Baseline study

Baseline study on-ground analytics of GunaGateway to Malwa and Chambal, Guna is located on the north-eastern part of Malwa Platueau. With a population of 12,40,938 (2011 census), Guna district is bounded by Shivpuri district on the northeast, Ashoknagar district on the east, on the southeast by Vidisha district, on the southwest by Rajgarh district, on the west and northwest by Jhalawar and Baran districts of Rajasthan. Being highly populated with tribal communities, in 2006, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Guna as one of the country’s 250 most backward districts. The geo location of the district is between the radiameters 23’53” N and 25’6’55 N and langumate 76.48′ 30″E and 78’16’70″E.

With an objective to understand digital demography of Guna, DEF with a support from Ford Foundation conducted research in 16 villages of Guna district, Madhya Pradesh. The villages covered under were: Bamori, Haddi Mill, Guna, Singwasa chak, Aaron, Buddha balaji, Sakatpur, Buddha Balaji Road, Haripur, Akoda, RadhoGarh, ChandShah Baba Dargah, Bajrang garh, Chanchora, Matapur, and Fatehgarh.

The main objectives of the study was to understand the access, demand and availability of communication services in communities and their perception, enhancing the information about the current service facility/resources of villages. However, the study had a few limitations which include: quality of services that has been used in the analysis is based only on the observations by field visits or by the information provided by the community.

The study adopted a methodology of purposive sampling to initiate detailed enquiry into the issues that have been identified in objectives of study and to address the concerns of communities and individuals in communication facility at village level. The data in the study has been procured through intensive fieldwork in sixteen villages.

Read full: social and on-ground analytics of Guna