​Shock-proof state: On an outage and a democratic digital infrastructure
5 months ago

​Shock-proof state: On an outage and a democratic digital infrastructure

The Hindu  

A bright light fell on the extent of the world’s dependence on information technologies when on July 19, supermarkets, banks, hospitals, airports, and many other services in between suffered a simultaneous blackout after a common software solution they used glitched. This requires a ‘Digital India’ push that is cognisant of software solutions’ relationship with digital privacy and data sovereignty, layered over the challenges that income inequality and political marginalisation impose on communities navigating more socially interconnected settings. For example, public distrust in electronic voting machines, stoked by an incomplete understanding of software security among the political class, the judiciary, and civil society, could have been restored with open-source software and modes of integrity testing that violate neither physical nor digital property rights. The July 19 outage offers a similar opportunity: to rejig the software that public sector institutions need to provide their essential services and to incorporate redundancies, including moving away from single-vendor policies, that preserve the links between these institutions and people engaged in informal economies in the event of a network-level outage.

 public  digital  solutions  democratic  outage  software  redundancies  political  shockproof  state  services  technological  infrastructure  technologies

History of this topic

Privacy as priority: India can’t afford any further delay in notifying data protection rules
1 week ago

Privacy as priority: India can’t afford any further delay in notifying data protection rules

Live Mint  

A few days ago, Signzy, a popular Know Your Customer verification service used by India’s top banks and fintech firms, was affected by a cyber attack that may have exposed the sensitive personal information of millions. India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act was passed six years after the Right to Privacy verdict in 2017. The Digital India Act, touted as …

The digital frontier of inequality
1 week, 1 day ago

The digital frontier of inequality

The Hindu  

India stands at a pivotal moment in its digital revolution, underpinned by an internationally recognised model of digital public infrastructure. In response, the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India, recently launched ‘Ab Koi Bahana Nahi ’, a national campaign aligned with the global ‘16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence’. Already constrained by societal norms, many …

India’s digital public infrastructure: A catalyst for innovation and competition
1 month ago

India’s digital public infrastructure: A catalyst for innovation and competition

Live Mint  

Some scholars and practitioners have argued that digital public infrastructure could lead to monopolization and stifle private innovation by creating large government-controlled platforms that overshadow private players. In India, DPI initiatives like UPI and Aadhaar are examples of the state taking a lead in technological development, enabling private-sector growth and innovation. This is precisely what DPI is designed to do—broaden …

Cyber-Secure India: A Collective Effort to Protect Citizens from Digital Crimes
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Cyber-Secure India: A Collective Effort to Protect Citizens from Digital Crimes

Hindustan Times  

Cybersecurity is a top priority for the Indian government, with the country witnessing a surge in digital connectivity and a corresponding rise in cybercrimes. However, authorities have been proactive in safeguarding citizens from these threats, disconnecting fraudulent mobile connections and blocking over ₹2,400 crore in suspicious transactions. The government has also launched an indigenously developed International Incoming Spoofed Calls Prevention …

Transforming India's Economy: The Power of Digital Public Infrastructure
2 months ago

Transforming India's Economy: The Power of Digital Public Infrastructure

Live Mint  

The article highlights the importance of digitalization in transforming India's economy. It emphasizes the role of open platforms and collaboration between the public and private sectors in building a robust digital infrastructure. The government's initiatives, such as the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), demonstrate the government's commitment to fostering a digital economy.

India excels in AI, but lags in adopting basic broadband and internet
10 months ago

India excels in AI, but lags in adopting basic broadband and internet

New Indian Express  

As Gartner’s Hype Cycle would suggest, many of these technologies are in the innovation trigger phase and are likely to be adopted only by innovators in the country. India’s progress in digital payment India has made remarkable progress on the use of digital payments, especially in the public sector. Data from the World Bank’s Findex Survey shows that digitally delivered …

Securing India’s Digital Future: Cybersecurity Urgency and Opportunities
10 months, 2 weeks ago

