Significance of Digital Infrastructure:

In modern economies, digital infrastructure has emerged as an equally or arguably more significant necessity than traditional infrastructure necessities such as power, water, and roads.

With the government’s increasing push towards digital governance, digital economies, and online service delivery – the development of digital infrastructure such as availability and accessibility of the internet, broadband networks, development of system software and user devices, and Communication satellites have become essential.

Digital governance:

• Digital governance refers to applying ICT tools for better decision-making, accountability, transparency, service delivery, and other facets of governance. The development of digital infrastructure will give a positive thrust towards this transformation.
• In a country like India, where the government has to serve a vast population, digital governance can come handy in the following ways:
  1. Faster and better communication.
  2. Improved service delivery and efficiency.
  3. Better accountability and ability to monitor governance processes.
  4. Increased citizen participation in governance activities.
  5. Better accessibility and better reach of services in remote areas.
  6. Reducing leakages and wasteful expenditures. E.g. DBT.
  7. Cost-effectiveness – as the same processes are done with a higher degree of efficiency.
  8. Better integration of ongoing government programmes to achieve the desired results.

Digital economy:

• The digital economy is also known as the Internet Economy, the Web Economy, or the New Economy.
• As per MeitY, India can create over $1Tn by 2025 in economic value in diverse sectors.
• The development of digital infrastructure can help in boosting the economy in the following ways:
  1. Ease of doing business: With lesser paperwork, faster clearances, and better inspections – India can improve its ranking in ease of doing business.
  2. Financial inclusion of people living in lower rungs of society.
  3. Magnification of economic activity through e-commerce, better business-customer communication, helping the growth of MSMEs.
  4. Increased employment opportunities: The development of the digital economy can create high-value jobs and help India reap its demographic dividend. For example, growth in mobile manufacturing units, manufacturing of LEDs etc.
  5. Curbing corruption: With increasing online transactions, it is easy to curb the menace of corruption, black money and parallel economy.

Aid in inclusive development:

• Social Inclusion: It enhances the employment prospects for women, persons with disability and other disadvantaged sections of society.
• Better Governance: The reach of the internet in far-flung and isolated areas can help provide education and health facilities to underserved populations. This was better highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown.
• Apart from above mentioned significance, digital infrastructure such as satellites ( Communication and remote sensing) can be beneficial in disaster management, addressing India’s security challenges, agriculture ( Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana), checking environmental degradation etc.

Status of Digital Infrastructure in India:

• India’s rank as per United Nations’ E-Government Development Index (EGDI) in 2022 is 105th, with a score of 0.59. The MeitY is a nodal Ministry for monitoring the E-Government Development Index and improving the country’s ranking.
• The number of internet users is expected to increase by 45% in India in the next five years to reach 900 million, according to the ICUBE report (independent NGO).
• According to the IMF report, India’s Digital payments volume has increased at an annual rate of 50% in the last five years due to its development of mobile-based UPI services.
• In the last few years, India’s apex space agency ISRO launched multiple communication satellites, Earth observation satellites(EOS) and remote sensing satellites to help develop digital infrastructure.
• Several telecom operators are spreading 5G connectivity across India rapidly. As of today, 5G services are available in more than 50 cities in India.

Challenges in developing Digital Infrastructure:

1. Lack of Horizontal integration: Fragmented and unsatisfactory fashion or service delivery. Many government agencies defeated the promise of ‘less Government’.
2. Confidentiality & Security: Sometimes, there is a lack of attention to confidentiality and data security issues, such as citizens’ details.
3. Digital Divide: Mobile and internet penetration are still weak in rural India. As a result, there is a skewed accessibility to digital services in rural and urban areas.
   • As per the economic survey, about 50 million people are still not using any kind of mobile.
   • As per the NSSO survey, only 20% of Indians can use the internet effectively.
4. Poor Digital Literacy: Especially among disadvantaged sections, rural citizens and women.
5. Issues With Funding of Infrastructure: Building digital infrastructure requires substantial funds. Given the government’s other essential obligations, government alone will not be able to fund all digital infrastructure needs.
6. Inertia to change: Despite having digital services, many government officials/departments are hesitant.
7. Lack of Research and Development: To have better efficiency through digital governance, specific and integrated software/hardware is required to achieve desired results. Moreover, as India is South Asia’s start-up hub, more efforts are needed towards R&D.
8. Gradual Emergence of Digital Oligarchy: India’s digital market is highly oligarchic and dominated by only a few private service providers. This poses issues with accessibility to all citizens. (as per the report by Digital India Foundation, NGO)
9. Lack of skilled workforce in the field of digital infrastructure.
10. Language barrier: Most digital services are accessible only through English. Hence it cannot cater to the linguistic diversity of India.
11. Issues with Indigenisation: The quantity of raw materials procured from other countries, such as China, for establishing digital infrastructure is alarming. This poses serious questions regarding cyber security. Further, this also leads to higher costs in building infrastructure.

