For a digitally empowered society

Remember how Rancho, Aamir Khan’s character in 3 Idiots, helps deliver a baby by video conferencing with a doctor? Scenes like this could become more common if ‘Digital India’ becomes a reality.

Since he took office in May last year, tech savvy Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been prodding everyone to use technology, get active on social media, recently asking people to click a ‘selfie with daughter’ as part of initiatives to save the girl child.

In an attempt to bridge the gap and connect each corner of the country, the NDA government is set to launch a ‘Digital India’ programme on Wednesday, to transform India into a digitally empowered society.

This will be a single programme comprising various initiatives and bringing good governance to citizens through synchronised and co-ordinated engagement by the entire Government.

The programme envisages providing high-speed Internet connectivity through public Wi-Fi hotspots to every Gram Panchayat, cities with a population of over 10 lakh and tourist centres. All schools will also be connected with broadband and free Wi-Fi, which should revolutionise the delivery of education.

Applications such as the ‘Digital locker’ system, ‘MyGov.in’, Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) Mobile app and ‘eSign’ framework will allow citizens to digitally avail these services online or on their smartphones.

Programmes such as ‘e-sign’ are aimed at eliminating difficulties faced by ordinary citizens in accessing and providing copies of their own documents and certificates.

The government has already introduced some of these initiatives, including eHospital, which provides important services such as online registration, payment of fees and appointment, online diagnostic reports and enquiring about of availability of blood.

Such initiatives will at par with many private hospitals or private pathology labs that provide online test reports to patients.

According to industry veterans and analysts, the Digital India programme is meant to connect many dots, physically as well as virtually.

“The Government is spending $18 billion in the next few years on initiatives such as Connectivity for all, Internet for all, and providing healthcare, banking, education and other services. This will empower people and communities in rural areas, thereby bridging the gap between rural and urban (India),” said Hemant Joshi, Partner at Deloitte Haskins & Sells.

However, there are many challenges at the State, local and political levels. Digitisation is a critical enabler for India to establish itself as an economic giant in the world and mobile services will play a central role in this journey given their ubiquitous reach, said Gopal Vittal, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Bharti Airtel (India & South Asia).

But India has a long way to go to improve the quality of its digital infrastructure, he said, adding that “spectrum, permissions for fibre on the ground, investments and easy availability of mobile towers are the essential prerequisites to realise this vision.”

Issues such as strengthening net connectivity and bandwidth across the country and improving e-literacy, particularly in the interiors of the country, are challenges that need to be overcome speedily in order to derive better mileage out of the Digital India Programme, said Manoj Kumar, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Ricoh India.

Nevertheless, the programme is a wonderful initiative that can have a positive impact on various departments and eventually succeed, said Joshi of Deloitte.

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