digital divide essay upsc

• Government Exam Articles
• Digital Divide In India

Digital Divide In India - Meaning, Implication & Initiatives

What is the Digital Divide? It refers to the gap between those with regular, effective access to digital technology and the internet, and those without this access. The article aims to update candidates on various aspects of the Digital divide in India and the Global Digital Divide. 

Context of the Article   – With digitization, the internet has become a very important means of communication and information acquisition. This is evident from the fact that during a global pandemic like COVID-19, the task of providing administrative support to the affected people was being done effectively through the digital medium. Help through digital means such as a helpline number or through Arogya Setu app was useful in public health initiatives. Access to digital technology emerged as a powerful tool for millions of citizens in this global crisis. 

Even though the uses and importance of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are increasing dramatically, the gap caused by the digital divide is also persisting at an alarming rate. 

The topic Digital divide India or the world is important for various competitive exams. Questions under the general awareness section of different Government exams can be framed on the Digital Divide. 

Aspirants for the IAS exam might encounter questions on the topic in GS 1 and GS 3 of UPSC or might be asked to write a Digital Divide Essay of 1500-2000 words.  

Types of Digital Divide In India

• The Digital Divide, also called the digital split, is a social issue referring to the gap that exists between individuals who have access to modern information and communication technology and those who lack the access.
• It represents the disparities between demographics and regions at different social, economic levels or other categories over the use of Internet and communication technologies.
• The digital divide can exist between those living in rural areas and those living in urban areas, between the educated and uneducated, between economic classes, and on a global scale between more and less industrially developed nations.

Digital Divide – Types

There are numerous types of digital divide that influence access to Information and Communication Technologies. 

Some of the vivid gaps in digital inequality include:

• Gender Divide – the internet gender gap is striking especially in developing countries. Though mobile connectivity is spreading drastically, it is not spreading equally. Women are still lagging. Studies indicate that Indian women are around 15% less likely to own a mobile phone than men. Even among women owning mobile phones, most have no access to internet connectivity.
• Social Digital Divide – Internet access creates relationships and social circles among people with shared interests. Social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, etc. create online peer groups based on similar interests. Internet usage has created social stratification which is evident among those that are connected to the internet and those that are not. Non-connected groups are sidelined since they don’t share the benefits enjoyed by the groups connected on the internet.
• Access Digital Divide – The main barriers under this point are lack of telecommunication infrastructure with sufficient reliable bandwidth, the high cost and the inability to purchase or rent the necessary equipment. This results in lack of access to technology.
• Other Digital Divide – This includes inequality in the usage of digital technologies due to lack of ICTs skill or support, physical disability or cultural and behavioural attitudes towards technology.

Digital Divide in India – Facets

The digital divide exists despite the increase in the number of mobile phone subscribers in India over the past few years. A few facets are as mentioned below-

• The Urban-Rural divide –  the digital divide between India’s rural and urban areas during the lockdown was highlighted not just in the education sector, but was evident everywhere, be it telemedicine, e-commerce, banking, e-governance — all of which became accessible only through the internet during the lockdown. Services such as online classrooms, financial transactions and e-governance require access to the internet as well as the ability to operate internet-enabled devices like phones, tablets and computers. 
• As per the report by NSO, most of the internet-enabled homes are located in cities, where 42% have internet access. In rural India, however, only 15% are connected to the internet.
• Across India, only one in ten households have a computer — whether a desktop, laptop or tablet. Almost 25% of all homes have Internet facilities, accessed via a fixed or mobile device.
• The urban-rural disparity in digital divide is evident from the extent of internet penetration in the country. As per the NSO, there is less than 20% Internet penetration, even in States with software hubs such as Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. 

Read, What is the Internet? here.

• As per the report by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) , in 2018, total internet density in the country stood at about 49 percent. Of that, 25 percent lived in rural areas and 98 percent in urban areas. According to the latest report released by TRAI, the country had over 1,160 million wireless subscribers in February 2020, up from 1,010 million in February 2016. It means urban subscribers increased by 74 million (from 579 million to 643 million) and rural subscribers by 86 million (from 431 million to 517 million). This indicated growth in basic telecom facilities and not digital progress.

Read the difference between Rural and Urban on the given link.

2. Gender Digital inequalities – India has among the world’s highest gender gaps in access to digital technology. Only 21% of women in India in comparison to 42% of men are mobile internet users, according to GSMA’s 2020 mobile gender gap report. The report says, while 79% of men own a mobile phone in India where the number for women is 63%. While there are economic barriers to girls’ owning a mobile phone or laptop, cultural and social norms also play a major part. The male-female gap in mobile use often exacerbates other inequalities for women, including access to information, economic opportunities, and networking.

3. Regional Digital Divide and Intra-State Digital inequality – In terms of people that have access to computers or the know-how to use the internet, States too greatly differ in the matrices. Southern states are more digitally literate than Northern counterparts. Kerala is the state where the difference between rural and urban areas is the least. Uttarakhand has the most number of computers in urban areas, while Kerala has the most number of computers in rural areas. Himachal Pradesh leads the country in access to the internet in both rural and urban areas. While the national capital has the highest Internet access, with 55% of homes having such facilities, Odisha is at the bottom with only one in ten homes having Internet. 

Talking about Intra-state divide – While urban areas are more digitally literate, rural counterpart are lacking in the respective states Kerala has the least inequality with more than 39% of the poorest rural homes having Internet, in comparison to 67% of the richest urban homes, where Assam shows the striking inequality, with almost 80% of the richest urban homes having the Internet access and 94% of those in the poorest rural homes in the State don’t have the access.

4. Disparity due to literacy/digital literacy – having Internet access is no guarantee that one can use it. 20% of Indians above the age of 5 years had basic digital literacy. Just 40% in the critical age group of 15 to 29 years, which includes all high school and college students as well as young parents responsible for teaching younger children. More than one in five Indians above 7 years still cannot read and write in any language. Over the last decade, literacy rates have increased from 71.7% to 77.7%, with the highest gains coming among rural women. A State-wise split of literacy rates also throws up some unexpected results. Andhra Pradesh has the country’s lowest literacy rate, at just 66.4%, significantly lower than less developed States such as Chhattisgarh (77.3%), Jharkhand (74.3%), Uttar Pradesh (73%), and Bihar (70.9%). Kerala remains at the top of the pile with 96.2% literacy, followed by three northern States: Delhi (88.7%), Uttarakhand (87.6%) and Himachal Pradesh (86.6%). 

5. Linguistic Digital Divide : More than 80% of the content on the Internet is in English, so states, where people are more competent in English, are more digitally competent.

Aspirants preparing for any government exams can visit the link provided to prepare even better for the examination-

• Free Online Quiz for Government Exams
• Government Exams Free Mock Test Series
• Government Exam Previous Year Question Papers with Solution PDFs

Digital Divide in India – Effects/Implications

• Educational: The digital divide in India will affect the capacity of children to learn and develop. Read about Digital Education in India.
• Without Internet access, students cannot build the required technology-related skills.
• Social: Internet penetration is associated with greater social progress of a nation. Thus digital divide in a way hinders the social progress of a country. Rural population is suffering from lack of information due to the Digital divide in India, this will only strengthen the vicious cycle of poverty, deprivation, and backwardness.
• Political: In the age of social media, political empowerment and mobilization are difficult without digital connectivity.
• Economic: The digital divide will increase economic inequality between those who can afford the technology and those who don’t.
• Governance: Transparency and accountability are dependent on digital connectivity. The digital divide affects e-governance initiatives negatively. Know about e-governance and its significance on the given link. 

Government Initiative To Bridge Digital Divide in India

The Government of India is taking significant steps towards acquiring competence in information and technology to cope with India’s Digital Divide. 

1.Digital India Initiatives by Government to improve internet access in the country. Know about Digital India on the linked page. A few initiatives under this are –  

• In 2011, the BharatNet project was launched to connect 0.25 million panchayats through an optical fibre (100 MBPS) and connect India’s villages. 
• In 2014, the government launched the National Digital Literacy Mission and the Digital Saksharta Abhiyan. 
• In 2015, the government launched several schemes under its Digital India campaign to connect the entire country. 
• PM Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan , launched in 2017, to usher in digital literacy in rural India by covering 60 million households.

2. Seeing the importance of digital literacy, the Supreme Court of India has declared the right to access to the Internet as a fundamental right, making it a part of the right to privacy and the right to education that comes under Article 21 of the Constitution.  Read about Right to Education Act (RTE) . 

3. National Education Policy, 2020 aims at making “India a global knowledge superpower” by introducing several changes from the school to college level in the Indian education system with special emphasis on digital education. Know more on New Education Policy at the linked page. 

4. Internet Saathi Program – The Internet Saathi Program was launched in 2015 by Google India and Tata Trusts. The aim of this project is to facilitate digital literacy among rural Indian women.

5. Optical Fibre Network (NOF-N) , a project aimed to ensure broadband connectivity to over two lakh (200,000) gram panchayats of India.

6. DIKSHA (Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing) platform- DIKSHA is the national platform for school education available for all states and the central government for grades 1 to 12 and was launched in September 2017. As part of PM eVidya announced under the Atma Nirbhar Bharat programme , DIKSHA is the ‘one nation; one digital platform’ for school education in India.

7. Unnati Project –  Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) which strives to bridge the digital divide in schools by giving the rural students with poor economic and social background access to computer education.

8. Gyandoot is an Intranet-based Government to Citizen (G2C) service delivery initiative started in the Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh in January 2000 with the twin objective of providing relevant information to the rural population and acting as an interface between the district administration and the people. 

9. Digital Mobile Library : In order to bridge the digital divide in a larger way the government of India, in collaboration with the Centre for Advanced Computing (C–DAC) based in Pune.

10. Online Massive Open Online Course MOOC courses relating to NIOS (grades 9 to 12 of open schooling) are uploaded on SWAYAM portal; around 92 courses have started and 1.5 crore students are enrolled. Know about SWAYAM Scheme on the linked page. 

11. On Air Shiksha Vani, DAISY by NIOS for differently-abled, e-PathShala- Radio broadcasting is being used for children in remote areas who are not online (especially for grades 1 to 5).

12. E-pathshala : For rural and urban students and providing them with study materials.  

Know about various other Government Schemes launched for the welfare and development of the country.

Way Forward – Digital Divide

1, Infrastructure development : The promotion of indigenous Information and Communication Technologies development under Atmanirbhar Abhiyan can play a significant role. Promotion of budget mobile phones is the key, we should explore migration to new technologies like 5G. It would resolve some of the bandwidth challenges. The creation of market competition between service providers may make services cheaper. Efficient spectrum allocation in large contiguous blocks should be explored.

