Digital India is a campaign launched by the Government of India in order to ensure the
Government's services are made available to citizens electronically by improved online
infrastructure and by increasing Internet connectivity or making the country digitally
empowered in the field of technology.The initiative includes plans to connect rural areas with
high-speed internet networks. Digital India consists of three core components: the
development of secure and stable digital infrastructure, delivering government services
digitally, and universal digital literacy.
Digital India
Motto "Power To Empower"
Country India
Prime
Narendra Modi
Minister(s)
Ministry of Electronics and
Ministry Information Technology,
Finance Ministry
Ravi Shankar Prasad, S. S.
Key people
Ahluwalia
Launched 1 July 2015; 4 years ago
Status Active.
Website digitalindia.gov.in
Launched on 1 July 2015 by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it is both enabler and
beneficiary of other key Government of India schemes, such as BharatNet, Make in India,
Startup India and Standup India, industrial corridors, Bharatmala, Sagarmala
Vision of Digital India
Centered on 3 Key Areas
Digital Infrastructure as a Utility to Every Citizen
Governance & Services on Demand
Digital Empowerment of Citizens
Vision Area 1: Infrastructure as a Utility to Every Citizen
• High speed internet as a core utility • Cradle to grave digital identity -unique, lifelong,
online, authenticable • Mobile phone & Bank account enabling participation in digital &
financial space • Easy access to a Common Service Centre • Shareable private space on a
public cloud • Safe and secure Cyber-space
Vision Area 2: Governance & Services On Demand
• Seamlessly integrated across departments or jurisdictions • Services available in real time
from online &mobile platform • All citizen entitlements to be available on the cloud •
Services digitally transformed for improving Ease of Doing Business • Making financial
transactions electronic & cashless • Leveraging GIS for decision support systems &
development
Vision Area 3: Digital Empowerment of Citizens
• Universal Digital Literacy • Universally accessible digital resources • All documents/
certificates to be available on cloud • Availability of digital resources / services in Indian
languages • Collaborative digital platforms for participative governance • Portability of all
entitlements through cloud
Nine Pillars of Digital India
1. Broadband Highways
2. Universal Access to Phones
3. Public Internet Access Programme
4. E-Governance – Reforming government through Technology
5. eKranti – Electronic delivery of services
6. Information for All
Electronics Manufacturing
7. Electronics Manufacturing – Target NET ZERO Imports
8. IT for Jobs
9. Early Harvest Programmes
Composition of Monitoring Committee on Digital India
• Prime Minister – Chairman
• Finance Minister
• Minister of Communications & IT
• Minister of RD
• Minister of HRD
• Minister of Health Special Invitees:
• Principal Secretary to PM
• Cabinet Secretary
• Secretaries of Expenditure, Planning, DoT and Posts
• Secretary, DeitY – Convener
REVIEW OF LITERATURE :-
Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella, Elon Musk researched about Digital India and its
preparedness to create jobs opportunities in the information sector. He concluded that
creating new jobs should be continued with shifting more workers into high productivity jobs
in order to provide long term push to the technological sector in India.
Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella intends to become India’s partner in Digital India program.
He said that his company will set up low cost broadband technology services to 5lakhs
villages across the country.
Prof. Singh began with the basic overview of what Digital India entails and led a discussion
of conceptual structure of the program and examined the impact of “Digital India” initiative
on the technological sector of India. He concluded that this initiative has to be supplemented
with amendments in labor laws of India to make it a successful campaign.
Arvind Gupta intends to say that Digital India movement will play an important role in
effective delivery of services, monitoring performance, managing projects and improving
governance. An Integrated Office of Innovation & Technology to achieve the same, for
problem solving, sharing applications and knowledge management will be the key to rapid
results, given that most departments work on their own silos. Tracking and managing the
projects assumes significance because India has been busy spending money in buying
technology that we have not used effectively or in some cases not even reached
implementation stage. Sharing learning’s and best practices across departments needs to be
driven by this Office of Technology.
Gupta and Arora (2015) studied the impact of digital India project on India’s rural sector.
The study found that many schemes have been launched in digital India to boost agriculture
sector and entrepreneurship development in rural areas. Digital India programme has also set
the stage for empowerment of rural Indian women.
