इंटरनेट से अधिकार तक
A technology-led community empowerment programme connecting Tea Tribe and Adivasi communities in Jorhat to reliable internet, digital skills, and the services they deserve — independently and confidently.
As government services, scholarships, and social protection schemes move online, communities without internet access are left further behind.
Tea Tribe and Adivasi communities in Jorhat's tea estates face a compound digital exclusion. Government entitlements, pension schemes, identity services, and scholarships are increasingly accessible only through online portals — yet these communities lack the devices, connectivity, and digital literacy to access them.
Internet Disha directly addresses this gap. It places technology infrastructure, digital skills training, and trusted community facilitators inside the estates themselves — making technology accessible where people already live and work.
The programme is implemented by Amri Karbi CDP, a community-rooted organisation with deep presence and trust among Tea Tribe and Adivasi populations in Jorhat, Assam.
Six integrated components — technology, people, training, safety, connectivity, and a community app — working together as one ecosystem.
Fully equipped technology centres established inside tea estates with devices, broadband, biometric Aadhaar authentication, solar power backup, and a printer-scanner for document support. Built on the foundation of HaqDisha's ONE Centres.
Seventeen existing community fellows — DigiPreneurs and Digi Sakhis — are upskilled and certified as Digital Resource Persons (DRPs). They anchor the hubs, conduct peer training (30+ members per month), and serve as trusted community navigators for digital services.
A four-tier structured digital literacy programme developed and delivered in Assamese and local community languages. From smartphone basics all the way to government portal navigation, digital identity, and peer training skills for community leaders.
A lightweight mobile application in Assamese guiding community members through scheme access, entitlement applications, DigiLocker, and banking step by step. Works offline in low-connectivity areas, with audio explainers and a scheme eligibility checker.
PM-WANI compliant Wi-Fi access points installed at community gathering points in tea estates, extending reliable internet access beyond the Hub into homes and common areas. Subsidised or community-managed data access for enrolled households.
Monthly digital safety awareness sessions at each Hub addressing cyber fraud, phishing, online privacy, and consent — with printed and audio materials in Assamese. A grievance redress pathway is available for fraud incidents, with linkage to the cybercrime cell.
Developed in Assamese and community languages — taking learners from first smartphone use to becoming peer digital trainers in their own communities.
Community ownership, local language, trust, and sustainability — not technology for its own sake, but technology in service of people's rights.
Every hub, every training session, and every tool is placed inside the community — not at a distant office or block headquarters. The programme meets people where they are, in the estate itself.
DigiPreneurs and Digi Sakhis are drawn from the community itself. They speak the language, understand the culture, and hold existing trust — making digital adoption far more effective than external trainers.
The DigiPath curriculum, Internet Disha App, and all awareness materials are created in Assamese and community languages. Language-appropriate digital tools dramatically increase uptake and retention.
Internet Disha is not a standalone programme. It actively converges with BharatNet, PM-WANI, DigiLocker, CSC e-Governance, and state welfare portals to maximise reach and reduce costs through existing infrastructure.
Recognising that fear of fraud is a major barrier to internet adoption, digital safety is woven into the programme from day one — not an afterthought. Communities learn to use the internet safely before being pushed to use it widely.
CSC certification gives DRPs income-generating capability. Community Management Committees progressively own Hub operations. PM-WANI infrastructure generates small subscription revenues. The programme is designed to sustain itself beyond the project period.
Concrete, measurable outcomes tracked across a two-year implementation period in tea estate communities in Jorhat.
| Indicator | Year 1 Target | Year 2 Target | Focus Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digital Empowerment Hubs established & operational | All Hubs Active | Self-sustaining | Infrastructure |
| Community members completing Tier 1 digital literacy | 800 | 1,500+ | Training |
| Community members completing Tier 2–3 training | 400 | 900+ | Training |
| Scheme applications filed independently via digital portals | 500 | 1,200+ | Rights Access |
| DigiLocker / digital identity accounts created | 600 | 1,000+ | Digital Identity |
| Women enrolled in digital literacy programme | 60% of trained | 65%+ | Gender Inclusion |
| Internet Disha App active users | 500 | 1,000+ | Digital Access |
| Digital Safety Awareness sessions conducted | 24 | 36 | Safety |
| Households with improved internet via community Wi-Fi | 200 | 500+ | Connectivity |
| Tier 4 community digital leaders trained | 30 | 80+ | Leadership |
Internet Disha is built on convergence — maximising reach by integrating with existing national and state digital infrastructure.
Broadband infrastructure convergence for extending reliable internet connectivity to tea estate areas under the national optical fibre network.
Community Wi-Fi hotspot deployment inside estates as Public Data Office Aggregator (PDOA) access points — low-cost and community manageable.
Biometric Aadhaar authentication devices at each Hub enabling eKYC, identity verification, and linkage to welfare schemes and banking services.
Certification of Digital Resource Persons as Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs), enabling fee-based service income and institutional recognition.
Community training on DigiLocker document storage and the UMANG app, providing access to 1,200+ government services from a single platform.
Dedicated support for Tea Tribe and Adivasi students to file scholarship applications independently via the Assam government's SIRISH portal.
Registration of unorganised tea garden workers on e-Shram for social security benefits, accident insurance, and welfare scheme access.
Policy convergence for estate access permissions, scheme integration, and joint outreach activities with the state welfare machinery.
Collaboration with Panchayats for grievance redress, awareness camp permissions, and linkage to block-level digital service delivery.
Internet Disha is designed from day one for community ownership — not dependency on continued external funding.
Certified DRPs earn income through fee-based digital services — certificates, Aadhaar updates, form submissions — making the facilitator role financially viable without continued subsidy.
Hub Management Committees are formed and trained in operations, scheduling, and basic maintenance from Year 1, progressively taking over full Hub management by Year 2.
Once installed, PM-WANI access points can generate small revenues through community subscriptions — contributing to Hub operational costs without external funding.
Tier 4 of DigiPath creates a growing pool of community digital trainers — reducing dependence on external facilitators and enabling ongoing peer-to-peer skill transfer.
Digital Empowerment Hubs will be positioned as recognised touchpoints for state welfare schemes — creating institutional backing and possible government line-budget support.
The Internet Disha model will be fully documented and published for replication across other tea estate districts in Assam and the Northeast — multiplying impact beyond Jorhat.