Read, How is 4G Different From 5G ?

2. Promoting Digital Literacy: Digital literacy needs special attention at the school/college level. The National Digital Literacy Mission should focus on introducing digital literacy at the primary school level in all government schools for basic content and in higher classes and colleges for advanced content. Higher digital literacy will also increase the adoption of computer hardware across the country. Furthermore, when these students will educate their family members, it will create multiplier effects. 

3. Promotion of Regional Language: State governments should pay particular attention to content creation in the Indian regional languages, particularly those related to government services. Natural language processing ( NLP) in Indian languages needs to be promoted.

4. TRAI should consider putting in place a credible system. This system will track call drops, weak signals, and outages. It ensures the quality and reliability of telecom services.

5. Cyber Security: MeitY will need to evolve a comprehensive cyber-security framework for data security, safe digital transactions, and complaint redressal. Read in detail about Cyber Security on the given link. 

6. Telecom ombudsman: The government should appoint officials and also set up a telecom ombudsman for the grievances redressal.

7. Role of regulators: Regulators should minimize entry barriers by reforming licensing, taxation, spectrum allocation norms.

Other Related links

Aspirants preparing for the UPSC exam can check the links given below –

• UPSC Calendar 2023
• UPSC Syllabus
• Analysis of the Press Information Bureau

You can also check out the preparation strategies for competitive exams to fine-tune your exam prep.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your Mobile number and Email id will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Request OTP on Voice Call

Post My Comment

Connect with us for Free Preparation

Get access to free crash courses & video lectures for all government exams., register with byju's & download free pdfs, register with byju's & watch live videos.

Civilsdaily

No. 1 UPSC IAS Platform for preparation

Digital India Initiatives

Digital divide in india.

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Not Much

Mains level: Digital divide in India

The COVID-19 induced lockdown highlights India’s great digital divide.

Practice question for mains: Q.What are the various facets of Digital Divide in India? Discuss how the Digital India initiative has impacted ruling out India’s digital divide?

What is Digital divide?

A digital divide is any uneven distribution in the access to, use of, or impact of information and communications technologies between any number of distinct groups, which can be defined based on social, geographical, or geopolitical criteria, or otherwise

What are the implications of the digital divide?

In the age of social media, political empowerment and mobilization are difficult without digital connectivity.

Transparency and accountability are dependent on digital connectivity. The digital divide affects e-governance initiatives negatively.

Internet penetration is associated with greater social progress of a nation. Thus digital divide in a way hinders the social progress of a country.

Rural India is suffering from information poverty due to the digital divide. It only strengthens the vicious cycle of poverty, deprivation, and backwardness.

The digital divide causes economic inequality between those who can afford the technology and those who don’t.

Educational

The digital divide is also impacting the capacity of children to learn and develop. Without Internet access, students can not build the required tech skills.

Facets of the great Digital Divide in India

• Education is just one area that has highlighted the digital divide between India’s rural and urban areas during the lockdown.
• The trend is evident everywhere — telemedicine, banking, e-commerce, e-governance, all of which became accessible only via the internet during the lockdown.
• The divide exists despite the rise in the number of wireless subscribers in India over the past few years.

1) Telecom facility, not digital progression

• According to a report released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on June this year, the country had over 1,160 million wireless subscribers in February 2020, up from 1,010 million in February 2016.
• This is a rise of 150 million subscribers in five years or 30 million per year.
• The growth has been evenly distributed in urban and rural areas, with the number of urban subscribers increasing by 74 million (from 579 million to 643 million) and rural subscribers by 86 million (from 431 million to 517 million).
• But this growth only indicates the rise in basic telecommunication facility.

2) The Urban-Rural Divide

• Services such as online classrooms, financial transactions and e-governance require access to the internet as well as the ability to operate internet-enabled devices like phones, tablets and computers.
• Here the urban-rural distinction is quite stark.
• According to the NSSO conducted between July 2017 and June 2018, just 4.4 rural households have a computer, against 14.4 per cent in an urban area.
• It had just 14.9 per cent rural households having access to the internet against 42 per cent households in urban areas.
• Similarly, only 13 per cent people of over five years of age in rural areas have the ability to use the internet against 37 per cent in urban areas.

3) Regional Divide

• States too greatly differ in terms of people that have access to computers or in the know-how to use the internet.
• Himachal Pradesh leads the country in access to the internet in both, rural and urban areas.
• Uttarakhand has the most number of computers in urban areas, while Kerala has the most number of computers in rural areas.
• Overall, Kerala is the state where the difference between rural and urban areas is the least.

4) Digital Gender Divide

• India has among the world’s highest gender gap in access to technology.
• Only 21 per cent of women in India are mobile internet users, according to GSMA’s 2020 mobile gender gap report, while 42 per cent of men have access. The report says that while 79 per cent of men own a mobile phone in the country, the number for women is 63 per cent.
• While there do economic barriers to girls’ own a mobile phone or laptop, cultural and social norms also play a major part.
• The male-female gap in mobile use often exacerbates other inequalities for women, including access to information, economic opportunities, and networking.
• The earning member of the family has to carry the phone while going out to work.
• Access to phones and the internet is not just an economic factor but also social and cultural.
• If one family has just one phone, there is a good chance that the wife or the daughter will be the last one to use it.

Programmes for Addressing the Challenges in Bridging the Digital Divide:

India taking significant steps towards acquiring competence in information and technology, the country is increasingly getting divided between people who have access to technology and those who do not. 

• The Indian government has passed Information Technology Act, 2000 to make to e- commerce and e-governance a success story in India along with national e-governance plan. 
• Optical Fibre Network (NOF-N ), a project aimed to ensure broadband connectivity to over two lakh (200,000) gram panchayats of India by 2016.
• Digital Mobile Library: In order to bridge the digital divide in a larger way the government of India, in collaboration with the Centre for Advanced Computing (C–DAC) based in Pune.
• Unnati, is a project of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) which strives to bridge the digital divide in schools by giving the rural students with poor economic and social background access to computer education.
• E-pathshala : to avail study materials  for every rural and urban student. 
• Common Service Centres: which enabled the digital reach to unreachable areas. 

Initiatives of State Government:

• Sourkaryan and E–Seva: Project of the government of Andhra Pradesh to provides the facility for a citizen to pay property taxes online.
• The Gyandoot Project: It is the first ever project in India for a rural information network in the Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh which has the highest percentage of tribes and dense forest. The project was designed to extend the benefits of information technology to people in rural areas by directly linking the government and villagers through information kiosks

Way forward

1.infrastructure.

The promotion of indigenous ICT development under Atmanirbhar Abhiyan can play a significant role. The promotion of budget mobile phones is the key.

The creation of market competition between service providers may make services cheaper.

Efficient spectrum allocation in large contiguous blocks should be explored.

We should also explore migration to new technologies like 5G. It would resolve some of the bandwidth challenges.

2.Digital literacy

Digital literacy needs special attention at the school / college level.

 The National Digital Literacy Mission should focus on introducing digital literacy at the primary school level in all government schools for basic content and in higher classes and colleges for advanced content.

When these students will educate their family members, it will create multiplier effects. Higher digital literacy will also increase the adoption of computer hardware across the country.

State governments should pay particular attention to content creation in the Indian regional languages, particularly those related to government services.

Natural language processing ( NLP) in Indian languages needs to be promoted.

4.Role of regulators

Regulators should minimize entry barriers by reforming licensing, taxation, spectrum allocation norms.

TRAI should consider putting in place a credible system. This system will track call drops, weak signals, and outages. It ensures the quality and reliability of telecom services.

5.Cybersecurity

MeitY will need to evolve a comprehensive cybersecurity framework for data security, safe digital transactions, and complaint redressal.

Telecom ombudsman

The government should also set up telecom ombudsman for the redress of grievances.

• The Standing Committee on Information Technology in January 2019 concluded that the digital literacy efforts of the government are far from satisfactory.
• Clearly, internet penetration is not deep enough. At one level, we all recognise that the internet has become indispensable.
• On another level, it still doesn’t have adequate attention of the decision-makers.
• The most crucial need of the hour is to ensure uninterrupted internet services.

Back2Basics: Digital India Initiatives

• Over the past decade, governments have been trying to improve internet access in the country.
• In 2011, the BharatNet project was launched to connect 0.25 million panchayats through an optical fibre (100 MBPS) and connect India’s villages. Its implementation began only in 2014.
• In 2014, the government launched the National Digital Literacy Mission and the Digital Saksharta Abhiyan.
• In 2015, the government launched several schemes under its Digital India campaign to connect the entire country.
• This includes the PM Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan, launched in 2017, to usher in digital literacy in rural India by covering 60 million households.

Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024

JOIN THE COMMUNITY

Join us across social media platforms., your better version awaits you.

[email protected]

• Our Centers Delhi Bhubaneswar Lucknow

GS Analyst: Daily Current Affairs

30th March 2024 (10 Topics) .shareWrapper{ display: flex; justify-content: center; } .st-custom-button[data-network] { -webkit-box-sizing: border-box; box-sizing: border-box; -moz-transition: opacity 0.2s ease-in, top 0.2s ease-in; -ms-transition: opacity 0.2s ease-in, top 0.2s ease-in; -o-transition: opacity 0.2s ease-in, top 0.2s ease-in; -webkit-transition: opacity 0.2s ease-in, top 0.2s ease-in; transition: opacity 0.2s ease-in, top 0.2s ease-in; -moz-border-radius: undefinedpx; -webkit-border-radius: undefinedpx; border-radius: undefinedpx; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; font-size: 12px; height: 32px; line-height: 32px; margin-right: 0; padding: 0 10px; position: relative; text-align: center; top: 0; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap; } .st-custom-button>img { display: inline-block; height: 16px; width: 16px; position: relative; top: 8px; vertical-align: top; } .st-custom-button[data-network]:hover, .st-custom-button[data-network]:focus { text-decoration: none; /* background-color: #00C7FF; */ top: -4px; opacity: .8; position: relative; } .fb_share_btn { /* background-color: #4267B2 !important; */ } .telegram_share_btn { /* background-color: #0088cc !important; */ } .wp_share_btn { /* background-color: #25d366 !important; */ } .twt_share_btn { /* background-color: #000000 !important; */ } .copy_share_btn { /* background-color: #95D03A !important; */ color: #fff; } .copy_share_btn span{ /* color: #fff !important; */ } .article-share{ position: relative; } .dropdown-toggle::after { margin-left: 10px !important; display:none; } .sharethis-inline-share-buttons{ padding: 0 8px 0; } .article-share .dropdown-menu { background: #002549; border: 1px solid #fff; } @media screen and (max-width: 992px) { .dropdown-pos{ top: 30px !important; left: -250px !important; transform:unset !important; /* transform: translate3d(128px, 1383px, 0px) !important; */ } } Copy $(document).ready(function(){ $(".dropdown-toggle").click(function(){ $(this).next(".dropdown-menu").toggle(); }); }); $(document).click(function(event) { if(!$(event.target).closest('.dropdown-menu').length) { $(".dropdown-menu").hide(); } });

Digital divide and india.

