Our social and digital personas are distinct and each serves a unique purpose. What group we socially identify with should not ideally equate to our digital identity on the internet. However, by using social media, taking part in e-commerce, making use of remote learning, and engaging in political debate online, people are inadvertently linking their social lives with the digital sphere. The way that this linking manifests is that social hierarchies and exclusion make you prone to digital exclusion. Currently, there is unequal access to digital technology and internet connectivity, and those who cannot afford these physical resources are left behind in the race for amenities. This follows the fact that even if one was able to purchase the tools needed, digital literacy is required to make use of these resources. It is not enough to come up with a one-off solution to this (such as an informative workshop) because technology is ever-changing. There is a need for a sustainable system to ensure the dissemination of up-to-date information on technology to everyone. The lack of the aforementioned facilities poses a threat to one’s right to public services like education, health, and rations, and this is because of the new authentication systems requiring digital identities to access these services. Therefore, inequalities of caste, class, age, gender, ethnicity, and location often persist in the digital space due to the lack of internet access, digital literacy, and knowledge of how to make the most out of online resources. This highlights that it is not just physical factors responsible for digital exclusion, but also sociocultural (in the context of information and skills). While governments may be responding to these gaps in ways of their own, these initiatives are outpaced by the rate at which digitization and digitalization are taking place. Furthermore, the most important place where this exclusion plays a role is the political sphere. The formation of digital identities gives political parties more information about people to them (especially social information), and so governments and other leaders can gain control in various ways. Further, they can perpetuate misinformation, hatred, conflicts, and violence among target groups that may promote their party to acquire more power. A major concern is the lack of awareness and data literacy regarding online surveillance and manipulation, which can have significant consequences. Lower caste and lower class people are particularly vulnerable to harassment due to their perceived political affiliations, social status, and existing societal prejudice. Despite the government's efforts to move away from bureaucracy using digital identities, these inequalities will always crop up as long as there are no structural changes to the protection of fundamental human rights in India. While our social and digital lives are linked, we cannot be treated as equal beings in the online sphere, and the more we attach these linked systems to basic facilities, the more we perpetuate long-drawn inequalities among the population. Thus, digitization and digitalization in India cannot resolve the systemic biases of society, rather the consequent digital exclusion compounds social exclusion.

References: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-07377-9_7https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0736585322000855https://thewire.in/rights/india-digital-divide-inequalities-oxfam-reporthttps://www.loginradius.com/blog/growth/digital-identity-key-to-economic-growth/https://paradigmhq.org/demystifying-digital-exclusion/https://www.un.org/development/desa/dspd/2021/02/digital-technologies-for-social-inclusion/https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2023/04/12/digital-identity-in-developing-countr ies-what-lessons-can-be-learned/?sh=7f15725f3b40 https://www.wired.com/story/digital-ids-are-more-dangerous-than-you-think/https://www.povertyactionlab.org/blog/10-6-20/digital-ids-good-bad-and-unknown