and Tool and techniques used are Structured Questionnaire and modality of Convenience Random Sampling has been utilized. Data has been collected through survey on the respondents

Sampling plan

This research paper is of an exploratory design and aims to find results by conducting a survey on 100 respondents.

Sampling has been done from various sectors of society .The respondents have been sampled through Convenience Random Sampling of age group 50-60 and 60-70 male and females.

Both Primary and Secondary data has been sourced to analyze, assess and understand the current and future impact of Acquiring skills and Literacy of elderly group of people.

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Methods of data analysis

The Data generated has been analyzed graphically and in ratio percentage method. A correlation of the variables have been attempted to be deciphered to allow for further understanding of this Digital Divide and acquisition of skills for ICT by elderly respondents..

Limitations of study:

The research study has been limited to Mumbai region only for reasons of logistics of the survey. These 100 respondents are divided as following:

The respondents sample size has been divided in various Mumbai zonal categories .East, West, South and North and sample has been taken equally from these areas so as to give uniformity to sampling in Mumbai region.

Further the sample size has been bifurcated to gender division of males and females into 50:50 ratio. The respondent‘s age group has been divided as following. 50-60 and 60-70 years groups and based on this variable the sampling has been conducted.

Age in years 50-60 60-70 Gender M F M F North 05 05 05 05 South 05 05 05 05 East 05 05 05 05 West 05 05 05 05 Findings:

Table: E-Governance Schemes by Government and Private Business houses

AGE Life Line India

Bhoomi

Project Friends Project Digital Mobile Library

I Shakti

(HUL) Param (O&M)

50-60 2 5 3 7 4 3

60-70 2 3 3 0 0 0

The table clearly shows that only 24% of the respondents belonging to age group of 50-60 years had heard about these e governance schemes. From the 60 -70 years age group only8% of them had heard about few schemes floated by Government and others had no information.

This table clearly indicates that male respondents consider Skill set acquisition for ICT as main components for overcoming Digital Divide followed by access to Internet, Language barrier and their age.

However revelation from this chart point out that the Female respondents have a more pronounced need of many components for ICT and overcoming Digital Divide. Whilst Skill acquisition remains as the main component, yet prominently it is evident that other factors range high in prominence for women than men.

PILLAI COLLEGE OF ARTS, COMMERCE & SCIENCE,New Panvel, New Mumbai-06 Page 123

Table: To measure the correlation of Age and Skill set Literacy

Strongly

Interested Somewhat Interested Interested Less Interested Not at all Interested Female 50-60 7 7 7 3 1 60-70 8 6 5 2 2 Male 50-60 11 6 3 3 2 60-70 10 9 3 2 1

This table points out that the out of the respondents men are more interested than women for ICT and Women are little restrained in their interest to overcome the Digital Divide. The Table also indicates that 2: 1 ratio of women to men expressed interest which suggests that the interest once stimulated, it may encourage women sector to be in the strongly interested group for ICT. The Table clearly indicated the finding that Age has correlation with Skill set education provided to the respondents group.15% women respondents were strongly interested and 21% male respondents too expressed strong interest. Only 6% of respondents expressed no interest. Evidently Age was no deterrent in acquiring skills and getting educated for ICT.

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The respondents very clearly stated that if they are able to access the Internet with required training for ICT provided to them, then these activities of paying Tax and bills for various services, Socio- cultural and Entertainment and Ecommerce would be their benefits and activities to indulge in which would further improve their quality of life and convenience along with convergence to Nation‘s goal of Digitalization.

Table: Cyclical Impact of Skill Training for ICT

Testing Of Hypothesis

Ho: There is no significant relationship between Digital Divide and acquiring skills for ICT. H1: There is a significant relationship between Digital Divide and acquiring skills for ICT. Correlation of Skills Training for ICT and Access to Internet towards Digital divide is well established and it has a significant relationship by the above tables. 80% have cleared stated the convenience for them to pay taxes and bills online would be of great help to them due to their age. 89% have stated that ICT would be a source of entertainment and keeping their socio cultural and political interest alive with more impact on their emotional health of not being alone, since at their age the children have moved on and settled elsewhere.88% of the respondents were very clear in their opinion that they would post integration with ICT they would start indulging in Ecommerce both as consumers as well as sellers.

80%

Tax ,Bills

payment

89%

Entertainment

88%

E-commerce

Quait

y of

Life

Digital

India

goal

Conve

nienc

e

E-Life

Integr

ation

in

Devel

opme

nt

PILLAI COLLEGE OF ARTS, COMMERCE & SCIENCE,New Panvel, New Mumbai-06 Page 125

Thus the null hypothesis has been rejected.

H2

Ho: There is Inverse relationship between age and literacy with adapting to ICT leading to Digital Divide in the people.

H1: There is direct relationship between age and Literacy with adapting to ICT leading to Digital Divide in the people.

The findings clearly indicate that in spite of an age of 50-60 and 60-70 years 90% of respondents expressed strong interest in learning the required skills for ICT and were very interested to learn and be part of the Digitized India. The age was seen as a deterrent for only 5% women and 5% Men respondents.

Clearly the findings state that the Null hypothesis is rejected and it is established that there is a direct relationship between Age and Education of skill set towards adapting to ICT.

Conclusions and Suggestions:

The paper very clearly highlight sand marks out the facts that elderly population who are able to gain access to Internet and can be given training and required skills set for using the ICT proficiently can make a constructive human capital of the nation. Not only can they lead a constructive life for themselves but also can be contributory force towards growth and development of the nation.

It‘s important for states to make such schemes to train the elderly segment of the population .College students can be harnessed for such projects and internships during their tenure in academics. Also various NGO‘s can take this as projects for development of society. Corporate groups can conduct CSR via such skill trainings to this segment of population and nation can benefit.

Bibliography

Singh Sumanjeet (2011), Digital Divide in India: Measurement, Determinants

And Policy for Addressing the Challenges in Bridging the Digital Divide, international journal of scientific and research publications

Singh Neena (2011),Bridging the Digital Divide in India: Some Challenges and Opportunities

Ms. Ipsita Panda *, Mr. Durllav Charan Chhatar(2010), A Brief View to Digital Divide in Indian Scenario ISSN - 2250-315, International journal of scientific and research publications

Volume 3, Issue – 12th December 2013

Gore, K (2003), Rethinking the Indian Digital Divide, Present State of Digitization in India Management Libraries, Inflibnet

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USE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY IN HEALTH