DIGITAL INDIA VIS-À-VIS AGRARIAN ISSUES IN INDIA: AN ANALYTICAL STUDY OF THE OPINIONS OF COLLEGE STUDENTS IN BHOPAL

Abstract

This research was conducted immediately after the launch of ‘Digital India Campaign’ by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The quantitative approach with survey method and questionnaire as tool were employed to collect the primary data. Purposive sampling method was used, wherein college going students (100 girls and 100 boys) from Bhopal city were taken as a sample to participate in the survey.

The researchers found that the young generation does not rely on the newspaper or television reporting. Nonetheless, they subscribe to new media content like Facebook pages, and twitter accounts and also the blogs of their friends, independent writers, journalist and social activists, political leaders to update themselves on the latest news. More than one fourth of the youth refers to anonymous WhatsApp messages, at the same time, a majority of the young population agreed that the campaigns like Digital India, Skilled India, Make in India were necessary to shape India’s future as a Global Super Power.

Mainstream media played a major role in popularizing Digital India Campaign. Digital India Campaign got more coverage over agriculture and farmers’ problems by the main stream media because media as a corporate sector caters more to the urban consumers. On the other side, mobile technology was more popular with rural farmers. However, the rural-urban divide was clearly underlined by these young respondents.