Securing India’s Digital Future: Cybersecurity Urgency and Opportunities

The Diplomat  

In an era dominated by digital advancements and technological reliance, cybersecurity has become increasingly crucial for nations across the globe. A recent analysis shows a significant surge of 278 percent in state- According to the 2023 India Threat Landscape Report published by Cyfirma, a cybersecurity firm located in Singapore, India is the primary target of cyber assaults worldwide, accounting for …

Review: The Third Way by Rahul Matthan
1 year ago

Review: The Third Way by Rahul Matthan

Hindustan Times  

The history of modern of technology begins in the West. But there is another way, argues technology lawyer Rahul Matthan in his new book titled The Third Way – India’s Revolutionary Approach to Data Governance. Matthan’s third way refers to the development and adoption of the so-called the India Stack – a combination of platforms and protocols that make up …

India's Data Revolution: Unpacking the DPDPA 2023 and Ensuring Accountability
1 year ago

India's Data Revolution: Unpacking the DPDPA 2023 and Ensuring Accountability

The Quint  

It is crucial to establish mechanisms that hold the government accountable as a data custodian, said Dr Kislay Pandey, a leading corporate lawyer of India. Specific measures need to be taken to explicitly regulate emerging technologies like AI and tapping into their potential to bolster data protection. He further said, “To ensure the efficacy of data protection and privacy regulation …

Public digital infrastructure must bridge every digital divide
1 year, 1 month ago

Public digital infrastructure must bridge every digital divide

Live Mint  

Among the concerns often raised in connection with the proliferation of digital public infrastructure is the worry that nations that are reliant on digital systems for the delivery of public services will end up excluding those incapable of accessing these digital solutions from the benefits these systems were built to offer. What this means is that, even today, large segments …

A Norwegian perspective of India’s digital journey
1 year, 1 month ago

A Norwegian perspective of India’s digital journey

The Hindu  

‘Leaving no one behind’. As the Norwegian Minister of International Development, I am impressed by the development benefits of the use of digital public goods. During India’s G-20 presidency this year, the world saw that digital public goods are part of the international development architecture of the future. Digital South-South cooperation Work on digital public goods provides a great example …

Classifying intermediaries in the upcoming DIA
1 year, 1 month ago

Classifying intermediaries in the upcoming DIA

Hindustan Times  

The enactment of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act of 2023 reflects a concerted effort to establish an Open, Safe, Trusted, and Accountable internet ecosystem. With the data protection regime nearly finalised all eyes are on the Digital India Bill to achieve the objectives of Open, Safe, Trusted and Accountable online space. As the Government works towards this transition from …

How the Digital India Act will shape the future of the country’s cyber landscape
1 year, 2 months ago

How the Digital India Act will shape the future of the country’s cyber landscape

The Hindu  

October 09, 2023 08:30 am | Updated 08:30 am IST Nations worldwide are grappling with the need to update their legal frameworks to adapt to the evolving digital landscape. The recent announcement of the Digital India Act 2023 represents a significant step towards establishing a future-ready legal framework for the country’s burgeoning digital ecosystem. The primary motivation behind the DIA …

G20: ‘India has done in 6 years what would take 50’: World Bank lauds India’s digital public infrastructure
1 year, 3 months ago

G20: ‘India has done in 6 years what would take 50’: World Bank lauds India’s digital public infrastructure

Firstpost  

India has developed some of the finest digital public goods infrastructure which could change lives the world over. Lauding India’s Digital Public Infrastructure, the World Bank has said that what the country has achieved in just six years would have otherwise taken about five decades. Highlighted the key measures taken by the Modi government in shaping the Digital Public Infrastructure …

From Orientalism to Digital Leadership - News18
1 year, 3 months ago

From Orientalism to Digital Leadership - News18

News 18  

For centuries, Western perception of countries like India has been coloured by orientalist narratives, an idea embedded deep within the philosophical works of thinkers like Edward Said in Orientalism. The world watched in amazement as Germany’s Federal Minister for Digital and Transport, Volker Wissing, used India’s Unified Payments Interface to pay a vegetable vendor, illustrating India’s prowess in digital public …

