SriLanka, July 18 -- An ordinary citizen who prefers not to use digital mobile devices recently struggled to obtain an appointment at a Sri Lankan government department because he did not have a mobile phone number.

A security guard issuing token numbers asked for a phone number to register the appointment. The citizen explained that he does not use a mobile device, but the guard refused to accept the explanation: everyone has a mobile phone, he insisted, and without one no token could be issued.

The exchange grew heated before a senior officer intervened and resolved the matter. The underlying question, however, remains: Can a government institution deny a citizen access to a public service simply because he does not carry a mobile d...