During his interaction with Gates, PM Modi covered a spectrum of critical topics ranging from AI to India's impressive advancements in digital technology. Pointing to technology's role in sectors like agriculture, education, and healthcare, Modi ruled out a digital divide in India.

1: Dimension-Trends of Digital Divide

• Gap: There exists a grave digital divide in India wherein gaps exist in the usage of the internet and access to digital infrastructure based on gender, area of residence whether rural-urban, caste, or age.
• Gender inequality: Men have greater access to the internet and greater ownership of mobile phones. However, it is important to note that there have been some improvements in women’s access to cell phones between 2015–16 and 2019–21 which demonstrates that the efforts to reduce the digital divide are steadily coming into fruition.
• Rural-Urban divide : While there might be small variances, urban men are much better off than others both in terms of access to the internet and ownership of phones when compared to urban women, rural men, and rural women.

2: Dimension-Implications of digital divide

• Further increasing inequality : The inability to access technology has the potential to increase existing social exclusions and deprive individuals of essential resources.
• Impact on employment: Digital literacy is no longer a luxury but a prerequisite for active participation in today's job market.
• Impact on every aspect of life: With the increasing dependence on digital technologies and the internet, the digital divide has ramifications on education, health, mobility, safety, financial inclusion, and every other imaginable aspect of life.

Way forward

Whilst several government initiatives like the National Digital Literacy Mission and the Pradhan MantriGramin Digital SakshartaAbhiyan have been introduced to increase digital literacy, there is a need to ramp up such efforts.

It is also important to improve the existing digital infrastructure to ensure physical access to ICT to different sections of society. At the same time, underprivileged groups need to be motivated to incorporate technology into their daily lives and digital skills need to be imparted to allow such a change.

More Articles

Verifying, please be patient.

Our Centers

DELHI (Karol Bagh)

GS SCORE, 1B, Second Floor, Pusa Road, Karol Bagh, New Delhi - 110005 (Beside Karol Bagh Metro Station Gate No. 8)

Get directions on Google Maps

BHUBANESWAR (Jaydev Vihar)

GS SCORE, Plot No.2298, Jaydev Vihar Square, Near HCG Day Care, BBSR - 751013

LUCKNOW (Aliganj)

GS SCORE, 2nd Floor, B-33, Sangam Chauraha, Sector H, Aliganj, Lucknow, UP - 226024

Delhi (Karol Bagh) Centre

GS SCORE, Second Floor, Metro Tower, 1B, Pusa Road, Karol Bagh, New Delhi - 110005 (Beside Karol Bagh Metro Station Gate No. 8)

Email: [email protected]

Phone: +91 8448496262

Classroom / online / Live programs

• Mains Classes
• Mains Advance Classes
• Ethics & Essay Classes
• IAS Foundation
• Aadhar:NCERT Foundation
• Target PT:Prelims Classes
• Current Affairs Mentorship Program
• Optional Classes
• Optional Q&A (TEST SERIES & Mentorship)
• Mains Previous Year Questions

TEST SERIES/ MENTORSHIP

• ITS:Integrated Test Series & Mentorship
• GS Mains Q&A (Mentorship & Test Series)
• GS Test Series
• Ethics & Essay Test Series
• Samarth - Mains Answer Writing

STUDY MATERIAL

• Prelims Study Material
• Mains Study Material
• Mains Answer Writing Workbook
• Meet the Mentor
• Terms & Conditions
• © 2024 - IAS SCORE

All Rights Reserved.

Welcome to our secure login portal. Access your account with ease.

• Using Password

Not registered yet? register here!

Welcome to our secure register portal. For a brighter future, register now and unlock endless learning opportunities.

User Register

Already have an account? Login

Oops, forgot your password? Don't worry, we've got you covered. Reset it here

Lost your login details? No problem! forgot your password in just a few clicks

Forgot Password

Verify your mobile number, you have successfully logged in.

Join Us on WhatsApp

Digital Divide

Context:  The latest Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) provides some answers for policymakers about the reach of digital content to students.

Impact of the pandemic:

• Reversing the progress in global poverty reduction: since the 1990s .
• Loss of human capital: According to The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), about 1.6 billion students have been affected by the closures of educational institutes globally and will result into lower lifetime income.

Issues with online education:

• Significant impact on learning outcomes: While the proportion of children from households with smartphones has gone up from 36.5 % in 2018 to 61.8 % in 2020, only 11% of students had access to online classes. 
• Schools failed to adapt to the extend desired: Low reach of learning materials because schools didn't send any learning material.
• Online education cannot substitute classroom education:  
• Rather it can be used to complement classroom teaching
• New education policy also envisages this complementing role of online education

Way Forward:

• Cash transfer on account of education.
• Sensitise teachers about the importance of online teaching in the present scenario.
• Online teaching should act as a complementary measure and not substitute classroom education.

Conclusion: The state of school education in India is far from satisfactory, and the pandemic would only make things worse in the absence of timely policy interventions. 

Answer our survey to get FREE CONTENT

Feel free to get in touch! We will get back to you shortly

• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Service
• Quality Enrichment Program (QEP)
• Intensive News Analysis (INA)
• Topper's UPSC PYQ Answer
• Essay Enrichment Program
• PSIR Optional
• NEEV GS + CSAT Foundation
• News-CRUX-10
• Daily Headlines
• Geo. Optional Monthly Editorials
• Past Papers
• © Copyright 2024 - theIAShub

Talk To Our Counsellor

UPPSC Exam 2024 UPPSC Syllabus UPPSC Application Form 2024 UPPSC Eligibility Criteria UPPSC Admit Card​ UPPSC Study Plan & Strategy UPPSC Previous Year Questions UPPSC Cut Off Marks UPPSC Salary And Posts

UPPSC RO ARO Qualification UPPSC RO ARO Exam 2023 UPPSC RO ARO Post and Salary UPPSC RO ARO Previous Year Paper

BPSC 69th Notification BPSC 69th Prelims Result BPSC 69th Cut Off 69th BPSC Prelims Answer Key BPSC Syllabus​ BPSC Exam Pattern BPSC Cut Off Marks 67th BPSC Mains Admit Card 2022 67th BPSC Mains Exam Date 2022

Bihar APO Mock Interview

APSC CCE Exam Notification APSC CCE Prelims Answer Key 2023 APSC CCE Syllabus & Exam Pattern APSC CCE Prelims Result 2023 APSC CCE Admit Card 2023 APSC CCE Eligibility Criteria APSC CCE Previous Year Papers APSC CCE Cut Off 2023 APSC CCE Salary & Job Profile

MPPSC Calendar 2024 MPPSC Syllabus MPPSC Exam Pattern MPPSC Admit Card 2023 MPPSC Eligibility Criteria MPPSC Previous Year Paper MPPSC Cut Off MPPSC Salary And Job Profile

HPSC Notification HPSC Syllabus HPSC Exam Pattern HPSC Admit Card HPSC Cut Off HPSC Previous Year Paper HPSC Salary And Job Profile

WBPSC Syllabus WBPSC Eligibility Criteria WBPSC Application Form WBPSC Previous Year Questions WBPSC Salary & Job Profile

MPSC Notification MPSC Syllabus And Exam Pattern MPSC Application Form MPSC Eligibility Criteria MPSC Age Limit

CGPSC Syllabus And Exam Pattern CGPSC Question Paper 2023 CGPSC Answer Key 2023 CGPSC Admit Card 2023 CGPSC Eligibility Criteria CGPSC Salary And Job Profile

UKPSC Notification UKPSC Exam Calendar 2023 UKPSC Syllabus And Exam Pattern UKPSC Eligibility Criteria UKPSC Application Form 2023

JPSC Syllabus & Exam Pattern JPSC Eligibility Criteria JPSC Previous Year Papers

JKPSC Notification JKSC Syllabus And Exam Pattern JKSC Eligibility Criteria

RPSC RAS Syllabus RPSC RAS Exam Pattern RPSC RAS Eligibility Criteria RPSC RAS Cut Off

HPPSC Syllabus And Exam Pattern HPPSC Eligibility Criteria HPPSC Previous Year Question Papers and cut off

End of Content.

• Why IAS NEXT ?
• How to Choose Best IAS Coaching ?
• How to Choose Best Judiciary Coaching ?
• Admission Procedure
• Download Brochure

Clear Prelims 2024

• Sociology Optional
• Geography Optional
• UPSC Mentorship Program
• IAS With Graduation Degree
• UPPSC Mentorship Program
• Sociology by Sudhanshu Mishra
• Intensive IAS Program (Prelim + Mains)
• Intensive PCS Program (Prelim + Mains)​
• Intensive PCS-J / Judicial Services Program
• UPSC IAS Mock Interview
• Interview Guidelines
• Interview Transcripts
• Interview Material PCS - J
• Civil Services Test Series
• NCERT TEST SERIES
• Sociology Test Series
• UPSC Prelims Test Series 2024
• UPSC Mains Test Series 2024
• UP PCS Mains Test Series 2024
• Judiciary Test Series
• PCS-J Test Series
• DJS Preliminary Exam
• Latest Current Affair Blogs
• Daily Current Affairs 2024
• March Current Affairs
• Daily Current Affairs 2023
• December Current Affairs
• November Current Affairs
• October Current Affairs
• September Current Affairs
• August Current Affairs
• July Current Affairs
• June Current Affairs
• May Current Affairs
• April Current Affairs
• February Current Affairs
• Down to Earth Summary
• Prelims Special
• UPSC Topper's Notes
• Previous Year Question

     History

  Geography

  Indian Polity

  Indian Economy

  Science & Technology

 Indian Culture and Heritage

  Art & Culture

  Psychology

  Chemistry

  Political Science

    About Civil Services

  CSE Prelims Syllabus

  GS Prelims Strategy

  UPSC Preparation Strategy

  Civil Services Aptitude Test

  Previous Year Questions

• Study Materials

Indian Heritage & Culture

Ancient Indian History

Medieval Indian History

Modern Indian History

World History

World Geography

Indian Geography

Geography by Maps

Internal Security

Social Justice

Indian Polity

International Relations

Agriculture

Environment & Ecology

Science Technology

Disaster Management

  World History

  Ancient History

  Medieval History

  Modern History

  Indian Society

  Art and Culture

  Indian Geography

  World Geography

      Indian Polity

  Governance

  International Relations

  Social Justice

  Social Issues

  Agriculture

  Security Issues

  Disaster Management

  Environment & Ecology

Digital Divide

• General Studies- Paper III , Science & Technology
• Shadab Kareem

Digital Divide is any uneven distribution in the access to, use of, or impact of information and communications technologies between any number of distinct groups, which can be defined based on social, geographical , or geopolitical criteria , or otherwise.

