Abstract ANALYSIS OF INITIATIVES TAKEN UNDER DIGITAL INDIA PROGRAMME AND THEIR IMPACT Chetan Ahuja, #67, Civil Lines Colony, Hanumangarh Road, Abohar, Punjab, India With a view to transform India into a digital economy and information technology driven society, government of India initiated a flagship programme named Digital India Programme. The main aim of the government to start this program was to make all government services available to all the citizens of India electronically and effectively through internet and information technology. This will help the country to move forward economically, effectively and digitally. The program is really good, but to implement it successfully, Indian government will have to address few issues which can hamper the successful implementation of this programme. Few of those challenges are illiteracy in IT and computer education, poor infrastructure, poor speed of internet connections, taxation issues and lack of co-ordination of different departments. This programme can provide really great benefits to the citizens of the country, if implemented in a proper manner. It will require a lot of efforts and dedication from all the departments of the government and other sectors too because it is a very huge program with unrestrained potential. Keywords- digital india programme, impact of digital india, challenges, internet Introduction The Digital India programme was launched by Indian Government on 2 nd July 2015 with objectives including connecting rural areas with internet and improving literacy in digital connectivity and information technology. Digital India has a vision of growth in different areas in the country like electronic services, manufacturing, accessing government services and providing job opportunities etc. This can be achieved by creating and strengthening nine pillars which are Broadband Highways, Public Internet Access Programme, Access to Mobile connectivity universally, e-kranti (Electronic Delivery of Services), e-governance, IT for Jobs Reforming Government through Technology, and Electronic Manufacturing etc. To achieve all this, the different departments of government will have to work together because each of these activities are complex programs and they can be implemented through mutual co-operation of different government departments. Research Objectives 1) To understand the concept, features and opportunities in Digital India. 2) To find out and discuss challenges while implementing Digital India programme. 3) To find out the resolution to the challenges ideas to realize the objectives of Digital India programme. Research Methodology This research is based upon the secondary data and it has been collected from National and International Journals, reports, books, magazines and newspapers. Data has been taken from the internet and websites explaining the concept of Digital India and talking about opportunities and challenges about this programme. Descriptive research design has been adopted to have more accuracy and rigorous analysis of this study. All the data which was used for the study was the of secondary nature. Major Initiatives Taken And Key Areas Of Digital India Programme Digital India mainly focuses on these three areas: (JAMR) http://www.jamrpublication.com email id- jamrpublication@gmail.com Page 152
Creation of Digital structure and electronic system of manufacturing in India. Delivery of most of the government services via electronic means (E-Governance). Digital Empowernment of Indian Citizens. To focus on the above areas the following basic tools are being used by the government at present: A digital verification will be made which will be the permanent identity of that person who will receive the benefits; it can be anything like Aadhar Number. A permanent bank account will be there in which the benefits will be transferred to the end users like subsidies and the payments. A mobile phone for worldwide access to all the services provided under Digital India programme. Digital India is a very ambitious programme of Indian Government. The total budget of the government is Rs. 1 Lakh Crores and the aim is to transform India into a knowledgeable society will full access to government services through electronic means. The purpose of this programme is to ensure easy access to all the government services through information technology. Through this project the services of the government will be provided to the citizens in the all the areas digitally and electronically. Digital India programme has the capability to remove the differences between rural and urban India which are due to lack of digital means and knowledge of Information Technology. Schemes started under Digital India initiative: Mygov.In MyGov.in is a platform where general public can share its view on the issues of national interest. With this facility, they can share their inputs on the matters of governance. In this way, general public can participate in the government matters and the policy. Digi Locker This service has been provided by the government under Digital India programme and anybody can register with this website through the website: https://digilocker.gov.in/ After creating a username one can store its important documents like Voter Card, Aadhar Card, Driving License, PAN and education certificates etc. online. Using this facility, one can store the documents on the website and can share it with anyone through a link. National Scholarship Portal This online portal is to facilitate the disbursement of scholarship. Everything related to scholarship like application, verification, sanction, approval and disbursement is made via online channel. It makes it really easy to deal with the matters of scholarship and at the same time, amount is reached to the beneficiary without any hassle. E-Sign Framework Using this facility, anybody can sign its document online using e-sign framework. The authentication will be done via Aadhar number. Thereafter, anybody can sign its document online and it is legally valid. Bharat Net This is a very big project in which 250000 gram panchayats will be connected through rural broadband project using optical fiber through a high-speed digital highway. In this project use of optical fiber will be there for the high speed connectivity. (JAMR) http://www.jamrpublication.com email id- jamrpublication@gmail.com Page 153
