Digital India Week – Know its Objectives, Significance and Advantages

Digital India is a government-led initiative to transform the nation into a fully digitized society and knowledge-based economy. The initiative is transformational, ensuring that citizens can access government services electronically. The goal of this program is to make India a knowledge economy and society that is empowered by technology. Its initiative would guarantee that citizens could access government services online. Additionally, mandated electronic delivery of government services, a Unique ID, and e-Pramaan based on authentic, standard-based, interoperable, and integrated government applications and databases would increase public accountability.

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What is Digital India Week?

The Indian Government has launched a campaign called “Digital India” to ensure that all government services are accessible to citizens electronically, either through better online infrastructure and increased Internet connectivity or by giving the nation digitalized empowerment in the technology sector. The initiative has plans to build high-speed internet networks in rural areas.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched it on July 1, 2015, and it is both an enabler and a beneficiary of other key Government of India schemes like BharatNet, Make in India, Startup India, Standup India, Industrial corridors, Bharatmala, Sagarmala, Dedicated Freight Corridors, and UDAN-RCS.

Digital India Week- Objectives

The motto of digital India is “power to empower.” The development of infrastructure digitally, service provision, and digital literacy are the three pillars that makeup this program. Similar to that, it adheres to the following goals.

• Through the organization of events at numerous Digital Points of Presence like CSCs/Post Offices, Schools, Gram Panchayats, etc., citizens are informed, educated, and engaged.
• Through digital media campaigns and events, all online users can connect.
• Inform everyone about the program’s mission, services, and advantages.
• Promote and broaden the use of current e-services, and develop and introduce new services.
• Ensure better use of digital infrastructure during DI Week and beyond by educating citizens about practical digital literacy, cyber security, and cyber hygiene.
• Use this Program to engage, inspire, and connect citizens.
• The initiative unifies a variety of concepts and viewpoints into a single vision so that each vision can be understood as a component of a bigger objective.
• It focuses on rebuilding numerous existing schemes that can be put into practice in a much better way.

Advantages of Digital India

The Digital India Mission is a program that includes ideas for establishing fast internet connections in rural areas of the nation. One of the 9 pillars of this program is the Public Internet Access Program. India is one of the top two countries in the world for digital adoption, and by the end of 2022, its digital economy is expected to reach $1 trillion.

The following are some benefits:

• There seems to be an increase in e-governance-related electronic transactions.
• Under the Bharat Net program, a 2, 74,246 km optical fiber network has connected more than 1.15 lakh Gram Panchayats.
• The Indian government’s National e-Governance Project established a Common Service Center (CSC), which offers access to information and communication technology (ICT). The CSCs offer multimedia content related to e-governance, education, health, telemedicine, entertainment, and other public and private services via computer and Internet access.
• the creation of digital villages with modern amenities like Wi-Fi choupals, solar lighting, LED assembly lines, and sanitary product manufacturing facilities.
• Urban internet penetration has reached 64%, and internet data is a key tool for the provision of services.

Significance of Digital India

• The idea of minimal government and maximum governance is the foundation of digital India, which has resulted in opportunities, facilities, and participation for all.
• It is uplifting the average Indian citizen. It has made government services and procedures more accessible to the public made them transparent and inclusive and attacked corruption.
• Supports a Range of Schemes- It has benefited several programs that were introduced after Digital India, which include PM SVANidhi, eNAM, and eSanjeevani for telemedicine, DigiBunai, and Diksha.
• Easy access to services for citizens: With the aid of this program, obtaining a driver’s license, birth certificate, paying a utility bill, a water bill, or filing an income tax return has become incredibly simple and quick. All of this is taking place in villages, in CSCs that are close to people’s homes.
• Remote areas now have access to the Internet thanks to 2.5 lakh CSCs. Work is currently being done on a mission mode under the Bharat Net scheme to introduce internet service to the villages.
• Digilocker: By offering a digital storage unit for school transcripts, medical records, and other important certificates, it has aided millions of people, particularly during the pandemic.
• President Kisan Samman Nidhi: One Nation, One MSP has been realized by this program, as Rs 1.35 lakh crore have been directly deposited into the bank accounts of more than 10 crore farmer families.
• The Supreme Court ordered all the states to establish the “One Nation, One Ration Card.” Those who commute to other states for employment or work are benefited from this initiative.
• The AtmaNirbhar Bharat: Digital India program emphasizes the nation’s determination to be self-sufficient (Atma Nirbhar Bharat)
• Transferring Funds to Bank Accounts Directly: Using Digital India, approximately Rs 17 lakh crore has been transferred into the bank accounts of recipients under various schemes over the last 6-7 years.

Digital India week- FAQs