Impacts of Digital Divide

• In the Lokniti-CSDS National Election Study 2019, it was discovered that only about one out of every three people used smartphones. Among these smartphone users, around 90% had Internet access on their phones. Additionally, only 16% of households had a computer or laptop, and a mere 10% had an Internet connection at home.
• According to the Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicator Report , approximately 34.60% of the rural population in India subscribes to the Internet. This finding contradicts early observations from CoWin’s own dashboard.
• The new decentralized vaccine distribution strategy includes mandatory Co-Win registration , posing a challenge for many people, especially in rural areas. Accessing the platform and navigating its English-only interface create significant barriers, particularly for those with limited internet access and digital literacy.
• The mandatory online registration requirement disproportionately affects rural populations, where broadband connectivity and digital literacy are lacking . With only slightly over half of India’s population having broadband internet access and rural tele-density below 60%, states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Madhya Pradesh face significant challenges.
• For individuals with limited access to technology, including smartphones or computers, online registration for vaccinations becomes significantly more difficult. This exclusion primarily impacts poorer and rural communities, which make up a large portion of India’s population.
• Building up our own information and communication technology (ICT) capabilities within the framework of the Self-Reliant India Campaign (Atmanirbhar Abhiyan) can greatly boost our infrastructure.
• It’s crucial to pay special attention to teaching digital skills at the school and college levels. The National Digital Literacy Mission should ensure that every government school introduces basic digital literacy, while higher classes and colleges should offer more advanced digital education.
• Regulators need to simplify the process for companies to enter the market by updating licensing, tax, and spectrum allocation rules.
• TRAI ought to set up a solid system to monitor call quality, signal strength, and service outages, making sure telecom services are reliable.
• The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) should develop a comprehensive cybersecurity framework. This framework should prioritize data protection, secure digital transactions, and establish mechanisms for addressing complaints related to cyber issues.
• To better handle consumer complaints, the government should set up a telecom ombudsman to oversee and resolve issues in the telecom sector.

Making sure that vaccines, regardless of their origin, are thoroughly evaluated and distributed safely and quickly is vital. India’s COVID-19 vaccination drive is a massive task, aiming not only to vaccinate its own population but also to reach many globally, as it’s a major vaccine producer. Addressing challenges in vaccine development and distribution will help deliver vaccines swiftly to millions.

Read Also: Vaccination Trials-Path

Demo Class/Enquiries

Clear pcs-j program ( pre + mains ), clear prelims - cap for upsc 2024, weekend programme for upsc- ias, upsc mains answer writing program, weekly pcs-j answer writing, current affairs magazine.

Environment, Ecology & Biodiversity Current Affairs Series (Class -1) by Sudhanshu Sir

Free Environment, Ecology and Biodiversity Lecture Series by Sudhanshu Sir

Loss of Biodiversity

Green Hydrogen

Key Biodiversity Areas

World Anti-Doping Report 2022

Right To Information Act

Black Carbon

Digital Governance in India

Upsc study materials.

• Answer Writing
• Career Guidance
• Current Affairs
• Down to Earth
• General Studies- Paper I
• General Studies- Paper II
• General Studies- Paper III
• General Studies- Paper IV
• Indian Penal code
• Landmark Judgements
• Law Entrance Exams
• LEGAL TERMS
• Legal Updates
• Miscellaneous
• Notification
• Other Topics
• PCS J Examination
• PCS-J STUDY MATERIALS
• Reports & Indices Current Affairs
• Sucess Story
• UGC NET Law
• UPPSC Examination
• UPPSC SYLLABUS
• UPSC Examination
• UPSC Prelims

Ancient India -for UPSC and other State PCS Examination

Art &Culture : for UPSC & State PCS (Mains)

Environment and Ecology : for UPSC and state PCS

Geography: Hand book for UPSC & State PCS

Indian Economy (GS) for IAS Prelims and Mains

Indian Constitution and Polity

Medieval History : For UPSC & State PCS

Medieval India : For UPSC & State PCS

Science & Technology for UPSC & State PCS

Modern History : For UPSC & State PCS

• General Enquiry : +91 9454721860
• Admin Enquiry : +91 7991861111
• Alternate Number : 05224241011
• [email protected]
• Monday to Friday: 9.00am - 8.00pm
• Free Download
• Test Series
• Study Material
• Topper's Notes
• Previous Year Questions
• IAS Next Franchise
• Web Stories

Copyright ©  C S NEXT EDUCATION. All Rights Reserved

• Our Selections

• About NEXT IAS
• Director’s Desk
• Advisory Panel
• Faculty Panel
• General Studies Courses
• Optional Courses
• Interview Guidance Program
• Postal Courses
• Prelims Test Series
• Mains Test Series (GS & Optional)
• ANUBHAV (All India Open Mock Test)

Daily Current Affairs

• Current Affairs MCQ
• Monthly Current Affairs Magazine
• Previous Year Papers
• Down to Earth
• Kurukshetra
• Union Budget
• Economic Survey
• Download NCERTs
• NIOS Study Material
• Beyond Classroom
• Toppers’ Copies
• Student Portal

The Digital India Transformation

In Context 

Recently ,Digital India ,a transformative programme has completed 8 years .

About Digital India Mission

• It is a flagship programme of the Government of India with a vision to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy.
• Launched on July 1, 2015.
• Digital Infrastructure as a Core Utility to Every Citizen
• Governance & Services on Demand 
• Digital Empowerment of Citizens

Pillars of Digital India

Image Courtesy: DigitalIndia

Achievements 

• Above all, it has among the lowest data tariffs in the world. 
•  Ensuring delivery of government schemes to its beneficiaries without leakage or misuse remained a herculean task. 
• This has led to savings of Rs 2.22 lakh crore of public money.
• The digital ecosystem was also useful in tackling the challenge of the pandemic. 
• From bulk messages to people in quarantine areas giving useful information and using digital technology for vaccination to digital education for students when schools were closed, there have been shining examples of empowerment, inclusion and opportunity .
• Leveraging the power of drones and GIS technologies, SVAMITVA Yojana is providing digital land records to the rightful owners. 
• Nearly 2.14 crore land parcels have been digitised so far.
• Digital India reflects our core philosophy of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vishwas”.
• To provide high-speed broadband to all the villages, optical fibre has been laid in 1.83 lakh gram panchayats under Bharat Net.  
• India has emerged as the fastest-growing ecosystem for fintech innovations. 
• This was made possible due to innovative digital payment products like UPI and Aadhaar-Enabled Payment Systems (AEPS). When banks and ATMs were shut during Covid-19, AEPS-based micro-ATM at CSCs and post offices provided doorstep delivery of cash.
• India is rapidly becoming atma nirbhar in electronics manufacturing . 
• Services to citizens made easy: Getting Driving licence, birth certificate, paying electricity bill, paying water bill, filing income tax return, have become very easy, very fast with the help of Digital India. All this is happening in villages, in Common Service Centres (CSCs) near people’s homes.
•  Also, 5G technology will bring significant changes in the world, and India is preparing itself to make the most of this opportunity.

Challenges 

• The issues pertaining to taxation and other regulatory guidelines have proved to be roadblocks in advancing with the programme .
• Currently ,many villages remain deprived of mobile connectivity because their locations is not commercially viable for service providers,

Way Forward 

• In the last eight years, the success of Digital India only confirms that it has a robust future in India’s development.
• The movement will be taken forward by leveraging futuristic technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and blockchain.
• The government needs to look at all possibilities and go into overdrive to bridge the digital divide.
• In rural and remote areas, private sector players should be incentivised to provide last mile connectivity.
• News In Short – 03-09-2024
• Digital Agriculture Mission
• India’s Semiconductor Push
• Rising Demand for Mental Healthcare in India
• Mitochondrial Treatment for Parkinson’s Disease

Headlines of the Day

• Headlines of the Day 04-09-2024
• Headlines of the Day 03-09-2024
• Headlines of the Day 02-09-2024
• Headlines of the Day 31-08-2024
• Headlines of the Day 30-08-2024

Other News of the Day

• Threads of Transformation: India's Textile Industry Weaving a Modern Future
• Redefining Governance: India's Path to Administrative Reforms
• Beyond Metros: The Ascent Of India's Tier 2 and TIer 3 Cities
• Climate Change Negotiations (CCNs): From Rio (1992) to Dubai (2023)
• Changing Dynamics of Family Structure in India
• India's Creative Economy: From Imagination to Innovation
• India Abroad: Legacy of Indian Diaspora
• Social Identities and Structural Transformation in India
• Investment Ecosystem in India
• Digital Inclusion in India: Building a Connected and Empowered Nation
• Weekly Focus

Latest Edition

• Monthly Magazine
• Economic Survey
• Quarterly Revision Documents
• Year End Review of Ministries
• Previous Year Questions
• The Planet Vision
• Weekly Focus: In Conversation
• Simplified by VisionIAS
• Personality in Focus
• Schemes in Focus

Table of Content

• 1 . Digital India initiative completes 9 years
• 2 . RBI joins Project Nexus
• 3 . Li-Fi Technology
• 4 . NITI Aayog paper on Facial Recognition
• 5 . Goods and Services Tax (GST) completes 7 year
• 6 . Social security to unorganized workers
• 7 . Place: Bolivia
• 8 . Also in News

Digital India Initiative (DII) completes 9 years

Posted 02 Jul 2024

Launched in 2015, Digital India Initiative (DII) is a flagship programme to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy . 

• It is an umbrella programme that covers multiple projects of various Central Ministries/Departments and States and Union Territories (UTs).

Key Features of Digital India Initiative

• Digital Infrastructure as a Utility to Every Citizen
• Governance & Services on Demand
• Digital Empowerment of Citizens
• Pillars : Covers 9 pillars of growth areas (refer infographics) . 
• Implementation : Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY) is a main coordination agency along with other ministries and monitoring committee (headed by Prime Minister). 
• Initiative launched : Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance (UMANG), DigiLocker etc.

