At a time when artificial intelligence, machine learning, and digital classrooms are redefining the global education landscape, the education sector in Jammu and Kashmir remains worryingly stuck in the past. The latest official data reveal that out of 18,724 Government schools in the Union Territory, only 43.10% have computer facilities, and a marginally better 49.10% have internet connectivity. This means that more than half of J&K’s Government-run schools are effectively excluded from the digital revolution sweeping across the world. This stark reality exposes a widening digital chasm between the Government and private schools, and between urban and rural students, threatening to create a generation of learners unequipped for the demands of a technology-driven world. Despite repeated policy announcements and schemes aimed at modernising education, the on-ground situation remains bleak – particularly when viewed through the lens of the National Education Policy 2020, which explicitly emphasises the integration of technology in every stage of learning.
The implications are far-reaching. In an era where digital literacy has become as fundamental as reading and writing, nearly half of J&K’s school-going population continues to learn without exposure to computers or the internet. This means that while CBSE-affiliated and private schools across India are introducing coding, robotics, and AI modules at the primary level, most Government school students in J&K remain confined to chalk-and-blackboard learning. The result is an ever-widening gap in digital competence and employability-a gap that threatens to marginalise an entire segment of the youth.
The irony runs deep. The Government’s own employment policies now make basic computer literacy or a diploma in information technology a prerequisite for almost every job. Similarly, private sector opportunities – especially in domains like e-commerce, AI, data analytics, and digital marketing – demand digital fluency as a baseline skill. How then can thousands of students who graduate from schools without even a functioning computer aspire to compete on equal footing with their peers from better-equipped institutions?
Officials in the School Education Department attribute this lag primarily to inadequate funding and logistical challenges, particularly in remote and hilly areas. Many schools lack not just computers but even reliable electricity or maintenance budgets for existing systems. In several cases, computers supplied under earlier schemes lie defunct for want of technical support or recurring funds for software and internet connections. While the department claims to have signed an MoU with BSNL under the Samagra Shiksha scheme, the pace of implementation remains painfully slow.
If the NEP 2020 aims to establish technology-driven education as the foundation of future learning, then the lack of digital infrastructure in more than half of J&K’s schools represents a significant policy failure. This digital deficit also severely undermines students’ preparedness for higher education and employment in an increasingly digital economy. The Government, therefore, needs to adopt a multipronged strategy. A full digital infrastructure plan needs to be put into place. Several technology companies and CSR arms of private firms are already collaborating with states across India to equip rural schools with low-cost digital labs and smart classrooms. J&K can and must leverage such partnerships to accelerate its transition. The UT administration must also engage directly with the Central Ministries to fast-track internet infrastructure in far-flung areas. Without reliable connectivity, any digital education initiative will remain merely on paper. It is equally important to acknowledge that digital empowerment cannot occur in isolation. Many Government schools still struggle with basic infrastructure deficiencies – from inadequate classrooms to a lack of toilets. We must also pay attention to these infrastructure needs.
The world is rushing towards AI-enabled personalised learning, virtual labs, and immersive online platforms. Yet, in J&K, a vast majority of Government school students are still denied access to even a computer screen. The consequences of this neglect will be long-lasting – an entire generation growing up digitally illiterate in a world where every job, from agriculture to administration, demands digital awareness. There is no space left for patchwork reforms or cosmetic announcements. Unless J&K bridges this divide with urgency and vision, its students risk being left behind in a world that has already moved far ahead.
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