Latest news with #ComprehensiveAnnualModularSurvey
Mint
a day ago
- Business
- Mint
UPI fuels rural women's digital leap—but few own their phones
Even as millions of rural women in India are using mobile phones and the internet, and making digital payments, many may be doing so on borrowed devices. A new government survey of 142,065 people across India reveals a striking paradox: while 76.3% of rural women aged 15 and above use mobile phones—for personal calls or internet access—just 48.4% actually own one. That means more than a quarter of female mobile users in rural India don't own the device they use, exposing a deeper gap in digital agency and privacy. These findings, from the Comprehensive Modular Survey: Telecom (CMS:T) conducted by the statistics ministry between January and March 2025, highlight how India's digital revolution, fuelled by affordable smartphones and cheap internet, still leaves large swathes of women behind. In contrast, 89.5% of rural men use mobile phones, with an ownership rate of 80.7%. Read this | How India pays online: UPI leads with 65% share, EMIs make up 20%—in charts The gender gap is especially stark in states like West Bengal, where 80% of rural women use mobile phones, but only 43% own them, the largest gap recorded in the country. Madhya Pradesh (67% usage vs 32% ownership) and Uttar Pradesh (75% vs 43%) show similar trends. States such as Kerala (92% usage, 85% ownership) and Goa (94% usage, 90% ownership), however, demonstrate more equitable access. Progress, but with caveats The usage-ownership gap is significant, but it doesn't mean rural women haven't made progress in recent years. Compared to the findings of Comprehensive Annual Modular Survey (CAMS), conducted between July 2022 and June 2023, more rural women are now using mobile phones and the internet, sending messages with attachments, and performing online banking transactions. While the two surveys—CAMS 2022-23 and CMS:T 2025—aren't strictly comparable due to differences in duration and definitions, they still offer a sense of momentum. Mobile phone usage among rural women rose modestly by 1.4 percentage points, from 74.9% to 76.3%. But sharper gains were seen in internet use (up 15 percentage points), the ability to send attachments (up 13.9 points), and performing online transactions (up 12.9 points). Gender gap persists Despite notable improvements, the gender gap in digital access remains pronounced, much like in many other areas of life. Younger rural women (aged 15–29) are better placed than the overall group of rural women (15 and above), but they still lag significantly behind their male counterparts. Among the younger cohort, mobile phone and internet usage rates are nearly on par with rural men. But the disparities emerge sharply in phone ownership—81.2% of young rural men own a mobile phone, compared to just 56.9% of women—and in the ability to conduct online transactions (75.9% vs. 50.4%). Read this | Cash transfers to women offer a quick fix but mask deeper problems The gaps are even wider when looking at all rural women aged 15 and above. Mobile ownership and internet usage are skewed heavily in favour of men, though the gap in the ability to perform online transactions is only marginally smaller: 23.9 percentage points overall, versus 25.5 points among the younger age group. UPI helps bridge the gap Shifts in payment habits after demonetisation, the covid pandemic, and the widespread ease and accessibility of UPI have enabled more rural women to perform online transactions. While just 30% of rural women are able to transact online, compared to 51% of urban women and 54% of rural men, nearly 89% of them rely solely on UPI. This suggests that low digital literacy and language barriers may be limiting the use of other payment modes like net banking. Also read | Behind PAN data, a quiet story of women's rise in India's economy UPI is popular across user groups, but urban men and women are far more likely to diversify into other forms of online banking. The data underscores how targeted innovations like UPI can meaningfully reduce access barriers for disadvantaged groups.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Punjab expands free medicine list to curb out of pocket expenditure
Chandigarh: In a significant move to make healthcare more affordable, the Punjab govt has expanded the list of essential medicines to be provided free of cost at all govt hospitals and health facilities across the state, increasing the total number to close to 500. The initiative aims to reduce the financial burden on patients, particularly those from economically weaker sections, by ensuring greater access to life-saving and commonly used medicines without out-of-pocket expenses. Punjab has one of the highest rates of out-of-pocket expenditure on healthcare in the country, exceeding the national average. According to the Comprehensive Annual Modular Survey conducted by the ministry of statistics and programme implementation for the period July 2022 to June 2023, the average medical expense per hospitalisation in the state was Rs 8,306 for rural households and Rs 8,272 for urban households. These expenses are often met through personal savings or borrowing, putting additional pressure on household finances. To address this concern, the Punjab health department has increased the number of essential drugs at each level of the public health system. District hospitals will now have 487 essential drugs, up from the previous count of 276. Sub-divisional hospitals will stock 362 drugs, up from 276, while community health centres (CHCs) will have 317 essential drugs, compared to the earlier 230. At the primary health centre (PHC) level, the number has been raised from 151 to 202, and health and wellness centres will now stock 103 essential medicines. The health department has issued updated drug lists to all civil surgeons across districts and instructed hospital in-charges to ensure the uninterrupted availability of these medicines in adequate quantities. Hospital heads have also been tasked with monitoring their inventory regularly and contacting district warehouses in case of any shortages or discrepancies. If the Punjab Health Systems Corporation (PHSC) is unable to supply certain medicines in time, civil surgeons and senior medical officers have been authorised to procure them locally. For local purchase, civil surgeons are authorised to spend up to Rs 10 lakh, while senior medical officers have the authority to purchase medicines worth Rs 2.50 lakh. Principal secretary of health, Kumar Rahul, stated that the decision aims to reduce the out-of-pocket