The COVID-19 pandemic disrupt every sector – Agriculture, Industrial, Manufacture and Service sectors, Education amongst the worst affected in India.

Education can help to eradicate the social, economic, and political disparities existing in society.  The compulsory primary or elementary education must be enforceable to achieve these goals. Education is a Universal fundamental human right. This right to education recognized in Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948, under Article 26(1) that “Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory”.

During the current COVID-19 pandemic situation, all the educational institutes including schools impart online education. This step exaggerates the already existing digital divide. The digital divide denotes the gap between those with access to digital and information technology and those without it. It comprises both physical access to technology hardware and, technological skills and resources which allow for its use. The current pandemic crisis has a different impact on different sections of children, it worsens the existing inequalities with creating a new one.

In this critical pandemic situation, the government shall come forward with suitable policies and plan to build inclusive and effective education system so that the Right to Education of all be protected equally without discrimination. As the access to digital technology is the need of the hour in this Information Era.

This paper analyses the impact of ‘Digital Divide’ on ‘Right to Education’. This paper discussed the Constitutional provisions, Legislative and Judicial efforts and attempted to explain the challenges pose by the pandemic situation. It also suggests some solutions to carry out learning in this critical situation.

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