Tech Divide Hampers COVID Inoculation Drive in India's Rural Areas   

Residents in North India’s rural Kangra district say they have been anxious to get vaccinated for COVID-19 after a second wave of the pandemic created havoc and ravaged villages last month.    While tech savvy, digitally aware city dwellers have managed to get shots, millions in rural areas are being left behind because of a technology barrier. Registering on the official website called CoWIN, they say, has been a challenge for many residents like Harnam Singh — who only has an old-fashioned feature phone and no internet connection.     “I have a simple phone. I don’t even know how smart phones operate,” Singh said with a shrug.    After widening its inoculation drive to all adults last month, the government in India made it mandatory for those between 18 and 45 years old to register on a digital portal for a shot. The move created a divide between people in towns and cities at an advantage in getting shots while millions in rural areas were jostled out of vaccine lines because they did not have smart phones or adequate resources. Criticism that the digital divide was excluding millions from its inoculation drive prompted the government to act. This week, all those eligible for vaccines will be allowed to walk into health centers for appointments, according to authorities.    People leave a vaccination center after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine in Imphal, India, June 21, 2021.India’s vaccination program is gaining momentum — the country administered more than eight million shots on Monday as it offered free vaccines to all. But sustaining that record pace, especially in vast rural areas, remains a challenge as demand for vaccines continues to outstrip supply amid shortages.      Residents in Kangra however say not much has changed for them with the new policy because only limited numbers could walk to vaccination centers. On the other hand, those with access to an online booking are