E-Hospital It is a very high end facility, because due to the online registration process in E-Hospital people can avail services like online registration, appointment, payment of fee, online diagnostic reports as well as availability of blood etc. Daily more and more number of people are registering with this service and are taking benefit of these services. Electronics Development Fund In this fund, the support is provided for manufacturing of electronic products that would help create new jobs and at the same time it will be reducing the imports. This fund will promote innovation, research and development to create a pool for manufacturing in the country. Next Generation Network In this project, BSNL will replace old telephone exchanges and will manage all types of services including voice, data, media and other communication type services. Making telephone exchanges advanced in this area, this facility is known as Next Generation Network service. Achievements And Scope Of Digital India Programme The basic purpose of starting Digital India programme was to empower the poor and underprivileged. At the same time to implement this program successfully the right direction is being provided to MTNL and BSNL. Digital India programme has exceeded all the expectations of department of telecommunication and has put a great impact on the lives of common man. Majority of the people live in rural areas and therefore the initiate will provide a backbone for transforming India into the digitally empowered and knowledgable economy as it will provide internet service to all. As under this programme Wi-Fi connections are being installed at all the places in rural areas basically, it will promote the use of digital platforms and it will make the e-services available to the citizens of the country. It will eventually decrease the cost of paper and availing the services in an effective manner. It is providing the most of the advantages to the people in the backward areas, where the availability of the internet service is very low. For any kind of growth, knowledge is must and knowledge comes with the information. Through Digital India programme, with the help of internet connectivity, the information will reach to the remote areas of the country. This will be the key to development of poor and underprivileged people in the country. It will increase the awareness level, level of knowledge and finally their socioeconomic status in the country. Increased Access To Services Offered By Government Digital India is that programme which will give easy access to the government services and speedy delivery of the benefits to the people in the country. Mobile phone will play the most important role in providing services to the people in the country. All the information regarding the services will be provided to the people of the country on their mobile phones. The purpose of the government is to connect more and more people in this program through mobile phones and Aadhar number so that they can instantly take benefits of the services offered by the government. To give a proper transformative impact, the old and existing schemes are also being added in Digital India programme so that they can be restricted, synchronized and implemented in a more efficient manner. Few analysts are saying that Digital India can boost GDP upto $1 Trillion upto 2025. Because the purpose of Digital India programme is not only to provide services to the people of the country rather it can increase the employment opportunities, productivity of the workers, increase the GDP growth and employment generation etc. India is on the second position in the world in telecom sector regarding number of users and it is on the 3 rd number regarding usage of internet services. There will be further growth in this number because under Digital India programme a lot more (JAMR) http://www.jamrpublication.com email id- jamrpublication@gmail.com Page 154
internet connections, infrastructure, broadband highways and internet services are being provided in the rural areas, where 65% of total population lives. The digital India project can be really helpful in providing education via digital means like real-time education via smart and virtual classrooms. In this case, it will meet the challenge of lack of number of teachers in the education system. Not only this, education to the farmers and the other people can be provided with the help of mobile devices. Through this programme Massive Open Online Courses can be run with high speed internet. For the effective implementation of Digital India Program, government is leveraging the technology in mobile phones, internet, infrastructure, and cloud technology. This program is also associated with smart cities programs and make in India. There are many achievements of the government in Digital India program like e-basta, Digi-Locker, linking Aadhar to Bank accounts etc. for the payment of subsidies. Top companies of the world are in the agreement with view point of government to launch Digital Point programme and they are willing to invest money to improve infrastructure for the same. That will boost the speed as well as the condition of internet sectors and services in the country. Major Challenges Before The Government Access to internet services and basic infrastrure Despite the increased affordability of ICT environment in the country, only 15% of households can access the internet and only few people have access to mobile broadband. In most of the rural areas, there is no internet connection and contents on the internet are not available even in most common regional languages. It is shocking that even in 2017, there are few remote areas in India, where continuous electricity is not available, then how Digital India program can be implemented in those areas. Indian population is not very much literate in technology. Only 67% population is literate in basic technology, and moreover, 1/3 rd of the youth is not able to attend secondary education. Now where the Indian economy is running at a fast pace, at the same time, hackers are also getting