burden on patients and ensure that medicines are available across all govt hospitals without interruption. He reiterated that hospital authorities must guarantee that all medicines on the list are provided to patients completely free of charge. Supporting the initiative, Dr Akhil Sarin, president, Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA), called the move a step in the right direction. He noted that with nearly 500 essential drugs now being offered for free, the initiative directly lowers the cost of healthcare by addressing the significant expense of medicines, thereby making treatment more accessible and affordable for the public. "The Punjab govt's decision is being seen as a major policy intervention to strengthen public health infrastructure and move towards more equitable healthcare delivery," said Dr Sarin. BOX CHOICE EXPANDS FACILITY | OLD LIST | NEW LIST | District Hospital | 276 | 487 | Sub-divisional hospital| 276 | 362 | Community health centre| 230 | 317 | Primary health centre | 151 | 202 | BOX Doctors told to write in bold or capitals Following directions issued by the Punjab and Haryana high court on May 26, the directorate of health and family welfare has instructed all medical colleges and civil surgeons across Punjab to ensure that all prescription slips and diagnoses are written in capital or bold letters by doctors. The directive aims to improve legibility and prevent errors in patient care. Officials have been asked to ensure strict compliance with the order and see that all doctors under their respective jurisdiction implement these instructions in letter and spirit. MSID:: 121519598 413 |
Indian Express
6 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Sharp surge in number of rural women able to do online banking, UPI a key enabler
More women in rural areas are able to conduct online banking transactions, with a new survey by the statistics ministry showing that the proportion of females that could perform them surged to 30.0 per cent in the first quarter of 2025, sharply higher than 17.1 per cent in 2022-23. According to the results of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation's Comprehensive Modular Survey: Telecom, 2025, released Friday, there has been a marked increase in the number of Indians in rural areas who have been engaging in online banking, with the rise being particularly noteworthy among young women. As per the survey's results, 51.4 per cent of females in rural areas in the 15-24 years age bracket reported the ability to perform online banking transactions, more than double the 19.6 per cent in 2022-23 as per the ministry's Comprehensive Annual Modular Survey for 2022-23 (July-June), released in October 2024. To be sure, a higher proportion of rural men, too, said they could do online banking, with the figure for those in the 15-24 years age bracket rising to 73.3 per cent from 40.2 per cent in 2022-23. The statistics ministry did not test or check the skills reported by the respondents while conducting the survey. In urban areas, where online banking penetration levels were higher to begin with, the increase was of a smaller magnitude, with 62.4 per cent of respondents aged 15 years and above saying they engaged in online banking, up from 50.6 per cent in 2022-23. At the all-India level, 48.9 per cent of persons aged 15 years and above said they could conduct online banking transactions, up from 37.8 per cent in 2022-23. The survey, part of the 80th round of the National Sample Survey (NSS), was conducted in the first three months of 2025 and covered the entire country except for some villages in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The total number of households surveyed was 34,950 – 19,071 in rural areas and 15,879 in urban areas – while the total number of persons contacted was 1.42 lakh, with 82,573 in rural areas and 59,492 in urban areas. The increased adoption of online banking, especially in rural areas, will be a boost to the government and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), with the authorities having pushed heavily on financial inclusion over the last couple of decades. In its annual report for 2024-25 (April-March) released on Thursday, the RBI said it will conduct a survey on the usage of digital payments in the current fiscal. Findings from the survey will be used to further enhance financial inclusion and make payment systems more effective, the central bank said. Unified Payments Interface (UPI) was the clear leader when it came to the channel through which Indians are conducting online banking, with 86.7 per cent of those in rural areas and 74.4 per cent in urban using only UPI for the same. Only 18.0 per cent of Indians aged 15 years or more used UPI, internet banking., and other channels. The statistics ministry also sought responses on households' online purchases, specifically for goods. As per the survey, 24.5 per cent of Indian households bought something online in the previous 30 days, with the figure being 16.0 per cent for rural households and 39.4 per cent for urban. Among those urban households which did make online purchases in the prior month, 52.4 per cent bought both food and non-food items, while 37.6 per cent bought only non-food goods. In rural areas, the purchase of non-food items was more prevalent, with 75.7 per cent of respondents buying only them. Underpinning the growth in online banking and purchases has been the prevalence of mobile phones and access to internet, with as many as 85.7 per cent of respondents aged 15 years or more having used a mobile phone in the three months prior to the survey, with 70.2 per cent of respondents owning a mobile phone at the time the survey was conducted. Mobile phone ownership was higher in urban areas (81.2 per cent versus 64.6 per cent in rural) and among men. In January-March 2025, 83.9 per cent of males surveyed owned a mobile phone compared to 56.2 per cent females. At 79.9 per cent, most mobile phone owners possessed a smartphone, with more than 90 per cent of Indians in both rural and urban areas under the age of 29 owning a smartphone. As would be expected from the wider adoption of online banking and purchases, the use of internet has also increased in the last couple of years, especially in rural areas: 57.6 per cent of females and 72.1 per cent of males, respectively, used the internet in the three months before the survey, up from 42.6 per cent and 59.5 per cent in 2022-23. Almost 93 per cent of respondents who used the internet in the three months prior to the survey did so at least once a day, with mobile phones overwhelmingly favoured.