Digital India Initiative has led to Ease of Living and transparency in country. 

• Digital Public Infrastructure:  Enabling a technology-led model for growth that is collaborative, equitable, and democratises opportunity.
• Over 137 Crore Aadhaar numbers generated. 
• BharatNet :  Under it, 6.83 lakh km of optical fibre network has been laid. 

Key challenges faced by Initiative:  Coordination Issues  (Program covers many departments), Rural- urban digital divide, etc. 

• Digital India Initiative (DII)
• Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY

Articles Sources

News Today (Jul 02, 2024)

Welcome Back !

Please login to your account for a personalized experience.

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar

UPSC Coaching, Study Materials, and Mock Exams

Enroll in ClearIAS UPSC Coaching Join Now Log In

Call us: +91-9605741000

Digital India Programme

Last updated on December 31, 2023 by ClearIAS Team

Digital India is a flagship programme of the Government of India launched in 2015. Read here to know the program in detail.

Digital India is a flagship programme of the Government of India with a vision to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy.

It was launched in July 2015.

E-governance initiatives in India gained momentum in the mid-1990s for wider sectoral applications with an emphasis on citizen-centric services.

The major Information and Communication Technology (ICT) initiatives included major projects like railway computerization, land record computerization, etc., which focused mainly on the development of information systems. Later on, many states started individual e-governance projects aimed at providing electronic services to citizens.

These initiatives did not make the expected impact due to isolated and less interactive features. Hence, more comprehensive planning and implementation were required to establish a connected government.

Digital India is an umbrella programme that covers multiple Government Ministries and Departments. It weaves together a large number of ideas and thoughts into a single, comprehensive vision so that each of them can be implemented as part of a larger goal.

UPSC CSE 2025: Study Plan ⇓

(1) ⇒ UPSC 2025: Prelims cum Mains

(2) ⇒ UPSC 2025: Prelims Test Series

(3) ⇒ UPSC 2025: CSAT

Note: To know more about ClearIAS Courses (Online/Offline) and the most effective study plan, you can call ClearIAS Mentors at +91-9605741000, +91-9656621000, or +91-9656731000.

Table of Contents

e-Kranti: National e-Governance Plan 2.0

The national-level e-governance programme called National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) was initiated in 2006.

• There were 31 Mission Mode Projects under the National e-Governance Plan covering a wide range of domains viz. agriculture , land records , health, education, passports, police, courts, municipalities, commercial taxes, treasuries, etc.
• 24 Mission Mode Projects have been implemented and started delivering either a full or partial range of envisaged services.

All new and ongoing e-governance projects as well as the existing projects, which are being revamped, should now follow the key principles of e-Kranti namely:

• Transformation and not Translation
• Integrated Services and not Individual Services
• Government Process Reengineering (GPR) to be mandatory in every MMP
• ICT Infrastructure on Demand
• Cloud by Default
• Mobile First
• Fast Tracking Approvals
• Mandating Standards and Protocols
• Language Localization
• National GIS (Geo-Spatial Information System)
• Security and Electronic Data Preservation

The portfolio of Mission Mode Projects has increased from 31 to 44 MMPs. Many new social sector projects namely Women and Child Development, Social Benefits, Financial Inclusion, Urban Governance eBhasha, etc., have been added as new MMPs under e-Kranti.

Vision Areas of Digital India

The vision of the Digital India programme is to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy.

The Digital India programme is centered on three key vision areas:

1. Digital infrastructure as a core utility to every citizen

• High-speed internet as a core utility
• Cradle-to-grave digital identity
• Participation in digital and financial space through mobiles and banking
• Easy access to a Common Service Centre (CSC)
• Shareable private space on a public cloud

2. Governance and services on demand

• Seamlessly integrated services across departments
• Services available in real-time from online and mobile platforms
• All citizen entitlements to be portable and available on the cloud
• Digital transformation for ease of doing business
• Electronic and cashless financial transactions
• Leveraging Geospatial Information System (GIS) for decision support systems and development

3. Digital empowerment of citizens

• Universal digital library
• Universally accessible digital resources
• All documents/certificates to be available on the cloud
• Availability of digital resources/services in Indian languages
• Collaborative digital platforms for participative governance

Digital India: Programme pillars

Digital India aims to provide the much-needed thrust to the nine pillars of growth areas, namely:

• Broadband Highways
• Universal Access to Mobile Connectivity
• Public Internet Access Programme
• e-Governance: Reforming Government through Technology
• e-Kranti – Electronic Delivery of Services
• Information for All
• Electronics Manufacturing
• IT for Jobs
• Early Harvest Programmes

Digital India Initiatives

The Government has taken up many initiatives under the Digital India campaign:

DigiLockers: This flagship initiative aims at ‘Digital Empowerment’ of the citizen by providing access to authentic digital documents in citizen’s digital document wallet

E-Hospitals: It is a Hospital Management Information System (HMIS) which is a one-stop solution for connecting patients, hospitals, and doctors through a single digital platform. Till February 2021, as many as 420 e-Hospitals had been established under the Digital India campaign

E-Pathshala: Developed by NCERT, e-Pathshala showcases and disseminates all educational e-resources including textbooks, audio, video, periodicals, and a variety of other print and non-print materials through the website and mobile app

BHIM: Bharat Interface for Money is an app that makes payment transactions simple, easy, and quick using Unified Payments Interface (UPI)

Digital India Bhashini: It is India’s Artificial Intelligence (AI)  led language translation platform.

Digital India GENESIS: (Gen-next Support for Innovative Startups) is a national deep-tech startup platform to discover, support, grow and make successful startups in Tier-II and Tier-III cities of India.

My Scheme: It is a service discovery platform facilitating access to Government Schemes. It aims to offer a one-stop search and discovery portal where users can find schemes that they are eligible for.

Meri Pehchaan: It is a National Single Sign On (NSSO) for One Citizen Login. It is a user authentication service in which a single set of credentials provide access to multiple online applications or services.

Chips to Startup (C2S) Programme: The C2S Programme aims to train specialized manpower in the area of design of semiconductor chips at bachelor, master, and Research levels, and act as a catalyst for the growth of Startups involved in semiconductor design in the country.

Indiastack global: It is a global repository of key projects implemented under India Stack like Aadhaar , UPI (Unified Payment Interface), Digilocker, Cowin Vaccination Platform, Government e MarketPlace, DIKSHA Platform, and Ayushman Bharat Digital Health Mission .

Digital India week 2022

The Digital India Week 2022 under the Digital India Programme, to strengthen the Ease of Doing Business and Ease of Living.

The theme for the week was ‘Catalyzing New India’s Techade’.

Way forward

The Digital India programme aims at pulling together many existing schemes. These schemes will be restructured, revamped, and re-focused and will be implemented in a synchronized manner. Many elements are only process improvements with minimal cost implications. The common branding of programmes as Digital India highlights their transformative impact.

India’s aim for the digital revolution will help is pushing all sectors and jurisdictions of the economy. The advances in governance, reforms, start-ups , and demographic advantage will push the country towards being the fastest growing digital economy.

Also read:  Payments Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF) scheme

Top 10 Best-Selling ClearIAS Courses

Upsc prelims cum mains (pcm) gs course: unbeatable batch 2025 (online), rs.75000   rs.29000, upsc prelims marks booster + 2025 (online), rs.19999   rs.14999, upsc prelims test series (pts) 2025 (online), rs.9999   rs.4999, csat course 2025 (online), current affairs course 2025 (online), ncert foundation course (online), essay writing course for upsc cse (online), ethics course for upsc cse (online), upsc interview marks booster course (online), rs.9999   rs.4999.

About ClearIAS Team

ClearIAS is one of the most trusted learning platforms in India for UPSC preparation. Around 1 million aspirants learn from the ClearIAS every month.

Our courses and training methods are different from traditional coaching. We give special emphasis on smart work and personal mentorship. Many UPSC toppers thank ClearIAS for our role in their success.

Download the ClearIAS mobile apps now to supplement your self-study efforts with ClearIAS smart-study training.

Reader Interactions

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Don’t lose out without playing the right game!

Follow the ClearIAS Prelims cum Mains (PCM) Integrated Approach.

Join ClearIAS PCM Course Now

UPSC Online Preparation

• Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
• Indian Administrative Service (IAS)
• Indian Police Service (IPS)
• IAS Exam Eligibility
• UPSC Free Study Materials
• UPSC Exam Guidance
• UPSC Prelims Test Series
• UPSC Syllabus
• UPSC Online
• UPSC Prelims
• UPSC Interview
• UPSC Toppers
• UPSC Previous Year Qns
• UPSC Age Calculator
• UPSC Calendar 2024
• About ClearIAS
• ClearIAS Programs
• ClearIAS Fee Structure
• IAS Coaching
• UPSC Coaching
• UPSC Online Coaching
• ClearIAS Blog
• Important Updates
• Announcements
• Book Review
• ClearIAS App
• Work with us
• Advertise with us
• Privacy Policy
• Terms and Conditions
• Talk to Your Mentor

Featured on

and many more...

ClearIAS Programs: Admissions Open

Thank You 🙌

UPSC CSE 2025: Study Plan

Subscribe ClearIAS YouTube Channel

Get free study materials. Don’t miss ClearIAS updates.

Subscribe Now

IAS/IPS/IFS Online Coaching: Target CSE 2025

Cover the entire syllabus of UPSC CSE Prelims and Mains systematically.

Digital Economy

A digital economy refers to an economy based on digital technologies connected through the internet.

• 1 Components of Digital Economy
• 2 Trends in Emerging Technologies
• 3 SWOT Analysis of the Digital Economy
• 4 Way Forward

Components of Digital Economy

The different technologies and economic aspects of the digital economy can be broken down into three broad components:

1. Core aspects of the digital economy: It comprises of fundamental innovations (semiconductors, processors), core technologies (computers, telecommunication devices) and enabling infrastructures (Internet and telecoms networks).

2. Digital and information technology (IT) sectors: It comprises sectors that produce key digital products or services ( e.g- digital platforms, mobile applications and payment services).

3. Digitizing sectors: These include sectors where digital products and services are being increasingly used (e.g. for e-commerce). It also comprises sectors such as finance, media, tourism and transportation, where digital technologies are transforming the way processes operate. Further, digitally literate workers, consumers and users are crucial for the growth of the digitized economy.

