Digital India is an initiative ofGovernment of India to integrate the government departments and the people of India. It aims at ensuring the government services are made available to citizens electronically by reducing paperwork. The initiative also includes plan to connect rural areas with high-speed internet networks. Digital India has three core components. These include:[1]
- The creation of digital infrastructure
- Delivering services digitally
- Digital literacy.
The project is slated for completion by 2019. A two-way platform will be created where both the service providers and the consumers stand to benefit. The scheme will be monitored and controlled by the Digital India Advisory group which will be chaired by the Ministry of Communications and IT. It will be an inter-ministerial initiative where all ministries and departments shall offer their own services to the publicHealthcare, Education, Judicial services etc. The Public-private-partnershipmodel shall be adopted selectively. In addition, there are plans to restructure the National Informatics Centre. This project is one among the top priority projects of the Modi Administration.
The initiative is commendable and deserves full support of all stakeholders. However, the initiative also lacks many crucial components including lack of legal framework, absence of privacy [2]and data protection laws,[3] civil liberties abuse possibilities,[4] lack of parliamentary oversight for e-surveillance in India,[5] lack of intelligence related reforms in India,[6]insecure Indian cyberspace,[7] etc. These issues have to be managed first before introducing DI initiative in India. Digital India project is worth exploring and implementation despite its shortcomings that can be rectified before its implementation.[8]
Challenges Before Digital India
The Government of India entity Bharat Broadband Network Limited which executes the National Optical Fibre Network project will be the custodian ofDigital India (DI) project. BBNL had ordered United Telecoms Limited to connect 250,000 villages through GPON to ensure FTTH based broadband. This will provide the first basic setup to achieve towards DI and is expected to be completed by 2017.
The Digital India initiative is a promising initiative of the Indian Government. Many companies have shown their interest in this project.[9] It is also believed that E-commerce would facilitate the DI project.[10] However, it is not free from challenges and legal hurdles. Some believe that DI cannot be successful till mandatorybcb e-governance services in India are introduced.[11] Having incomplete implementation of the National e-Governance Plan of India will only affect the success of the DI project. India has poor regulations in the field of privacy protection,[2] data protection,[3] cyber law,[12] telegraph,[13] e-governance,[14] e-commerce,[15] etc. Further, many legal experts believe that e-governance and DI without cyber security is useless.[16] The cyber security trends in India [17] have exposed the vulnerability of Indian cyberspace.[18] Even the National Cyber Security Policy 2013 has not been implemented till now. In these circumstances, Critical infrastructure protection would be a really tough task to manage for the Indian Government. The project also lacks the concept of proper E-waste management.
Related Initiatives
The DI initiative must be read along with the Draft Internet of Things (IoT) Policy of India.[19] However, the problems, the challenges and the deficiencies in the Indian legal structure remain the same.
Civil Liberties Issues
Initiatives like DI and IoT would be required to comply with the Civil libertiesrequirements in general and civil liberties protection in cyberspace in particular.[4] India has not given any importance to privacy and privacy lawsso far.[20][21] Indian government indulges into Mass surveillance in India and projects like Aadhaar, Central Monitoring System, Netra, NATGRID, etc. are operating without any law and parliamentary oversight.[5] Theintelligence agencies of India likeIntelligence Bureau [22] and law enforcement agencies like Central Bureau of Investigation are operating for decades without any law and parliamentary scrutiny. DI and IoT would further strengthen the mass surveillance activities of the Indian Government if proper procedural safeguards are not implemented and practiced.
Status of Digital India
Digital India is in the progress mode till the month of November 2014. The Apex Committee is going to analyse its progress very soon.[23] Media reports have also hinted at development of policies for Digital India very soon.[24] If correctly implemented, Digital India project can change the way public services would be delivered in India in the near future.[8]
Digital India Week
At the launch ceremony of Digital India Week by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, top CEOs from India and abroad committed to invest Rs 4.5 lakh crore towards this initiative. The CEOs said the investments would be utilitized towards making smartphones and internet devices at an affordable price in India which would help generate jobs in India as well as reduce the cost of importing them from abroad.[28] 9 Key points of Digital India Programme are as follow [29]
- Broadband Highways
- Universal Access to Phones
- Public Internet Access Programme
- e-Governance – Reforming government through Technology
- e-Kranti – Electronic delivery of services
- Information for All
- Electronics Manufacturing – Target NET ZERO Imports
- IT for Jobs
- Early Harvest Programmes
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