Content:
- Digital Infrastructure Landscape
- Fourth Edition of India Internet Governance Forum
Digital Infrastructure Landscape
Context: Rapidly evolving digital infrastructure driving economic growth, effective governance and Inclusive development
Relevance: GS 2( Governance)
- Data Centres: India’s data centre industry is set for significant growth, supporting cloud computing, data storage, and AI/ML applications.
- The National Informatics Centre (NIC) operates state-of-the-art National Data Centres (NDCs) across Delhi, Pune, Bhubaneswar, and Hyderabad.
- The NDCs provide cloud services, disaster recovery, and hosting services with a combined storage capacity of approximately 100PB.
- National Data Centre – North East Region (NDC-NER): Launched in 2020 to bridge the digital divide in the Northeastern states by providing reliable cloud service infrastructure.
Cloud Services and Digital Public Infrastructure:
- NIC National Cloud Services Project (2022): Enhancing the national cloud infrastructure to facilitate faster e-Governance services. Over 300 government departments are now utilizing these services.
- MeghRaj (GI Cloud): Provides ICT services via cloud to all government departments, enhancing digital governance and public services nationwide.
Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI):
- Aadhaar: The world’s largest digital identity program with 138.34 crore Aadhaar numbers issued.
- Unified Payment Interface (UPI): Facilitated 24,100 crore transactions as of June 30, 2024.
- DigiLocker: 37.046 crore users and 776 crore documents issued.
- DIKSHA: World’s largest education platform with 556.37 crore learningsessions and 14.37 crore course completions.
- Platforms like GeM, UMANG, and API SETU further enhance digital governance by providing access to various services and enabling seamless data exchange.
Common Services Centres (CSCs):
- Over 5.84 lakh CSCs are operational, including 4.63 lakh at the Gram Panchayat level, delivering more than 800 services across rural India.
Citizen-Centric Digital Services:
- UMANG: A unified mobile app with over 7.12 crore users, offering 2,077 services in 23 languages.
- MeriPehchaan: Provides single sign-on service, handling over 132 crore transactions.
- e-Hastakshar (e-Sign): 81.97 crore digital signatures issued.
- API Setu: 6,000 APIs published, enabling 312.01 crore transactions.
Revolutionizing Government Operations:
- DigiLocker, CollabFiles, GovDrive, and Gov Intranet Platform enhance document management, secure storage, and efficient workflow in government offices.
Fourth Edition of India Internet Governance Forum
Context : The India Internet Governance Forum (IIGF) 2024, organized by MeitY and NIXI, will address key digital issues like bridging the digital divide, responsible AI, and cybersecurity on December 9-10, 2024, in New Delhi.
Relevance: GS 2( Governance)
Focus Areas:
- Bridging the Digital Divide: Enhancing access, inclusion, and digital rights to make the internet accessible to all.
- Legal and Regulatory Frameworks: Creating balanced policies that support growth and strengthen Internet governance.
- Responsible AI: Exploring the ethical and effective use of AI for societal benefit.
- Building a Greener and Sustainable Internet: Emphasizing energy-efficient practices and environmental sustainability in the digital realm.
- Trust and Safety: Enhancing cybersecurity and user confidence online.
IIGF’s Role:
- Part of the UN IGF: Promotes multi-stakeholder dialogue on critical issues related to the Internet, involving government, civil society, industry, technical communities, and academia.
- Focus on Collaboration: Encourages an inclusive approach to shaping policies for an open, secure, and accessible Internet.