Government Initiatives and Policies for the Development of Digital Infrastructure:

National e-governance Programme (NeGP):

NeGP was first launched in 2006. It comprises several mission-mode projects(MMPs) for the improvement of digital governance. In 2015, the Narendra Modi Government re-launched the NeGP under the Digital India Campaign. It was dubbed as the NeGP 2.0. The number of Mission Mode Projects(MMPs) were increased to 44.

The central core components of a NeGP programme are:

1. State data centres(SDC): To provide a physical facility for hosting various state-level e-governance applications.
2. State-wide area network(SWAN): To create a dedicated closed user group network and provide secured and high-speed internet connectivity – connecting State, District, and Block headquarters.
3. State service delivery gateways(SSDG): All services are provided through this service delivery gateway.
4. Common service centres(CSS): These act as an access points for various government-related service delivery such as education, financial services, digital literacy, skill development etc.

            The NeGP Program has the following important      Mission-mode projects(MMPs) under it.

E-Kranti Programme:

• E-Kranti is an essential component of the Digital India programme. The programme has been launched with the vision of ‘Transforming e-Governance for Transforming Governance’. All Mission Mode Projects (MMPs) taken up under the National e-Governance Program(NeGP) should follow the principles established under the E-Kranti Mission.
• The Apex committee for the e-Kranti is headed by Cabinet Secretary directly. This shows the importance given to the e-infrastrucutre by the government.
• Some of the key principles of E-Kranti are:
  1. Language Localisation – for easy access of the masses
  2. Establishing Mandatory standards and protocols for the smooth functioning of e-infrastructure
  3. Mobile-based government services & use of Internet and communication technology
  4. Transformation & Not Translation – All project proposals will involve a substantial transformation in the quality and quantity of services and enhancement in productivity and competitiveness.
  5. National Geo-spatial Information System (N-GIS): NGIS be leveraged in all e-Governance projects.
  6. Data Security & Preservation: All online applications and e-services adhere to measures contained in National Cyber Security Policy 2013.
  7. Integrated Services & not Individual Services – The integration of the back-end processes and processing systems (using common middleware) are required to facilitate integrated service delivery.
  8. Government Process Re-engineering (GPR) is to be mandatory in every MMP – without which a project may not be sanctioned.
  9. Cloud by Default – Cloud technologies offer a high degree of flexibility, agility and cost-effectiveness, which can be fully leveraged while designing and hosting applications. Meghraj (the Government Cloud) shall be the default cloud for Government Departments, especially for all sensitive information. Any Government Department may use a private cloud only after obtaining permission from the Department of Electronics and Information Technology.
  10. Mobile First – All applications are designed/ redesigned to enable the delivery of services through mobile.

Important programs under NeGP

• Capacity Building Scheme:
  1. E-Governance Competency Framework(e-GCF): A toolkit to train and strengthen government employees. It identifies and defines core competencies.
  2. Capacity building scheme 2 (CB Scheme 2): Under NeGP, to ensure the availability of the right skills and enhance the abilities of the project teams.
• SMART GRAM PROGRAM: Selected villages will see new ventures related to agriculture, skill development, education, health, employment generation and entrepreneurship.
• E-Cabinet And E-Districts programme: For paperless, efficient and faster governance and decision-making in administration.
• National GIS Mission: As the core foundation of location-based Electronic Delivery of Services for Planning & Governance.
• E-Office Project: Aims to improve efficiency in government processes and service delivery mechanisms.
• eBiz: It’ll be the entry point for all individuals, businesses and organisations (local & international) who would like to do business or have any existing business in India.
  1. It is being implemented by Infosys under the guidance and aegis of DPIIT.
  2. It creates a one–stop–shop of convenient and efficient online G2B services for the business community.
• National Mission on Education through ICT (NMEICT): It is a central sector scheme which leverages the potential of IT in the teaching process for the benefit of learners in Higher Education Institutions(HEIs) at any time, anywhere and in any mode. The Mission has two major components:

1. Providing Connectivity and access to institutions and learners;
2. Content Generation: Portal Sakshat is the content delivery portal under the NMEICT. It makes educational content freely available on the web. It will have an ambitious vision of catering to the learning needs of more than 50Cr Indians.

National Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy (NDSAP):

• Objective: To facilitate access to GoI-owned shareable data (along with its usage information) in machine-readable form through a vast area network all over the country in a periodically updatable manner, within the framework of various related policies, acts and rules of GoI, thereby permitting wider accessibility and usage by the public.
• DST serves the nodal functions of coordination and policy monitoring through close collaboration with all Central Ministries and MeITY by creating data.gov.in through NIC.

Establishment of National e-Governance Division (NeGD):

1. Established to meet the ever-growing demand for e-Governance across the nation.
2. It is an amalgamation of experts from the private sector and the government.
3. Major activities:
   • Monitoring and coordination of the entire Digital India Programme;
   • Technical appraisal,
   • Assistance to MeitY and other ministries/departments on e-Governance Projects.

Government programs to ensure Data Security:

To protect citizens’ data and for addressing their digital security concerns, the government has taken the following steps:

1. National Cyber Security Policy 2013: To build a secure and resilient cyberspace for citizens and businesses.
2. CERT-In: It is established as a very critical agency to detect and counter cyber attacks in real time. It is responsible for proactive and reactive measures.
3. I4C: Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre was set up in 2016 to investigate cybercrime matters.
4. Information Technology Act, 2000: Provides the legal framework for transactions through electronic data interchange.

Open source software Policy:

GoI follows a policy of favouring open-source software across all Central departments. It has two basic features:

1. It can be used without paying a license fee,
2. The code is made available freelyfor others to use, redistribute and modify/improve it. For example, Google’s Android operating system is open-source; therefore, smartphone manufacturers such as Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus, etc., can modify it for their hardware.

Advantages of open source software:

1. Cost: Entail substantial savings on the Centre’s software expenses as most open source alternatives are accessible.
2. Operations: Increase interoperability and be highly customisable.
3. Security: Average spend on cyber security of closed software is about 2 to 3% of the total IT spending. Open source software is seen as more secure because of the “Many Eyes” factor, i.e. it can be checked for security without needing to trust someone blindly.
4. Reduce piracy/copyright

Capacity Building:

• The open nature of code helps develop local capacity/industry and promotes the growth of a knowledge-based society.
• g. BOSS is an Indian GNU/Linux distribution developed by CDAC (Centre for developing advanced computing), Hyderabad and is customised to suit India’s digital environment. Moreover, it supports most Indian languages.

Policy on Open Application Programming Interface (API):

• An API is a software tool which can be integrated with an application. An open API is one which is available for web designers for free and can be easily integrated with the host application.
• The Open API can also be modified without restriction. This makes software interoperability a very easy task.

Way forward:

• Addressing Funding issues: Implementation of projects through the PPP model to address the issue of a funding crunch.
• Addressing Data Security Issues: Creating robust infrastructure for data security and penalties for data breaches/theft. For example, AI and machine learning can boost cyber defence, developing offensive capacities.
• Addressing the Digital gap in rural India: Insuring extension of digital infrastructure in rural/remote areas through programmes such as Digital India and NOFN to bridge the digital divide.
• Addressing Digital Literacy Issue: Proper implementation of Government programmes such as PMDISHA for enhancing digital literacy.
• Insuring vertical and horizontal integration of Digital services.
• Promoting local manufacturing of mobile devices and other allied products to generate employment and protect citizens’ data.
• Better Regulation: For example, Implement data security rules and regulations by taking a cue from the European Union (General data protection rules) and BN Srikrishna Committee.

Conclusion:

In today’s times, where the world is witnessing a rapid revolution in the digital sector, India must stay caught up in this aspect. A multidimensional approach is required to keep up with the developments in developed countries. The government needs to create a robust physical and digital infrastructure on the one hand and improve other intangible aspects such as digital literacy and digital security on the other hand.

Related Links:

Infrastructure	Social Infrastructure
Infrastructure Financing	Road and Highway Infrastructure
Railway Sector	Civil Aviation
Waterways Transport in India	Logistic Sector in India
Non- Renewable Energy	Renewable Energy
Housing Sector in India	Industrial Infrastructure
Investment	Growth and Employment
Liberalisation Privatisation & Globalisation	Indian Economy Complete Notes