PIB Summary- 9th December, 2024 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

Digital Infrastructure Landscape

Context

Rapidly evolving digital infrastructure driving economic growth, effective governance and Inclusive development.

GS 2( Governance)

• Data Centres: India’s data centre industry is set for significant growth, supporting cloud computing, data storage, and AI/ML applications.
• The National Informatics Centre (NIC) operates state-of-the-art National Data Centres (NDCs) across Delhi, Pune, Bhubaneswar, and Hyderabad.
• The NDCs provide cloud services, disaster recovery, and hosting services with a combined storage capacity of approximately 100PB.
• National Data Centre – North East Region (NDC-NER): Launched in 2020 to bridge the digital divide in the Northeastern states by providing reliable cloud service infrastructure.

Cloud Services and Digital Public Infrastructure

• NIC National Cloud Services Project (2022): Enhancing the national cloud infrastructure to facilitate faster e-Governance services. Over 300 government departments are now utilizing these services.
• MeghRaj (GI Cloud): Provides ICT services via cloud to all government departments, enhancing digital governance and public services nationwide.

Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)

• Aadhaar: The world’s largest digital identity program with 138.34 crore Aadhaar numbers issued.
• Unified Payment Interface (UPI): Facilitated 24,100 crore transactions as of June 30, 2024.
• DigiLocker: 37.046 crore users and 776 crore documents issued.
• DIKSHA: World’s largest education platform with 556.37 crore learningsessions and 14.37 crore course completions.
• Platforms like GeM, UMANG, and API SETU further enhance digital governance by providing access to various services and enabling seamless data exchange.

Common Services Centres (CSCs):

• Over 5.84 lakh CSCs are operational, including 4.63 lakh at the Gram Panchayat level, delivering more than 800 services across rural India.

Citizen-Centric Digital Services:

• UMANG: A unified mobile app with over 7.12 crore users, offering 2,077 services in 23 languages.
• MeriPehchaan: Provides single sign-on service, handling over 132 crore transactions.
• e-Hastakshar (e-Sign): 81.97 crore digital signatures issued.
• API Setu: 6,000 APIs published, enabling 312.01 crore transactions.

Revolutionizing Government Operations:

• DigiLocker, CollabFiles, GovDrive, and Gov Intranet Platform enhance document management, secure storage, and efficient workflow in government offices.

Fourth Edition of India Internet Governance Forum

Context 

The India Internet Governance Forum (IIGF) 2024, organized by MeitY and NIXI, will address key digital issues like bridging the digital divide, responsible AI, and cybersecurity on December 9-10, 2024, in New Delhi.

Focus Areas

• Bridging the Digital Divide: Enhancing access, inclusion, and digital rights to make the internet accessible to all.
• Legal and Regulatory Frameworks: Creating balanced policies that support growth and strengthen Internet governance.
• Responsible AI: Exploring the ethical and effective use of AI for societal benefit.
• Building a Greener and Sustainable Internet: Emphasizing energy-efficient practices and environmental sustainability in the digital realm.
• Trust and Safety: Enhancing cybersecurity and user confidence online.

IIGF’s Role

• Part of the UN IGF: Promotes multi-stakeholder dialogue on critical issues related to the Internet, involving government, civil society, industry, technical communities, and academia.
• Focus on Collaboration: Encourages an inclusive approach to shaping policies for an open, secure, and accessible Internet.