On World Wi-Fi Day 2025, at the Broadband India Forum Conference, critical voices in digital development came together to emphasise one powerful idea: digital access must lead to meaningful online transactions. This chpater of TypeRight is on DEF's suggestions in the conference.
We are not sure where or who used the term first, but this chapter of TypeRight will look into the continuing phase of the 'Aadhaarisation of everything,' latest being the requirement of the same for booking a train ticket or getting maternity rations.
The global south has been battling to bridge the digital divide in the past decade and has made considerable progress, even as millions still remain un-connected and under-connected. With the cost of infrastructure like cables and the vast spread of geography, we have explored options for last-mile connectivity like wifi access interfaces and community networks.
"AI is like a child."
The United Nations General Assembly declared May 3 to be World Press Freedom Day, a reminder to governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom. In this chapter, we use insights from the discussion we had in a session at WSA Congress 2025 in Hyderabad, by Nikhil Dey of MKSS and Sangeeta Barooah of Press Club of India on the intersection of the new Data Protection Bill and what it means for journalism and media in general.
The Development Policy and Practice Conference 2025 brought together academics, lawmakers, and practitioners to talk about the most important problems of our time. The world is still trying to figure out how to deal with issues like inequality, social justice, and development. The meeting, which took place at the Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS) in Hyderabad, India, gave people a chance to talk about important issues and work together to make policies that would help with problems in government, economic inclusion, and social justice. The main idea of the meeting was "Sharing, Development, People, and the Question of Redistribution." The next panels and discussions looked at how tax policies, climate change, healthcare, education, and legal changes all affect each other. This gave everyone a chance to see development and fairness from a wide range of angles. In this blog post, we'll talk about the most important things we learnt from the conference, including the most important problems and possible answers that came up during the discussions.
What’s the meaning of Digital Exclusion. Unfortunately India and its larger mass is more digitally excluded than included. Let’s try to understand by live examples from past and present.
This week's typeright is based on reflections by Maitri Singh, from DEF's Research and Advocacy Division, who attended the 7th Youth IGF forum last month at IIM Bangalore.
This week, TypeRight explores what the research team at DEF is reading in the news, and other books we got our hands on!
 might be?](https://sk0.blr1.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/sites/1394/posts/714526/dbc8de4c-5c50-411f-aba0-55cfb74a692d.jpeg)
This week, Typeright takes a dig into the new AI contender and what it means for us.
Two years ago, Elon Musk acquired Twitter, rebranded it X, and some of us thought it was the not one of his better business deals. Now, Elon, the 21st century reactionary of Silicon Valley, stands at the cusp of having access to the US government in ways unprecedented by the tech-elite so far. This week, Typeright takes a look.
In order to promote a common goal for the future of digital technology, the United Nations has introduced a proposed international framework called the Global Digital Compact (GDC). It sets up guidelines for online human rights protection, data security, digital inclusion, and worldwide solidarity and accountability in the digital sphere.
Since the first conference in 2017, the Community Network Xchange (CNX) has become a gathering place for those who work with or are interested in community networks to discuss issues like economic and social sustainability, increasing Wi-Fi availability, and connecting Indigenous communities. Every year, practitioners from different nations meet and share their knowledge and experience. This year, the Pacific Asia Conference of CNX met at T-Hub, Hyderabad, coinciding with the DEF-organised Digital Citizen Summit 2024, and had case stories from India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Philippines and Nepal along with multiple sessions on understanding the intersections between community networks enabled digital development and gender inclusion, climate action, cultural and language preservation, integration of AI practices for digital inclusion and solidarity practices.
Happy New Year. Hope the year 2025 truly be something that succeeds in making us regain “We The People”.
Coal dust preserves within my cells
Book Review: Fintech for Billions - Simple, Human, Ubiquitous
By Siddhant Pasricha
FIELD REPORT: Dharchula, Pittoragarh
This week on TypeRight, we take a look at the history of the Right to Information Act and what has become of it nineteen years later.
This week, in TypeRight, we share the field report from the Asia Pacific Regional IGF 2024, written by Jenny Sulfath, who represented DEF at the event. This year's theme was 'Evolving Ecosystems, Enduring Principles: Shaping Responsible Internet Governance.'
