(GIST OF YOJANA) Digital Public Infrastructure

(NOVEMBER-2023)

Digital Public Infrastructure

Introduction:

Digital Public infrastructure (DPI) has become vitally important, serving as an essential catalyst for enhancing resilience, facilitating service provision, and fostering innovation. the importance lies in cultivating this fundamental framework that caters to diverse sectors, ensuring that humans ranging from urban innovators to rural crafts persons can engage with conviction and credibility, enabling India’s commitment to Digital Public Infrastructure initiatives, exemplified by JAM Trinity, has not only accelerated financial inclusion but also set a benchmark for impartial digital transformation. The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and other digital endeavours showcase India’s leadership in embracing technology to bridge digital divides and promote innovation.

Key initiatives

India’s initiatives have played a pivotal role in advancing its digital infrastructure, aligning with the G20 Leaders’ Declaration on technological transformation and Digital Public infrastructure.

digital India initiative & bharatnet Project: Digital India initiative, launched in 2015, aligns with the G20’s commitment to bridging the digital divide. it focuses on providing
digital infrastructure and promoting digital literacy, both essential elements highlighted in the G20 declaration. As of 11 September 2023, the BharatNet project has successfully linked 202,028 gram Panchayats, with 658,685 kilometres of optical fibre cables installed. Furthermore, 643,789 Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) connections have been activated, and 104,675 Wi-Fi hotspots have been deployed to guarantee connectivity to the last mile.14
Pradhan mantri Jan dhan yojana (PmJdy): PMJDY has significantly contributed to financial inclusion and digital adoption, key priorities in the G20’s emphasis on public participation. As of 13 september 2023, under the PMJDY, the total number of beneficiaries across different types of banks, including public sector banks, regional rural banks, private sector banks, and rural cooperative banks, amounted to 50.41 crore. Among these beneficiaries, 27.98 crore were rural-urban females. the cumulative deposits in their accounts reached a total of rs 20,494.18 billion, with 34.26 crore rupay Debit cards issued to the beneficiaries.
Make in India: the Make in India initiative has bolstered India’s self-reliance in technology, reducing dependency on imports. this aligns with the G20’s focus on innovation, technology transfer, and fostering a secure digital environment. including 374,576 business requests and investments in the pipeline totalling $201.12 billion, it has spurred the production of electronic and digital goods locally, reducing dependency on imports and bolstering the nation’s self-reliance in technology. these efforts have also led to the creation of 464,217 actual jobs.
Startup India: startup India has nurtured entrepreneurship and innovation, which is in line with the G20’s commitment to promoting responsible and inclusive use of digital technology. Including 99,380 DPIit recognised startups and a user base of 664,486 on the startup India Portal, it provides crucial support to startups, including access to funding, mentorship, and regulatory reforms.
Smart cities mission: While primarily an urban development initiative, the smart cities Mission integrates digital infrastructure components, aligning with the G20’s emphasis on building DPI. the smart cities Mission encompasses 100 mission cities, includes 7,934 total projects, and involves a total estimated cost of Rs 170,392 crore. Through these initiatives, it is actively enhancing the digital capabilities of selected cities by implementing projects such as Wi-Fi hotspots, intelligent transportation systems, and data-driven governance solutions. These efforts play a vital role in advancing both the physical and digital aspects of urban living in India’s cities.
Aadhaar: the Aadhaar project plays a crucial role in enabling digital services and identity verification, aligning with the G20’s emphasis on data protection, privacy, and secure digital infrastructure. With the most recent statistics indicating 1.38 billion Aadhaar numbers have been generated, 788.64 million Aadhaar records updated, and 100.33 billion authentications, alongside 16.42 billion eKYC processes completed,20 these figures underscore its ongoing importance in ensuring the smooth operation of India’s digital infrastructure.
Umang & Digilocker: Umang app aligns with the G20 Leaders Declaration 2023 by serving as a digital public infrastructure that provides secure and inclusive access to a wide range of government services. With 313 departments and 1,745 services (898 central, 847 state), has 56 million registered users and processed 3.849 billion transactions. This showcases its comprehensive reach and importance as a digital platform streamlining government-citizen interactions in India. Similarly, DigiLocker aims to advance paperless governance by providing citizens with authentic digital documents from various issuers, stored in their locker accounts.
Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC)23: The launch of e₹-r by the reserve Bank of India (RBI) is closely aligned with the G20 Leaders Declaration 2023 regarding CBDCs. the G20 leaders’ declaration emphasised the importance of exploring the macro-financial implications of CBDCs, especially from the perspective of cross-border payments and their influence on the international monetary system.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) 2425: Ministry of electronics and it (MeitY) has undertaken various schemes and programs to accelerate the implementation and development of Ai in India. these initiatives align with the G20 Leaders’ Declaration 2023, which emphasizes the responsible and inclusive use of Ai for the public good. MeitY’s efforts include reskilling/up-skilling it professionals, online portals, capacity building, research centres, and international collaborations, all of which contribute to responsible Ai development.

Conclusion

The G20 Leaders’ Declaration underscores the pivotal role of Digital Public infrastructure (DPI) in driving inclusive and sustainable development in an increasingly digital world. India’s persistent commitment to DPI initiatives, exemplified by Aadhaar and the JAM trinity, has not only accelerated financial inclusion but also set a benchmark for impartial digital transformation. the unified Payments interface (UPI) and other digital endeavours showcase India’s leadership in embracing technology to bridge digital divides and promote innovation.
India’s initiatives align closely with the G20’s priorities, serving as a model for nations worldwide. the country’s success story stands as an inspiration for countries striving to create resilient and inclusive digital futures. The G20 Leaders’ Declaration reaffirms the transformative potential of DPIs and underlines their significance in fostering a more equitable and prosperous global digital landscape.