Digital India Program: to prepare India for a knowledge and digitized future

Digital India Program is a flagship initiative by the honorable PM Narendra Modi Ji which was launched on July 1, 2015 with a vision to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. It will bring an actual improvement in the quality of life of every citizen and influences the tons to the digital revolution.

“Digital India has been envisioned as an ambitious umbrella program to speed up progress and make India into a digitally powered economy along with ensuring that the government is transparent and participative. It comprises of several initiatives beneath the single program each aimed to prepare India for becoming a knowledge economy and for bringing excellent governance to citizens via synchronized and coordinated engagement of the entire Government”. (Source: In accordance with the Press Release issued by the Ministry of Communications and IT)

Digital India knits together a huge number of ideas and thoughts into a single broad vision which is centered on three key areas:

• Digital Infrastructure as a Core Utility to Every Citizen
• Governance and Services on Demand
• Digital Empowerment of Citizens

Digital Infrastructure as a Core Utility to Every Citizen

• Availability of high speed internet as
• Cradle to grave digital identity that is unique, lifelong, online and authenticable to every citizen
• Mobile phone and bank account facilitating citizen participation in digital & financial space
• Easy access to a Common Service Centre
• Shareable private space on a public cloud
• Safe and secure cyber-space

Governance and Services on Demand

• Seamlessly integrated services across departments or jurisdictions
• Availability of services in real time from online & mobile platforms
• All citizen entitlements to be portable and available on the cloud
• Digitally transformed services for improving ease of doing business
• Making financial transactions electronic & cashless
• Leveraging Geospatial Information Systems (GIS) for decision support systems & development

Digital Empowerment of Citizens

• Universal digital literacy
• Universally accessible digital resources
• Availability of digital resources / services in Indian languages
• Collaborative digital platforms for participative governance
• Citizens not required to physically submit Govt. documents / certificates

Highlights:

1. Launch of BharatNet in 11 states.
2. Unveiling several government schemes like e-education, digital locker, e-health, etc.
3. Making the digital infrastructure as easily available to the citizens of India.
4. Digitally empowering the citizens and ensuring that the government services are accessible to citizens electronically via e-Kranti.
5. Next Generation Network (NGN).
6. Expansion of mobile connectivity.
7. Digitization of health records.
8. Doorstep delivery and accountability of government plans like Swachh Bharat Abhiyan via mobile applications.

Real Impact

• Rural Broadband facility to be available to 2.5 lakh villages
• Universal phone connectivity
• Publicly available Internet Access Points
• Wi-fi in 2.5 lakh schools, all universities
• 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

In the mid 90s, the drive of e-Governance initiatives in India took a broader dimension for wider sectoral applications with emphasis on citizen oriented services. Shortly, several States/UTs started different e-Governance projects. However, these e-Governance schemes were citizen-centric, they could make lesser than the desired impact.

It has been realized that a lot more push is requisite to ensure e-Governance in the country encourage inclusive development, which covers electronic services, products, devices and job opportunities. Additionally, electronic manufacturing needs to be reinforced in the country.

Prime Minister Modi speculates transforming our country and generating opportunities for all masses by harnessing digital technologies. In order to pull off issues ranging from farming to governance, PM Modi has repeatedly laid emphasis on using technology.

The launch of MyGov.in portal and Digital India Group on MyGov is a considerable step towards that goal. It is one of the fastest emerging groups on the MyGov site with 37,590 members and is open to members whose preferences are Digital Technologies which comprise Cloud Computing and Mobile Applications.

“ALLEN has taken an initiative to support Digital India Program by providing Scholarship for all course in ALLENtab Distance Learning Programme.”