attracted and increasing wave of cyber crime and attacks can soon badly impact the economy. Cyber Attacks There are a lot of countries in Asia, including India, who are on the radar of those people who are engaged in cyber attacks. Now to beat their plans, it is a difficult project for the government and other agencies to provide robust security system which provide privacy and security to the users of the internet and information technology. The foremost challenge before the government is slow and delayed development of the infrastructure of internet network. The speed is around one tenth than that of in the developed countries. In a much diversified country like India, to bring a technological change of this size. There are a lot of challenges right from policy making and work flow and to the mentality of government officers. An active involvement from all the departments is required like telecommunication, finance, planning, internet service and infrastructure. Without the teamwork, this mission will not be able to implement to its full advantage. Customized Apps and Solutions As discussed earlier, India is a much diversified country where languages, culture and laws vary from location to location and it is important to understand that for the success of Digital India, a lot of customized apps and solutions are required which can cater the needs of people of different regions. Now, it involves a lot of cost and the results can be seen only after few years. There is a lack of those entrepreneurs who can put their money in the development of these apps and solutions. Complete integration of technology with the language is one of the main challenges. (JAMR) http://www.jamrpublication.com email id- jamrpublication@gmail.com Page 155
Expansion of internet network This is much required and is the basic need of Digital India programme. If there is no network connection, then this programme will have no existence. All the schemes which are provided under digital India are dependent upon the internet network. If the government wants to give benefit of digital India, then it must have to expand internet network in order to make these services accessible to the general public. Expansion of network requires a lot of investment and major expansion is required in the remote areas where people have no access to internet network and it needs fully fledged planning, resources and finance. Conclusion A lot of achievements are there in the bag of Government with launch of Digital India but there are lots of initiatives are to be taken to implement for further success. The development of digital infrastructure can be done with PPP Models (Public-Private Partnership). As huge capital investment is required so both the government agencies as well as private ones can work together. Additional efforts are required in the telecom sector for the installation of high speed networks. To promote infrastructure, broadband and other localized web services and applications, startups can be subsidized. The existing infrastructure of government offices like post office, telephone exchanges and other offices should be further enhanced to meet with the challenges of providing digital service to the economy. Incentives, tax holidays and subsidies can be provided to the private players who develop and provide internet connectivity in the remote areas. The overall growth and development can be achieved by enhancing the literacy, environment, legal and economic environment, awareness and other elements like education etc. this stage of Digital India is that one in which there is a serious need to address the problems for implementation of this programme effectively and expeditiously. A lot of private players are out there who are doing great in this area, but they are not interested in investment in those areas where the revenue potential is low. In those areas, only government can invest the money. The benefits of Digital India are to be provided to the rural people because they are in the most disadvantageous position at this time regarding information and communication technology (ICT). Now, there is a much need of robust internet connectivity and Cloud service that cover full country and which is fully firewalled through which secure internet network and connectivity can be provided which can meet with the various needs of the country. There is a need to make sure that all these things like internet connection, telecom, phones and products and services are easily accessible to every common man. All the citizens of the country, government officers, and private players should be mentally prepared for the changes, challenges and the benefits they are going to get with this policy, only then Digital India can be implemented with that objective which was set at the time of its inception. (JAMR) http://www.jamrpublication.com email id- jamrpublication@gmail.com Page 156
References 1. Jyoti Sharma. Digital India and its Impact on the Society. International Journal of Research in Humanities & Soc. Sciences, Vol. 4, Issue: 4, May-June: 2016 2. Goswami, H. (2016).Opportunities and Challenges of Digital India Programme. International Education and Research Journal, 2(11), 78-79. 3. Gupta, N., & Arora, K. (2015). Digital India: A Roadmap for the Development of Rural India. International Journal of Business Management, 2(2), 1333-1342. 4. Gupta Neeru and Arora Kirandeep (2015). Digital India: A Roadmap for the development of Rural India. International Journal of Business Management, vol (2)2, pp1333-1342. Retrieved from www. ijbm.co.in 5. Arvind, P. P., Vitthalrao, M. P., & Mukund, J. M. (2015). Digi Locker (Digital Locker): Ambitious aspect of Digital India Programme. GE- International Journal of Management Research, 3(6), 299-308. 6. Gulati, M. (2016). Digital India: Challenges and Opportunities. International Journal of Management, Information Technology and Engineering, 4(10), 1-4. 7. http://www.digitalindia.gov.in/content/transformingindia-ebook 8. http://egovernance.in/news/digital-india-achievements-concerns 9. http://www.thebetterindia.com/27331/12-projects-you-should-knowabout-under-thedigital-indiainitiative (JAMR) http://www.jamrpublication.com email id- jamrpublication@gmail.com Page 157