Daily Hot Topic
Topic : India’s G20 Task Force on Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)
GS-2 Mains : Polity and Governance
Context :
- Recently released final report recommends India promote DPI in the Global South.
- Prime Minister announced $25 million investment for DPI development in 2023.
G20 Recognition:
- G20 established a Digital Public Infrastructure Repository (over 50 DPIs from 16 countries).
- India showcased its DPI initiatives (Aadhaar, UPI, DigiLocker) at the G20 Summit.
What is DPI?
- Foundational digital systems and services for seamless connectivity, data exchange, and transactions.
- Includes hardware (networks, servers) and software (platforms, protocols, applications).
- Supports online payments, identity verification, e-governance, healthcare, etc.
India’s Leadership in DPI:
- Aadhaar (world’s largest biometric ID system).
- UPI (Unified Payments Interface) for digital transactions.
- DigiLocker (cloud-based document storage).
- JAM trinity (Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile) for financial inclusion and welfare programs.
- National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) and other initiatives for digital infrastructure.
- Over 1.38 billion digital identities registered in India.
Challenges of DPI:
- Access to infrastructure (digital divide).
- Affordability.
- Language and content barriers.
- Disabilities.
- Privacy and security concerns.
- Geographical disparities.
Recommendations:
- India’s G20 Task Force report suggests India leads global DPI promotion.
- Identify existing body (global reach) for policy, strategy, and technical expertise.
- Integrate AI with DPIs ethically and data-privately.
Conclusion:
- DPI empowers people, improves governance, and fosters economic growth.
- Global collaboration needed to ensure DPI benefits everyone, especially the Global South.
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