State of Digital Economy in India

• Digital Consumers: India is one of the top three global economies with respect to the number of digital consumers. As per Indian telecom services performance indicators released by TRAI, India had 560 million internet subscribers in 2018.
• Digital Adoption: India has the second-fastest rate of growth of digital adoption among mature and emerging digital economies( which includes Brazil, China, USA, Russia etc), as per TRAI. The adoption of public digital platforms like Aadhar, and UPI have led to faster digital adoption.
• India’s digital divide is narrowing fast as less affluent states are fast catching up with more affluent states.
• Between 2014 and 2018, 7 out of the 10 states with the highest rate of growth in internet subscriptions had per capita GDP lower than India’s average.
• Among the lower-income states, Uttar Pradesh alone added 36 million internet subscriptions.
• Digital economic value: A report released by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, in partnership with McKinsey has pointed out that India can create over $1 trillion of economic value from the digital economy in 2025, with half the opportunity originating in new digital ecosystems that can spring up in diverse sectors.

Global Best Practices

The Swedish Experience :

• Sweden is one of the top five cashless economies in the world. It has adopted effective policies to facilitate transactions using mobile or plastic payments through digital infrastructure.
• As on December 2015, the population of Sweden was estimated at 9.85 million people literacy was almost 100%.

The Kenyan Example

• Kenya has taken adequate measures to facilitate online payments for government services with an aim to reduce fraud and ensure better targeting.
• According to World Bank’s Global Findex report, 58% of the adult population in Kenya had active mobile money accounts in 2014. It was the highest in the world. Kenya is an example where mobile technology and a rise in smartphone ownership have helped in improving online payments despite low Internet penetration.

Trends in Emerging Technologies

1. Blockchain Technologies: Blockchain technologies are a form of distributed ledger technologies that allow multiple parties to engage in secure, trusted transactions without any intermediary. Besides its use as cryptocurrency, it is also in use for digital identification, property rights and aid disbursement.

2. 3D Printing: Three-dimensional (3D) printing, also known as additive manufacturing, can disrupt manufacturing processes by boosting international trade in designs rather than in finished products. For example, in Africa, such ventures exist for medical supplies in Uganda and for filling import gaps in Nigeria. 3. Internet of Things:

• Internet of Things (IOT) refers to the system of internet-connected devices that are embedded in various everyday objects enabling them to communicate with each other by data transfer.
• Its applications vary from energy meters, RFID tagging of goods for manufacturing, logistics management, monitoring weather conditions in agriculture, etc.
• As per a 2018 Ericsson report, there were more “things”(8.6 billion) connected to the Internet than people (5.7 billion mobile broadband subscriptions) in 2018. It has further forecasted that the number of IoT connections would grow by 17 per cent a year.

4. 5G Mobile Broadband : Fifth-generation (5G) wireless technology is critical for IoT due to its greater ability to handle massive volumes of data ( 5G networks can process around 1,000 times more data than today’s systems).

5. Cloud Computing: The cloud is transforming business models. It offers several benefits such as reducing the need of inhouse IT experts and offering flexibility for scaling and maintenance. Some cloud services provide office-like application tools. It is cost-efficient as it reduces the need of purchasing licensed software.

6. Automation and Robotics: Automation and robotics technology are being used widely in manufacturing processes. For instance, robots are mainly used in the automotive, electrical/electronics and metal industries.

7. Artificial Intelligence

• Analysis of large volumes of digital data is propelling the developments in AI, including machine learning. For instance, AI is already in use in areas such as voice recognition and commercial products (such as IBM’s Watson).
• As per ITU, such technologies can generate an additional global economic output of around $13 trillion by 2030, contributing an additional 1.2 per cent to annual GDP growth.

8. Big Data Analytics

• A key technology that runs across all the emerging technologies in the digital economy is big data analytics. This refers to the capacity to analyse and process massive amounts of data.The amount of data generated in the evolving digital economy is constantly and rapidly increasing.
• A white paper by IBM on Marketing Trends for 2017 noted that 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are created every day.

Government Initiatives to spur the digital economy

• Direct Benefit Transfer: Subsidy and benefits disbursements directly to bank accounts.
• Government e-Marketplace: Online marketplace for procurement of goods and services by various government departments.
• e-NAM: Pan-Indian electronic trading portal for agricultural commodities.
• Soil Health Card: Crop-wise recommendations of nutrients and fertilisers required for individual farm.
• BHIM App: Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) is a mobile payments application based on NPCI’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI). It can be used to send or receive money from other customers and pay utility bills.

SWOT Analysis of the Digital Economy

• Convenient Mode of Payment: Digital economy provides an ease of transaction to the customers. It further offers other benefits, such as reduction in transaction cost of carrying and doing transactions in cash.
• Lower Risk: With proper cybersecurity, online payment is relatively risk-free, whereas there are always safety issues with physical cash
• Reduction in the Cost of Printing Money: Printing of new currency notes and replacement of soiled and mutilated currency notes involves cost. For instance, in 2015, printing currency cost the RBI Rs 27 billion. Thus, the cost can be reduced if the economy moves towards a digital economy.
• Decrease in Crime Rate: Many illegal activities like drug trafficking, prostitution, financing of terrorism and money laundering are carried out only in cash. A digital economy will make it difficult to carry out such operations.
• Good for the Banking Sector: A digital economy will help the banking system. Once people get used to digital payment and transfers, there would be less demand for cash holding. Thus, this would leave more cash in the banking system and thereby enable more savings.
• Economies of Scale: Interconnected networks in the digital economy would allow information flows across and between the networks. This would enable economies of scale due to fixed infrastructure costs of installing the networks.
• Availability of e-services: Digital platforms that enable real-time data updates, would increase accountability and facilitate monitoring, quality checks and timely intervention by the higher administrative authorities.
• Poor quality internet: Internet access is the backbone of a vibrant digital economy. However, it is plagued by issues related to quality and reliability, call drops and weak signals. Existing networks have been strained further by limited spectrum availability and usage, affecting the provision of quality services.
• Digital access and literacy: A vast number of Indian population does not have access to devices such as laptops, computers, smartphones, etc. As per the NITI Aayog Strategy document, digital literacy in India is estimated to be less than 10 percent of the population.
• Skill Gaps: Digital economy would require competent professionals with adequate skills to take the lead. However, India has been lacking in it.For instance, A NASSCOM report has pointed out an employee deficit of around 1.4 lakh jobs in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data Analytics segment across various sectors in India, which is expected to increase to 2.3 lakh by 2021.
• Digital gender gap: According to a study released by LIRNE Asia, an information and communications technology (ICT) policy think tank, India has the highest gender gap in mobile phone and 3rd highest in access to the Internet.
• Access to power: Uninterrupted access to power is essential for a digital economy to function efficiently. For instance, blockchains require a substantial, reliable electricity supply for proper functioning. However, around 22% of rural households across the country still do not have access to electricity.
• Inequality: The influx of frontier technologies of the digital economy may create inequality within the various regions of India. For instance, the deployment of 5G may further increase the urban-rural digital divide, as setting up 5G networks in rural areas with lower demand will be commercially challenging.

Opportunities

• Improve the ease of operations: Transition to a digital economy has the potential to reduce the operational costs of businesses. For instance, adhering to the compliance requirements in a digital form would take minimal time.
• Data as a resource: Data is the driving force behind all technologies of the digital economy. The transformation of data into useful information would aid better decision making.
• Financial Inclusion: Digital economy provides scope to extend banking facilities to unserved and under-served areas through technologies such as mobile banking, common service centres etc.
• Tap the leakages: Use of technologies to transfer subsidies of welfare schemes would help in stopping the leakages by making the process more transparent. For instance, DBT of subsidies under the PAHAL scheme has helped identify and block around 3.34 crore duplicate accounts, helping save thousands of crores.
• Black Money: Digitisation of financial transactions helps in maintaining a digital record and trail of such transactions. Thus, it provides opportunity to the authorities to track and verify transactions in future.
• Tackle Tax Evasion: Digital Economy could help in tackling tax evasion. For instance, the Aadhaar-PAN linkage gives maximum disclosure about the individual to all authorities including the Income Tax Department. It helps the tax authorities to track transaction and check the income tax profile of the individual/entity.
• New job opportunities: As per a report released by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the value created by the digital economy has the potential to support 60-65 million jobs by 2025. Such job opportunities could include drivers of IoT enabled trucks, delivery agents in e-commerce companies.
• The growth of digital economy has further exacerbated the risks of job loss and unemployment. For instance, the influx of machine learning and artificial intelligence will make a number of low-skilled jobs redundant.
• Emerging technologies, such as 3d printing may also allow developed economies to use robots to “reshore” manufacturing jobs. This would lead to a stream of back-migration and affect the remittance economy
• The quality, speed and price of services are developing at a much faster rate due to better access to global digital platforms for research and development.
• Many critics have raised concerns that it may lead to disruption in the existing industries as new ways of doing business would come up. Any dearth in the adoption of new technologies may hamper the business interests of several firms.
• Cybersecurity Concerns: The regulatory framework for cyber security is inadequate. Hacking and denial-of-service attacks have led to the disruption of services, both in the government and private sector banks.
• Data and Privacy: Digital economy depends on the availability of structured and unstructured datasets. The growth of digital economy will further raise the concerns of data security and privacy of individuals.

Initiatives by the National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) :

• UPI / UPI 2.0: UPI is a payment system that allows money transfer between any two bank accounts by using a Smartphone. It is based on the immediate payment service (IMPS) platform. UPI 2.0 added new features such as allowing the customers to link the overdraft account to UPI, checking the invoice before making payments to the merchants etc.
• BHIM: Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) is a mobile payments application based on NPCI’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI). It can be used to send or receive money from other customers and pay utility bills.
• BharatQR: BharatQR (developed by NPCI, Mastercard, and Visa) is an integrated payment system. It facilitates the transfer of money from one bank account to another.
• Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AePS) : AePS is a bank led model which allows online interoperable financial inclusion transaction at PoS (MicroATM) through the Business correspondent of a bank using the Aadhaar authentication.
• National Automated Clearing House (NACH) : It is a web based solution to facilitate interbank, high volume, electronic transactions which are repetitive and periodic in nature, for instance subsidies, salaries etc.
• Vittiya Saksharta Abhiyan : The main purpose of this campaign is to encourage, create awareness and motivate people to use a digitally enabled cashless economic system for transfer of funds.

Way Forward

• Broadband connectivity: Proper implementation of the new National Digital Communications Policy, 2018 would provide universal broadband coverage at 50 Mbps to every citizen and enable 100 Mbps broadband on demand to all key development institutions (such as: educational institutions, hospitals etc).
• Promoting higher education as centre of innovation: The competitive advantage for a future digital economy lies in developing innovation skills in the workforce. Developing collaborations between higher education institutions and industry, and promoting new innovation clusters and tinkering labs would help in tapping the innovation potential.
• Content in Indian Languages: The state governments can play an important role in providing government e-services in Indian regional languages. The promotion of technologies such as Natural Language Processing in regional languages through machine learning can be explored.
• Government Procurement: The government is a large buyer of services. Thus, it can act as a market maker to create a scale for the country’s best innovations and technology applications. This would require suitable procurement policies by the government that help the startups to scale up their innovations.