Rani (2016) concluded that the digital India project provides a huge opportunity to use the
latest technology to redefine India the paradigms of service industry. It also pointed out that
many projects may require some transformational process, reengineering, refinements to
achieve the desired service level objectives.
Midha (2016) concluded that digital India is a great plan to develop India for knowledge
future but its improper implementation due to inaccessibility and inflexibility to requisite can
lead to its failure. Though digital India programme is facing number of challenges yet if
properly implemented it can make the best future of every citizen. So we Indians should work
together to shape the knowledge economy.
DIGITAL INDIA: KEY AREAS AND MAJOR INITIATIVES TAKEN BY
THE GOVERNMENT
Digital India programme is focused on three key ideas:-
Creation of Digital Infrastructure and Electronic Manufacturing in Native India.
Delivery of all Government Services electronically (E-Governance).
Digital Empowerment of Native Indian People.
The three key Digital Tools as the pillars of the project are:
A Digital Identification which will verify the end user. A Bank account for Immediate
Benefit Transfers of subsidies and payments. A Mobile for worldwide access to all
services. The ambitious ‘Digital India’ project has always been in news for all the good
reasons. The project having a total overlay of Rs 1 lakh crore aims to transform the India into
a knowledge economy. It aims to ensure easy access to technology infrastructure and
government services to citizens. Digital India is a dream project of the government for the
citizens and Industries of India which could help in connecting the various past and present
projects to bring India to a global platform. Through this project government services are
available for urban and rural citizens digitally or electronically. The idea is to achieve digital
innovation and create positive impact for the people living in rural and urban areas. It will
certainly attract investment in all product manufacturing industries. The Digital India project
aims to transform the country into a digital economy with participation from rural , urban
citizens and business organizations to ensure that all government services and information are
available anywhere, anytime, on any device that is easy-to-use, highly available and secured.
This program can certainly remove the digital gap between the rural and urban India. Some of
the facilities provided under the initiative of Digital India are as follows:
1-DIGI LOCKER The service was launched as an important facility to store crucial
documents like Voter ID Card, Pan Card, BPL Card, Driving License, education certificates,
etc. in the cloud.
2- MYGOV.IN MyGov.in is a platform to share inputs and ideas on matters of policy and
governance. It is a platform for citizen engagement in governance, through a "Discuss", "Do"
and "Disseminate" approach.
3- ESIGN FRAMEWORK This initiative would enable users to digitally sign a document
online using Aadhaar authentication.
4- SWACH BHARAT MISSION MOBILE APP The app will enable organizations and
citizens to access information regarding the cleanliness drive and achieve the goals of the
mission.
5- NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP PORTAL This initiative aims at making the scholarship
process easy. From submitting the application, verification, sanction and disbursal to end
beneficiary, everything related to government scholarships can be done on this single portal
online.
6- EHOSPITAL Online registration System under this initiative enables people to avail
services like online registration, payment of fees and appointment, online diagnostic reports,
checking on the availability of blood online, etc.
7- DIGITIZE INDIA PLATFORM This initiative will involve digitization of data and records
on a large scale in the country to make easy and quick access possible.
8- BHARAT NET Under this initiative, a high-speed digital highway will connect all
250,000 gram panchayats of the country. This is the world’s largest rural broadband project
using optical fibre.
9- WI-FI HOTSPOTS Development of high speed BSNL wi-fi hotspots throughout the
country is yet another initiative to improve digital connectivity in the country.
10-NEXT GENERATION NETWORK Launched by BSNL, this service will replace 30-year
old telephone exchanges to manage all types of services like voice, data, multimedia and
other types of communication services.
11- ELECTRONICS DEVELOPMENT FUND The fund will be set up to support the
manufacturing of electronics products that would help create new jobs and reduce import.
The funds will promote innovation, research and product development to create a resource
pool within the country.
12- CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE ON INTERNET OF THINGS (IOT) In partnership with
NASSCOM, DEITY and ERNET in Bangalore, Centre of Excellence will enable rapid
adoption of IOT technology and encourage a new growth strategy. IOT will help the citizens
in services like transport system, parking, electricity, waste management, water management
and women’s safety to create smart cities, smart health services, smart manufacturing and
smart agriculture, etc.
