DIGITAL INDIA

                                          DIGITAL INDIA 

In an order to create participative, transparent and responsive government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the much ambitious 'Digital India' programme on Wednesday, July 1, at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in the national capital.

Top industrialists like RIL Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani, Tata Group chairman Cyrus Mistry, Wipro Chairman Azim Premji and many others, were among the business honchos who shared their ideas of taking digital revolution to the masses. [Digital India week highlights]

What is Digital India?
•With the launch of Digital India programme, the government is taking a big step forward to transform the country into a digitally empowered knowledge economy.
•Includes various schemes worth over Rs 1 lakh crore like Digital Locker, e-eduction, e-health, e-sign and national scholarship portal.
•BharatNet in 11 states and Next Generation Network (NGN), are also a part of Digital India campaign.
•The programme includes projects that aim to ensure that government services are available to citizens electronically and people get benefit of the latest information and communication technology.
•The Ministry of Communications and IT is the nodal agency to implement the programme.

Vision Of Digital India
Here is what the government of India aims to achieve through Digital India initiative.

1. Infrastructure: The Digital India initiative has a vision to provide high speed internet services to its citizens in all gram panchayats. Bank accounts will be given priority at individual level. People will be provided with safe and secure cyber space in the country.

2. Governance and services: Government services will be available online where citizens will be ensured easy access to it. Transactions will be made easy through electronic medium.

3. Digital empowerment of citizens: This is one of the most important factor of the Digital India initiative to provide universal digital literacy and make digital sources easily accessible. The services are also provided in Indian languages for active participation.

9 major projects under the initiative:
1. Manufacturing of electronics: The government is focusing on zero imports of electronics. In order to achieve this, the government aims to put up smart energy meters, micro ATMs, mobile, consumer and medical electronics.

2. Provide public access to internet: The government aims to provide internet services to 2.5 lakh villages which comprises of one in every panchayat by March 2017 and 1.5 lakh post offices in the next two years. These post offices will become Multi-Service centres for the people.

3. Highways to have broadband services: Government aims to lay national optical fibre network in all 2.5 lakh gram panchayats. Broadband for the rural will be laid by December 2016 and broadband for all urban will mandate communication infrastructure in new urban development and buildings. By March 2017, the government aims to provide nationwide information infrastructure.

4. Easy access to mobile connectivity: The government is taking steps to ensure that by 2018 all villages are covered through mobile connectivity. The aim is to increase network penetration and cover gaps in all 44,000 villages.

5. e-Governance: The government aims to improve processes and delivery of services through e-Governance with UIDAI, payment gateway, EDI and mobile platforms. School certificates, voter ID cards will be provided online. This aims for a faster examination of data.

6. IT Training for Jobs: The government aims to train around 1 crore students from small towns and villages for IT sector by 2020. Setting up of BPO sectors in North eastern states is also part of the agenda.

7. e-Kranti: This service aims to deliver electronic services to people which deals with health, education, farmers, justice, security and financial inclusion.

8. Global Information: Hosting data online and engaging social media platforms for governance is the aim of the government. Information is also easily available for the citizens.

MyGov.in is a website launched by the government for a 2-way communication between citizens and the government. People can send in their suggestions and comment on various issues raised by the government, like net neutrality.

9. Government plans to set up Wi-fi facilities in all universities across the country. Email will be made the primary mode of communication. Aadhar Enabled Biometric Attendance System will be deployed in all central government offices where recording of attendance will be made online.

Impact of Digital India by 2019
•Broadband in 2.5 lakh villages, universal phone connectivity
•Net Zero Imports by 2020
•400,000 Public Internet Access Points
•Wi-fi in 2.5 lakh schools, all universities; Public wi-fi hotspots for citizens
•Digital Inclusion: 1.7 Cr trained for IT, Telecom and Electronics Jobs
•Job creation: Direct 1.7 Cr. and Indirect at least 8.5 Cr.
•e-Governance & eServices: Across government
•India to be leader in IT use in services - health, education, banking
•Digitally empowered citizens - public cloud, internet access

Benefits of Digital Locker
•Digital Locker facility will help citizens to digitally store their important documents like PAN card, passport, mark sheets and degree certificates.
•Digital Locker will provide secure access to Government issued documents. It uses authenticity services provided by Aadhaar.
It is aimed at eliminating the use of physical documents and enables sharing of verified electronic documents across government agencies.
•Digital Locker provides a dedicated personal storage space in the cloud to citizens, linked to citizens Aadhaar number.
•Digital Locker will reduce the administrative overhead of government departments and agencies created due to paper work.

What is National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN)?
•NOFN proposes seven lakh kilometers of optical fibre to be laid to connect 250 gram panchayats in three years.
•Public Wi-fi spots will be provided around the clusters after that and all villages will be provided with internet connectivity.
•According to Communications and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, "ten states including Maharashtra, Madhya Prasad, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Haryana and Chhattisgarh, are ready to roll out the NOFN to facilitate Digital India.
                         Prasad, early this year, had described Digital
India initiative as, "India would become a very powerful
digitally connected world. This would lead to a good architecture for electronic delivery of service. The entire contour of India is change. India is sitting at the cusp of a big digital revolution."
States like Telangana, Meghalaya, Jharkhand also observed Digital India Week (DIW) from July 1 to July 7.
        The University Grants Commission (UGC) also directed all varsities and higher education institutes across the country to observe the Digital India Week.

Source~Government of India, DNA