Research

This think-piece explores the development implications of using algorithmic scoring models as tools of financial inclusion. It aims to engage with the use of such models not as a technological transformation underpinned by Big Data and machine learning, but as a fundamental political shift reflected in the willingness to dispense the task of…

The 23rd working paperfor Data Governance Network by Anita Gurumurthy and Nandini Chami presents the building blocks of an economic governance regime for data that can contribute to the growth of the digital economy by unlocking the potential of data. The de facto enclosure of data by platform monopolies not only creates a skewed market place…

For-profit edtech needs to be banned, and the government must play an active regulatory role.

After a Congress member of Parliament from Tamil Nadu highlighted the unethical practices of the Indian edtech companies in Parliament, the Ministry of Education (MoE) issued an advisory. The advisory asked parents to “verify that content…

We are excited to publish a brand new issue paper under our collaborative Feminist Digital Justice project with DAWN (Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era).

Read it here!

The seventh issue paper, authored by Kumudini Samuel, Florencia Partenio, and Cai Yiping from DAWN, explores feminist digital activism in the Global…

In June 2021 Google and BYJU’S announced a partnership to provide education services in India. A press release from BYJU’S said, “the simplicity, flexibility, and security of Google ‘Workspace for Education’ and BYJU’S unmatched content pedagogy come together on the ‘Vidyartha’…

DataSyn is a free monthly newsletter from IT for Change providing concise and relevant analysis on all matters concerning Big Tech. Building on our strong tradition of deep research and policy engagement on the digital economy with a focus on the Global South, DataSyn delivers quality analysis in bite sized content to your inbox every month.…

Anita Gurumurthy, Khawla Zainab, and Sadhana Sanjay conducted a study of Indian women workers on Amazon Mechanical Turk (AMT) in the post-pandemic moment, and this research report extensively lays out its rationale, process, and findings. Through a qualitative study based on interviews with AMT workers, the report shows how an intertwining of…

As a part of the project, “Technology Integration for Inclusive Education (TIIE)” of IT for Change, a baseline study was conducted with an aim to understand the contexts and learning needs of students in grades 6 and 7 in government higher primary schools in…

The National Education Policy, 2020 (NEP) begins with the assertion that education is fundamental for achieving full human potential, and for the development of an equitable and just society, thus emphasizing that education must aim at social transformation. Historically, Indian society has been afflicted by…

This policy brief takes stock of the current multilateral approaches to new 'Digital Public Goods' (DPGs), and provides critical reflections, chalking out some future directions for global and national-level actions, in line with the vision of inclusive development in Agenda 2030.

We wrote this as a science-policy brief on emerging…