Committees on Digital Payments

Ratan Watal Committee on digital payments(2016)

• Payment regulator: It recommended the setting up of an independent payments regulator within the framework of RBI.
• Changes in the Payment and Settlements Act: It suggested amending the Payment and Settlements Act to include provisions regarding consumer protection, data security and privacy.
• Aadhar Usage: It has envisaged a prominent role for Aadhaar, such as promoting Aadhaar as the primary identification for (KYC) purposes and allowing Aadhaar-based e-KYC.
• Cash-handling charge: The committee further suggested that government departments levy a cashhandling charge to discourage cash transactions.
• Interoperability: It suggested facilitating interoperability between banks and the payments service providers based on mobile number and Aadhar.
• It recommended the creation of a fund to promote digital transactions.
• It suggested that all government payments be made digitally .

Nandan Nilekani Panel on Digital Payments (2019)

• Role of government: The government should play an important role in the digitisation of payments.
• G2C Payments: All government-to-citizen payments, such as salaries, transfers in DBT mode etc should be made digitally.
• Payment of bills: All government departments should provide digital payment alternatives for all bills.
• Tax discounts: The government should provide tax discounts to firms that undertake digital transactions for conducting business.
• Interchange rate: The committee has recommended the interchange rate on card transactions to be reduced by 15 basis points.
• Time of transactions: It has recommended RBI to increase the time of transactions for NEFT and RTGS.
• National Common Mobility Card: It has proposed the introduction of a NCMC which is interoperable across different modes of transportation and also acts as an ATM debit card.

Type your email…

Search Articles

Prelims 2024 current affairs.

• Art and Culture
• Indian Economy
• Science and Technology
• Environment  & Ecology
• International Relations
• Polity &  Nation
• Important Bills and Acts
• International Organizations
• Index, Reports and Summits
• Government Schemes and Programs
• Miscellaneous
• Species in news

All India Open Test(Simulator X)

• Get Involved

Empowering Youth for a Digital Future: Closing the Digital Divide and Paving the Way for a Thriving Digital Economy

South Africa

August 30, 2024

Some young innovators who participated in the UNDP-supported Circular Economy Hackathon where over 100 young bright minds shared ideas on the circular economy. 12 solutions were selected and received cash prizes towards refining their ideas and further support in developing business plans.

This year’s theme for International Youth Day on August 12 “ From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development ,” highlighted the crucial role that young people play in this digital age and how we need to enable their access to the many opportunities available in the digital ecosystem. International Youth Month provided an opportunity to amplify the transformative power of digital technologies to impact lives, solve some of the pressing global challenges, and call for more investments in technology to drive innovation and foster connectivity towards devising solutions to secure a sustainable future.  

With South Africa having one of the highest youth unemployment rates globally, the newly formed Government of National Unity (GNU) has placed the issue of addressing unemployment at the centre of its priorities. According to Statistics South Africa, 45.5% of the youth population is unemployed , which necessitates urgent action and effective strategies to tackle youth unemployment for improved development outcomes. Youth unemployment restricts the earning potential of young people, hampers business growth, threatens social cohesion, and places a strain on public resources.  

The UNDP South Africa “ National Human Development Report 2022: Harnessing the Employability of South Africa’s Youth ” identified the digital economy as a viable hub for job creation and recommended that the country leverages its opportunities by empowering youth for the new world of work. The report also notes the associated socioeconomic challenges that may hamper the digital revolution, particularly around digital literacy, infrastructure, and connectivity. These are challenges that many of UNDP’s South Africa inclusive growth programmes have been focussing on and seeking lasting solutions to.   

Bridging the digital divide by empowering rural youths to participate in the digital economy

UNDP South Africa has been championing various youth-focused interventions to empower young people to thrive in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and drive impactful innovations towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These include providing digital skills to unemployed youth and entrepreneurs, building ICT infrastructure (erecting public Wi-Fi hotspots and setting up libraries), supporting innovation through innovation challenges/hackathons and providing funding to young innovators, and digitising learning at Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges.   

Advancing digital skills and access to digital platforms

Since 2022, UNDP has been driving a digital skilling project to empower unemployed youth and entrepreneurs to unlock employment and other income-generation opportunities within the digital economy. Participants in the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, and KwaZulu-Natal were introduced to coding, 3D, and drone technology, gaining competence in these areas and guided towards leveraging 4IR. As a result, most of the participants were provided with internships (some transitioning into lasting jobs) in various companies, while the entrepreneurs were supported with integrating digital technologies into their ventures for improved business outcomes. These efforts have led to 1,194 young people receiving digital skills training, with 719 securing jobs, and 40 entrepreneurs supported. Additionally, nearly 2000 young people accessed digital upskilling through the Future Skills Platform , all contributing to efforts to close the digital divide.  

UNDP launched the “ Automotive Training and Re-Skilling Vulnerable Youth and Women in South Africa ” programme, with a component around digitising learning post-COVID-19. Three TVET colleges—Coastal KZN College, Northlink College, and Tshwane South College—benefited from this initiative, receiving electronic automotive components, training equipment, and ICT infrastructure for their training centres.  Moreover, 64 youths completed an accredited Operator Development and Work Placement Programme, preparing them for entry-level roles as automotive manufacturing operators.  

The project also supported the implementation of two strategic youth empowerment networks: SAYouth Mobi and Yakh’iFuture (Build Your Future). Through SAYouth , 12,230 students registered on the platform, with 694 securing employment or income-generating opportunities. Yakh’iFuture provided TVET college engineering students with the skills and training needed to build electrical devices and systems, equipping them to succeed in South Africa’s growing automotive components manufacturing sector.  

Building ICT infrastructure and expanding connectivity  

To expanding internet penetration in rural areas, UNDP supported women and youth-led Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises SMMEs in rolling out TV White Spaces (TVWS) network technology in rural areas. TVWS uses unused radio frequencies originally set aside for TV broadcasting, offering the advantage of covering large areas and penetrating obstacles like buildings and trees. This makes it ideal for providing affordable internet in hard-to-reach areas. Through this initiative, SMMEs were capacitated to offer affordable digital connectivity via Wi-Fi hotspots at schools, clinics, taxi ranks, digital hubs, and other public facilities across the country. Over 183 public Wi-Fi hotspots have been erected, connecting 273 small businesses, over 2 637 households, and 56 public facilities, ultimately providing access to over 70,000 concurrent internet users daily collectively. Importantly, the beneficiary SMMEs have created 144 job opportunities for local youth and women.  

To scale this work, UNDP set up a computer lab at Olwandle High School in Port Shepstone, KwaZulu-Natal. Connected to the TVWS network, this lab is designed and equipped to enhance the teaching and learning experience by aligning the school's curriculum with the demands of the digital age. Learners can now access online video tutorials, download previous question papers in preparation for exams, conduct research, and apply for university admission and other funding opportunities.  

UNDP’s youth empowerment strategy through innovation focuses on equipping young people with digital skills, providing resources, and exposure to opportunities. By fostering entrepreneurial ecosystems, providing access to digital tools and funding, and promoting digital literacy, UNDP empowers youth to become job creators and innovators in the tech-driven economy. Through initiatives like Accelerator Labs, UNDP South Africa’s initiatives have been pivotal in advancing tech entrepreneurship and innovation among young people, laying the foundation for a sustainable future.   

UNDP has empowered youth innovators to participate in the digital economy, particularly in supporting entrepreneurship in the sector, given that small businesses are considered the engine of growth in developing nations such as South Africa. Through various innovation challenges supporting a variety of sectors ranging from water and food security to energy and waste management, youth innovators were provided with technical skills development, business development support, access to prototyping facilities and programmes, access to seed funding and early-stage investment to commercialise their ideas.  

Innovation Challenges, Hackathons and Ideation support 

UNDP empowered university students to develop an advanced 4IR & Internet of Things (IoT) Flood Detection System designed to enhance KwaZulu-Natal's infrastructure resilience. This innovative solution monitors flood levels at electrical substations, alerting technicians via a mobile app and determining when to shut down substations to prevent damage during natural disasters.    

In 2023, UNDP ran an online innovation challenge which focused on the circular economy and reached 93,000 young people nationally. Youth were engaged through a digital platform to submit videos describing their solution, communicate , and access skills training. In addition, over 150 of these youth were supported through a design-thinking hackathon to develop their ideas into prototypes and pilots.  

Sky Vantage, a youth-owned company supported by UNDP, is tackling the issue of e-waste in communities by collecting electronic waste from various locations, such as municipal sites and busy public spaces, and manually disassembling and processing it to extract valuable components. Currently, Sky Vantage is piloting this innovative solution at Vaal University of Technology, with plans to expand to the Tshwane Municipality.  

UNDP proudly supported the creation of Hydro Blü , an innovative Geospatial Data Science and machine learning solution designed to predict groundwater availability at nearly any location on earth. This cutting-edge tool helps hydrogeologists make informed decisions on where to drill boreholes, ensuring that communities with limited access to water can find reliable sources.  

UNDP empowered young people as co-researchers, enabling 77 youth to gather crucial insights from over 10,000 community members in coal mining areas, guiding decisions on the Just Energy Transition.   

During the COVID-19 lockdown, we couldn't access the most vulnerable communities, which resulted in us developing an innovative approach by training local youth to collect data using a mobile application, equipping them with technical skills and valuable knowledge in community engagement, sales, customer service, understanding vulnerability, and gender awareness. As a result, 55 youths quickly mobilised to gather data, distribute emergency relief vouchers, and advocate for COVID-19 safety measures, reaching over 6,800 households in less than three weeks.  

Earlier this year, the launch of the Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF) marked an exciting milestone in empowering the next generation of innovators, an initiative to foster innovation and tech entrepreneurship among university and college students. The fund aims to solve challenges in the innovation ecosystem such as a lack of skilled student tech entrepreneurs who can develop and commercialise competitive innovative products, a lack of entrepreneurial support and networks at universities and colleges, and limited exposure to opportunities, mentoring and coaching.    

