Digital Access Now a Right: Challenges and Changes in Rural Vidarbha After Supreme Court Ruling

thenewsdirt
May 8
6 min read

The digital infrastructure of India underwent a significant legal transformation on April 30, 2025, when the Supreme Court ruled that access to digital systems is a fundamental right.

The verdict addressed growing concerns around exclusion from digital services, especially among persons with disabilities.

Its legal recognition under Article 21 has led to new administrative responsibilities for service providers across the country, with particular challenges arising in regions like Vidarbha in eastern Maharashtra.

Spread across districts such as Gadchiroli and Buldhana, Vidarbha reflects the layered complexities of implementing accessibility standards in rural environments. The region’s service centres, Aadhaar enrolment processes, and cooperative banking systems now face legal obligations to become more inclusive.

The Supreme Court’s ruling has amplified focus on these systems, compelling institutions to reassess how effectively they serve individuals with disabilities.

Supreme Court Directives and Compliance Mechanisms

The ruling was delivered in the case of Amar Jain v. Union of India & Ors. Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan concluded that access to digital systems is a facet of the right to life and liberty.

The case focused on the difficulties faced by visually impaired individuals, acid attack survivors, and others in accessing services that require biometric identification, such as the electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC) process.

In response, the court issued twenty directives. These included developing alternative verification systems like voice authentication to accommodate users who cannot use iris or fingerprint scans.

The judgement called for universal accessibility standards across digital platforms and instructed the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) to oversee implementation.

Departments across sectors were asked to appoint nodal officers and conduct regular audits to track accessibility progress. However, no fixed national deadline for implementation was specified as of early May 2025.

The absence of a strict timeline means enforcement may vary depending on institutional readiness and subsequent government communications.

The DEPwD has since issued calls for digital accessibility auditors, reinforcing the court’s intent to make compliance measurable.

The Accessible India Campaign also continues to provide a broader framework for inclusion, though its specific reach within rural Vidarbha remains unclear.

Rural Limitations in Vidarbha’s Digital Services

Digital access in rural Vidarbha relies heavily on Common Service Centres (CSCs) and District e-Governance Centres. CSCs were launched in 2006 under the Digital India initiative and expanded in 2015 under CSC 2.0.

Managed by Village Level Entrepreneurs, these centres facilitate Aadhaar enrolment, welfare scheme applications, and banking services.

Despite their importance, these centres face barriers in catering to users with disabilities. Physical infrastructure often lacks ramps, tactile flooring, or wheelchair accessibility.

Though there is no publicly available audit of CSCs in Vidarbha, national-level data suggests similar issues. A judicial report on Indian district court complexes found that only 30.4% had disabled-friendly toilets, which may reflect broader neglect of accessibility in public infrastructure.

Digital interfaces at these centres often do not support screen readers, tactile inputs, or Indian Sign Language. Visually impaired individuals are left dependent on others, especially when Village Level Entrepreneurs have not received training in assisting persons with disabilities.

This lack of technical and human support becomes more challenging in districts like Gadchiroli, where connectivity is unreliable and awareness is low.

Assistive technologies such as voice-enabled screens, large print guides, or Braille pads are not commonly found.

The technological gap affects enrolment processes, financial services, and scheme registrations. As the court’s directives begin to filter into policy and operational procedures, such centres will require both infrastructural and training-based upgrades to comply.

Aadhaar Enrolment for Visually Impaired Residents

Aadhaar serves as the foundational identity system in India. Issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), it relies on biometric data collection, including iris scans and fingerprints.

For visually impaired individuals, UIDAI has procedures to bypass iris scans through an exception flag in its software and mandates a full-size photo indicating the nature of the disability.

In Vidarbha, Aadhaar enrolment services are available in both Gadchiroli and Buldhana. In Gadchiroli, centres include the GASK Tahashil Office in Dhanora and a government centre in Korchi. In Buldhana, over 100 centres operate, such as the Grampanchayat Office in Chandol and the Aadhaar Kendra in Purada.

While these centres have the technical capacity to accommodate visually impaired users, their actual usability depends on staff training and local awareness. Official data on how many visually impaired individuals have enrolled in these districts is not publicly available.

Historical reports from other parts of India describe issues such as inadequate queue management and the absence of guidance for special enrolment cases.

These challenges are likely to be present in rural Vidarbha as well, where infrastructure is often limited and communication on special procedures is inconsistent.

The inclusion mechanisms exist, but the effectiveness of their implementation varies. Without consistent oversight and region-specific outreach, eligible individuals may still face barriers, even in the presence of formally compliant systems.

Upgrading Banking Systems for Inclusive KYC

The Supreme Court’s ruling also impacts financial services, especially cooperative banks in rural Vidarbha. These banks, often operating in vernacular languages and serving low-income populations, must now make their KYC processes accessible.

This includes developing systems that allow voice authentication in Marathi and possibly other local dialects.

Developing these systems involves integrating voice recognition software, updating digital interfaces, and ensuring compatibility with cloud-based language processing.

In addition to software, banks would need to invest in microphones, headsets, and technical support structures. Staff training is also necessary to operate and troubleshoot the new systems.

Estimates for these upgrades vary based on the scale of the branch network and the complexity of the local language integration. The initial costs can range from lakhs to crores of rupees, with maintenance adding further expense. Staff training could cost several thousand rupees per employee.

The implementation timeline may span six to twelve months. Building language models for voice interaction, integrating them with banking systems, and testing them across different branches requires careful coordination.

The availability of resources and technical expertise in the cooperative banking sector will affect how quickly these adaptations can be completed.

According to existing compliance studies, banks spend heavily on manual KYC verifications and often face delays due to document mismatches or authentication failures. Voice-enabled systems, once operational, could streamline the process.

However, the upfront investment may be a hurdle for smaller institutions operating on limited budgets.

Role of NGOs and Government Communication in Driving Access

Several organisations across India are engaged in accessibility initiatives, though specific local bodies focused on digital access in Vidarbha are not publicly documented. The National Association for the Blind has previously conducted Aadhaar enrolment camps in other states, helping visually impaired individuals navigate verification requirements.

Their efforts addressed difficulties such as the absence of staff training and the lack of privacy for disabled users during enrolment.

Other organisations, such as ASTHA and Viklang Sahara Samiti, focus on broader disability inclusion efforts. While their websites describe national programmes, no concrete documentation indicates their current presence in Vidarbha.

If active locally, these groups may contribute to raising awareness, improving public infrastructure, and ensuring government schemes are accessible to all.

From a policy standpoint, the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities has continued issuing guidelines. These include empanelment notices for web accessibility auditors and instructions under the Accessible India Campaign.

Separately, the Reserve Bank of India’s circular from October 15, 2024, mandates that digital payment systems be made accessible to disabled users. This includes ATMs, point-of-sale terminals, and online platforms.

Despite these developments, implementation on the ground is likely to be uneven. The absence of fixed deadlines or punitive mechanisms means that service providers may prioritise compliance differently.

Regions with greater institutional capacity or stronger civil society presence may adapt faster, while rural and economically weaker areas like Vidarbha may lag unless specific support is allocated.

The Supreme Court’s recognition of digital access as a fundamental right has introduced a binding legal framework into what was previously a matter of policy recommendation. This shift requires structural changes across sectors and geographies.

In Vidarbha, where public service delivery is already complicated by terrain, budget, and staffing constraints, the journey to full compliance may involve gradual, layered adaptations.

The implications are long-term and institutional, signalling a new phase in how rural India engages with technology.