9 years of the Digital India initiative

General Studies Paper -2

Context: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has lauded the successful completion of nine years of the Digital India initiative.

About Digital India programme

• It was launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on July 01, 2015 with an aim to transform India into a knowledge-based economy and a digitally empowered society by ensuring digital services, digital access, digital inclusion, digital empowerment and bridging the digital divide.
• It is coordinated by MeitY with the Ministries and Departments in the Central and State Governments partnering it in their respective domain areas.
• Digital India symbolises an empowered India which boosts Ease of Living and transparency.

Achievements

• Financial Inclusion: Due to the Digital India campaign, over 11 Crore farmers now receive money directly in their bank accounts.
  • The Government of India, in collaboration with the EKstep Foundation, launched an AI chatbot with PM-Kisan to extend financial help to farmers.
• Ayushman Bharat: leverages digital platforms to provide health insurance coverage to vulnerable sections of society.
  • Over 34.6 crore Ayushman Cards were created
• Over 674 crore documents issued by DigiLocker.
• Over 137 Crore Aadhaar numbers have been generated, a unique ID for every Indian which is empowering millions with digital identity.
• BharatNet has laid 6.83 lakh kilometres of optical fibre network, enough to circle the Earth over 17 times.
• Over Nine crore FASTags issued it’s almost equal to the number of vehicles manufactured worldwide in 2023.
• Pradhan Mantri Grameen Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDisha), the world’s largest digital literacy program, equips rural communities with essential digital skills like marketing, e-commerce, finance, and cybersecurity, enabling them to participate fully in the digital economy
• The Government has come up with e-Marketplace (GeM), a dedicated platform for different goods & services procured by government organisations/departments/PSUs, offering 11,900 product categories and 321 service categories.
• BHIM is a UPI-based payment app that simplifies digital transactions.
  • It has empowered millions of users to send and receive money seamlessly.
  • There has been more than 535 lakh crore rupees of UPI transactions.
• Swamitva Scheme: Using drones and technology, the Swamitva Scheme aims to provide land titles to rural landowners.
• The Jan Dhan Yojana has facilitated the opening of bank accounts for millions of unbanked individuals.
  • The program also encourages digital payments, reducing the reliance on cash transactions.

Challenges

• While Digital India has made significant strides, challenges such as digital literacy, internet penetration in remote areas, and cybersecurity remain.
  • Disparities in digital access persist and bridging the urban-rural divide and reaching marginalized communities remains a challenge.
• Financial Resource Issues
• Coordination Issues because Program covers many other departments
• Balancing convenience with privacy protection is essential.

Conclusion and Way Forward

• The Digital India program has become a transformative force, altering the pace of India’s growth story while transforming the country into a digitally empowered society and a knowledge-based economy.
• Digital India is paving the way for a more inclusive, prosperous, and digitally connected India.

As India continues its digital journey, collaboration, innovation, and citizen participation will be key drivers.