The transformative impact of UNDP South Africa's digital youth initiatives is a testament to the power of strategic partnerships. By collaborating with our partners, including the Department of Higher Education and Training, Toyota South Africa Motors’ Toyota Manufacturing Academy (TMA), Department of Science and Innovation, Al Baraka Bank, Water Research Commission, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), City of Tshwane, Innovate Durban, Makerspace Foundation, and Business Process Enabling South Africa (BPESA), we have been able to impact change and can mobilise more resources necessary to empower young people and foster their active participation in the digital economy.   

Related content

Attention: UNDP is seeking CSOs working in the area of Business and Human Rights in Türkiye

Results of the Public Call for Civil Society Organizations to Submit Project Proposals

timbuktoo HealthTech Startup Accelerator Programme: Call for Applications

Business and Human Rights Initiative Launches in Nepal

Media interaction with national assembly to bridge the communication gaps.

• Insights IAS Brochure |
• OUR CENTERS Bangalore Delhi Lucknow Mysuru --> Srinagar Dharwad Hyderabad

Call us @ 08069405205

Search Here

• An Introduction to the CSE Exam
• Personality Test
• Annual Calendar by UPSC-2025
• Common Myths about the Exam
• About Insights IAS
• Our Mission, Vision & Values
• Director's Desk
• Meet Our Team
• Our Branches
• Careers at Insights IAS
• Daily Current Affairs+PIB Summary
• Insights into Editorials
• Insta Revision Modules for Prelims
• Current Affairs Quiz
• Static Quiz
• Current Affairs RTM
• Insta-DART(CSAT)
• Insta 75 Days Revision Tests for Prelims 2024
• Secure (Mains Answer writing)
• Secure Synopsis
• Ethics Case Studies
• Insta Ethics
• Weekly Essay Challenge
• Insta Revision Modules-Mains
• Insta 75 Days Revision Tests for Mains
• Secure (Archive)
• Anthropology
• Law Optional
• Kannada Literature
• Public Administration
• English Literature
• Medical Science
• Mathematics
• Commerce & Accountancy
• Monthly Magazine: CURRENT AFFAIRS 30
• Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)
• InstaMaps: Important Places in News
• Weekly CA Magazine
• The PRIME Magazine
• Insta Revision Modules-Prelims
• Insta-DART(CSAT) Quiz
• Insta 75 days Revision Tests for Prelims 2022
• Insights SECURE(Mains Answer Writing)
• Interview Transcripts
• Previous Years' Question Papers-Prelims
• Answer Keys for Prelims PYQs
• Solve Prelims PYQs
• Previous Years' Question Papers-Mains
• UPSC CSE Syllabus
• Toppers from Insights IAS
• Testimonials
• Felicitation
• UPSC Results
• Indian Heritage & Culture
• Ancient Indian History
• Medieval Indian History
• Modern Indian History
• World History
• World Geography
• Indian Geography
• Indian Society
• Social Justice
• International Relations
• Agriculture
• Environment & Ecology
• Disaster Management
• Science & Technology
• Security Issues
• Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude
• Insights IAS Brochure

• Indian Heritage & Culture
• Enivornment & Ecology

5) What is digital divide? What are its implications?  Examine how India and its states are faring in bridging digital divide.

Topic :  I ssues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Education,

5) What is digital divide? What are its implications?  Examine how India and its states are faring in bridging digital divide. (250 Words)

• Our Mission, Vision & Values
• Director’s Desk
• Commerce & Accountancy
• Previous Years’ Question Papers-Prelims
• Previous Years’ Question Papers-Mains
• Environment & Ecology
• Science & Technology

• Classroom Programme
• Interview Guidance
• Online Programme
• Drishti Store
• My Bookmarks
• My Progress
• Change Password
• From The Editor's Desk
• How To Use The New Website
• Help Centre

Achievers Corner

• Topper's Interview
• About Civil Services
• UPSC Prelims Syllabus
• GS Prelims Strategy
• Prelims Analysis
• GS Paper-I (Year Wise)
• GS Paper-I (Subject Wise)
• CSAT Strategy
• Previous Years Papers
• Practice Quiz
• Weekly Revision MCQs
• 60 Steps To Prelims
• Prelims Refresher Programme 2020

Mains & Interview

• Mains GS Syllabus
• Mains GS Strategy
• Mains Answer Writing Practice
• Essay Strategy
• Fodder For Essay
• Model Essays
• Drishti Essay Competition
• Ethics Strategy
• Ethics Case Studies
• Ethics Discussion
• Ethics Previous Years Q&As
• Papers By Years
• Papers By Subject
• Be MAINS Ready
• Awake Mains Examination 2020
• Interview Strategy
• Interview Guidance Programme

Current Affairs

• Daily News & Editorial
• Daily CA MCQs
• Sansad TV Discussions
• Monthly CA Consolidation
• Monthly Editorial Consolidation
• Monthly MCQ Consolidation

Drishti Specials

• To The Point
• Important Institutions
• Learning Through Maps
• PRS Capsule
• Summary Of Reports
• Gist Of Economic Survey

Study Material

• NCERT Books
• NIOS Study Material
• IGNOU Study Material
• Yojana & Kurukshetra
• Chhatisgarh
• Uttar Pradesh
• Madhya Pradesh

Test Series

• UPSC Prelims Test Series
• UPSC Mains Test Series
• UPPCS Prelims Test Series
• UPPCS Mains Test Series
• BPSC Prelims Test Series
• RAS/RTS Prelims Test Series
• Daily Editorial Analysis
• YouTube PDF Downloads
• Strategy By Toppers
• Ethics - Definition & Concepts
• Mastering Mains Answer Writing
• Places in News
• UPSC Mock Interview
• PCS Mock Interview
• Interview Insights
• Prelims 2019
• Product Promos

Science & Technology

Make Your Note

In Depth - Digital India

• 14 Feb 2019
• GS Paper - 3
• Technology Missions
• Government Policies & Interventions

India is amongst the top 2 countries globally, just behind China on many dimensions of digital adoption. By 2022, India’s digital economy is likely to cross $1 trillion. This was the focus at the India Digital Summit 2019, held in New Delhi. The summit deliberated on what India needs to become a trillion dollar digital economy, the challenges on the way forward as well as the threats to cybersecurity.

DRISHTI INPUT

Digital India programme

• Digital infrastructure as Utility to Every Citizen
• Governance and services on demand
• Digital empowerment of citizens
• To prepare India for a knowledge future.
• For being transformative that is to realize IT (Indian Talent) + IT (Information Technology) = IT (India Tomorrow).
• Making technology central to enabling change.
• On being an Umbrella Programme – covering many departments.
• The programme weaves together a large number of ideas and thoughts into a single, comprehensive vision so that each of them is seen as part of a larger goal.
• The Digital India Programme will pull together many existing schemes which would be restructured and re-focused and implemented in a synchronized manner.
• Broadband Highways
• Universal Access to Mobile Connectivity
• Public Internet Access Programme
• e-Governance: Reforming Government through Technology
• e-Kranti - Electronic Delivery of Services
• Information for All
• Electronics Manufacturing
• IT for Jobs
• Early Harvest Programmes

Progress and Impact of Digital India Programme

• Overall 12000 rural post office branches have been linked electronically.
• Increased in electronic transactions related to e-governance as it is estimated that there are more than 100 cr mobile phones in India.
• 2, 74,246 km of optical fiber network has connected over 1.15lakh Gram Panchayats under the Bharat Net programme.

*Common Service Center

• A Common Service Center (CSC) is an information and communication technology (ICT) access point created under the National e-Governance Project of the Indian government.
• A CSC is essentially a kiosk with a personal computer, a wireless connection, and other equipment. Through computer and Internet access, the CSCs provide multimedia content related to e-governance, education, health, telemedicine, entertainment, and other government and private services.
• There is a rapid expansion in the network of Common Service Centers.
• DigiGaon or Digital Village conceptualized as the connected village where the citizen can avail various e-services. These DigiGaons are projected to be change agents, promoting rural entrepreneurship, building rural capacities and livelihoods through community participation.
• Digital villages have been equipped with solar lighting facility, LED assembly unit, sanitary napkin production unit, Wi-Fi choupal .
• The aim of the programme is to turn each village into a self-sustaining unit.
• It has been estimated that the internet service sector is expected to reach $74 billion in 2022. Internet data has become the major tool for the delivery of the services.
• India till Dec 2017 had made tremendous progress in urban internet penetration with 64%. However, four fifth of rural India is yet to get access to the internet.
• Presently, there are 300 million daily active users which have risen from 10-15 million daily users in 2011. And, it is estimated that by 2020 the number would double.

Initiatives launched by the Government of India

• Digilockers—it is a "digital locker" service operated by the Government of India that enables Indian citizens to store certain official documents on the cloud. The service is aimed towards reducing the need to carry physical documents.
• BHIM app—It is an app to enable digital payments. BHIM app was used to facilitate 913 million transactions in 2017-18.
• Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan to make citizen digitally literate. The project is expected to be one of the largest initiatives of the country with an overall target of training 6 crore students until the financial year, 2019. The government has accepted 250,000 Gram Panchayats to register at least 200-300 candidates each.

India’s Digital Economy

• India’s digital economy will touch $1 trillion by the year 2022. India would be $10 trillion economy by 2030 and half of it would be the digital economy.
• Fintech sector—the Fintech sector in a recent couple of years has seen a huge jump in growth. Digital currency and online payments platforms have played a major role in financial inclusion.
• Public Services Sector—steady and efficient digital transformation across areas like e-governance and this has also considerably brought down leakages and corruption. In recent years India performed well in transparency index.
• Health care sector—it is catching up to meet the demands of its tech-savvy population. Demand is shifting now to quality and affordable healthcare, much of it being fulfilled by a public-private partnership.
• Digital healthcare startups are playing a major role in addressing areas like preventive healthcare, analytics, emergency services and engage with super-aggregation platforms like Facebook and Google.
• Enterprise and Deep Technology sector—startups in this sector have made their presence felt globally with their success. The IT services in the country are set to reach USD 13.2 billion by the end of this year.
• E-commerce and Consumer internet sector—India’s e-commerce market is set to grow three times to surpass USD 100 billion by 2022.
• Travel and Hospitality sector—this sector has enjoyed rapid online growth since the beginning of this century. The growth is also attributed to the increase in disposable income, especially, among the millennials, who are changing decades of traditional travel trends.
• Slow roll-out of Wi-Fi hotspots and the slow speed, in comparison to other developed nation.
• Most small and medium scale industry is struggling to adapt to modern technology.
• Entry level smartphones have limited capabilities for smooth internet access, and the outreach of the ‘smartphones’ is limited.
• There is an absence of enough skilled manpower in digital technology.
• Lack of user education and there are limited facilities to train personnel. India needs over one million cybersecurity experts to check and monitor the growing menace of digital crime.