Hindustan Times
7 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Just 18% internet users know how to report e-crimes
Internet usage is reaching a saturation point in India but only 18% of Indians know how to report cyber-crimes, a government survey released on Thursday said. Usage, driven by smartphones and mobile data, is higher for the younger age groups. However, despite regular use (most respondents reported using the internet daily), even the young are poorly equipped for tasks related to education and work, like creating a document or a presentation, says the survey. On the bright side, the gender gap in mobile and internet use, other than in online transactions, is decreasing. These trends are from the Comprehensive Modular Survey: Telecom (CMS: Telecom), conducted across 34,950 households in January-March 2025 by the National Statistics Office (NSO). NSO published the results of this survey on May 29. NSO had last collected data on mobile phone and internet use in a version of this survey – the Comprehensive Annual Modular Survey (CAMS) -- conducted in July 2022-June 2023, which surveyed 3,02,086 households, and also asked questions on other subjects, such as education and financial inclusion. The 2022-23 round, however, did not ask some questions on ICT skills – such as ability to make a presentation or report cyber-crimes – that the 2025 round did. Therefore, it is not possible to say if more people have these skills now. Similarly, inter-state comparisons are not possible using the data from the latest round because the reduced sample size cannot represent states. Data from the 2025 CMS shows that 85.7% people of age 15 years and above used a mobile phone at least once in the three months preceding the survey, a proportion similar to 2022-23. However, this number has increased by 3.7 percentage points for the 15-24 age group to 97%. This means that the young are adopting mobile phones faster than the older age group. The younger age group also used smartphones (97% of mobile users) more than the older one (83% of mobile users). Young people also used the internet more. 94% in the 15-24 age group reported internet use in the past three months compared to 70% among those 15 and above. However, age did not change the frequency of internet use much; around 90% internet users across age groups used it daily. People also mostly used the internet using a phone and mobile data: 98% in rural areas and 87% in urban areas. With the wide adoption of smartphones and the internet, the proportion using online banking transactions has also grown: from 37.8% in 2022-23 to 48.9% in 2025. For the 15-24 age group, this number has increased from 37.5% in 2022-23 to 68% in 2025. Over 80% across age groups used only the Unified Payment Interface (UPI) for such transactions. The deed penetration of mobile phones and internet has, however, not informed people about seeking redressal for cyber-crimes, a trend cyber-criminals might be banking on. For example, cyber-criminals forced a 55-year old retired teacher to transfer ₹56 lakh using a 'digital arrest' on WhatsApp calls from April 1-28 this year before police was informed, HT reported on May 4. These anecdotal incidents may hold for a larger group of people as the 2025 CMS suggests most people are indeed unaware about methods of seeking redressal from cyber-crimes. Only 17.7% (26.3% in the 15-24 age group) reported the ability to 'complain about cybercrime/ report cyber fraud in the cybercrime reporting portal'. Similarly, ICT skills that may be useful at work or in education are yet to reach even the young. Only 33% reported the ability to make an electronic presentation and only 24% could make a word document in the 15-24 age group. On the other hand, almost half of the age group could send emails and almost three-fourths said they had the ability to copy and paste data and documents. Another positive news from the survey is that the gender gap in mobile and internet usage is decreasing, although largely among the young and more for sending messages than for online transactions. For example, the gender gap in mobile phone use decreased to 1.7 percentage points in favour of men in the 15-24 age group in 2025 compared to 4.2 percentage points in 2022-23. For the 15 and above age group, the gap was around 12 percentage points in both rounds. For online transactions, the gap remained around 20 percentage points across both rounds and age groups. Similarly, the gender gap in mobile ownership – when a person has a phone for personal use – was 20 and 28 percentage points for the younger and older age groups. This data was not available for the 2022-23 round.
