Though Kerala was the first State in the country to declare the right to Internet as a basic right, as many as 189 Adivasi ooru (tribal colonies) spread over 12 districts in the State still have no access to Internet and mobile connection, affecting the prospects of over 5,000 tribal students in these colonies.
According to the data available with the Scheduled Tribes Development department, Idukki has the highest number of tribal colonies cut off digitally from the mainland — 75 colonies, accommodating over 2,000 tribal students. Kannur comes second with 1,140 students.
4G services
Murali M. Nair, joint director in-charge, Directorate of Scheduled Tribes Development department, said the department had sought the Forest department’s permission to set up towers in tribal colonies situated inside the forest under the provisions of the Forest Rights Act. Internet and mobile connection in these colonies would be made available under a Union Cabinet-approved project that aims at providing 4G mobile services in remote areas.
Officials said that the work on setting up the towers would be launched soon after permission was granted. “We hope that by December the State will be in a position to address the digital divide in the tribal colonies,” said another senior officer.
Government sources claimed that community study rooms set up in various parts of the State provided facilities for students to use the Internet. However, students from remote digitally cut-off colonies seldom make use of such facilities.
KFON project
The previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) government had declared Internet connection a basic right when the ₹1,548-crore KFON — a project aimed at providing free Internet access to 20 lakh below the poverty line (BPL) families in the State and providing Internet connection at a nominal rate to the public — was launched in 2019 and the first phase of the project was commissioned in June 2023.
The Kerala High Court had earlier held that the right to have access to the Internet is part of the fundamental right to education as well as the right to privacy under Article 21 of the Constitution.