India passes data protection legislation in Parliament. Critics fear privacy violation
1 year, 4 months ago

India passes data protection legislation in Parliament. Critics fear privacy violation

Associated Press  

NEW DELHI — Indian lawmakers Wednesday approved a data protection legislation that “seeks to better regulate big tech firms and penalize companies for data breaches” as several groups expressed concern over citizens’ privacy rights. The legislation will limit cross-border transfer of data and provide a framework for setting up a data protection authority to ensure compliance from tech companies, Information …

India’s shield of privacy should reflect Article 21
1 year, 5 months ago

India’s shield of privacy should reflect Article 21

Live Mint  

The monsoon session of Indian Parliament will likely take up a bill framed in response to the Supreme Court ruling of 24 August 2017 that said privacy is a fundamental right. The Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, a draft of which was published last year to replace an unwieldy earlier proposal, got Cabinet approval this week as part of the …

India likely to offer digital infra to several countries
1 year, 6 months ago

India likely to offer digital infra to several countries

Live Mint  

India is in talks with a number of developing countries to extend its digital public infrastructure partnerships, according to persons aware of the matter. According to the persons cited above, India is now in talks with several countries in the global South, including in Latin America, Africa and Southeast Asia, to extend these DPI partnerships. Digital public infrastructure has become …

IMF hails India’s digital transformation, asks other countries to learn from it
1 year, 8 months ago

IMF hails India’s digital transformation, asks other countries to learn from it

Live Mint  

India's development of a "world-class digital public infrastructure" serves as a model for other nations undergoing digital transformation, according to a working paper by the International Monetary Fund. The paper, titled 'Stacking up the Benefits Lessons from India's Digital Journey,' credits India's building block approach and focus on supporting innovation for the success of its digital public infrastructure. The paper …

Accelerating development with India’s digital highways
1 year, 8 months ago

Accelerating development with India’s digital highways

Hindustan Times  

With growing consensus around its role as a driver of innovation and inclusion at population scale, Digital Public Infrastructure has found its way into key priorities at the highest levels of policy making in India. While the first phase of creating the core, foundational digital public infrastructure in India - DPI 1.0 - has been a big success, the current …

MeitY mystery: Consultation process for Digital India Bill still opaque
1 year, 9 months ago

MeitY mystery: Consultation process for Digital India Bill still opaque

The Hindu  

Published : Mar 23, 2023 10:45 IST - 7 MINS READ The Union government’s ambitious vision of Digital India and its goals of “Catalysing New India’s Techade” are well known. The Bill will also touch upon the idea of “discretionary moderation of fake news” by social media platforms as well as “content monetisation rules for platform-generated and user-generated content”. “The …

Digital India Act: A Black and White Journey Begins After The Festival Of Colours
1 year, 9 months ago

Digital India Act: A Black and White Journey Begins After The Festival Of Colours

ABP News  

Union Minister for State for Electronics And Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar unveiled and gave an overall glimpse of the proposed basic structure/framework and an overall roadmap of the Digital India Act 2023 on March 9, 2023. While on the one hand, the internet, devices and information technology have empowered the citizens of India, at the same time it has also …

The world can learn from India’s digital public infra experience
1 year, 9 months ago

The world can learn from India’s digital public infra experience

Hindustan Times  

Last week, the Digital Economy Working Group of G20 met for the first time under India’s presidency. We draw from a recent study of three state-level digital ecosystems for the delivery of social protection and observe the following learnings for India to take to a global stage: First, well-defined data privacy and security laws are critical to the success of …

India’s push for digital sovereignty risks more online surveillance
1 year, 10 months ago

India’s push for digital sovereignty risks more online surveillance

The Hindu  

Shortly after the Nigerian government blocked Twitter in 2021 for removing a post by the country’s president, its verified handle @NigeriaGov appeared on Koo, an Indian microblogging platform that was little known overseas. It was also a vindication for the Indian government, where many officials are on Koo, and which last month hailed another locally made technology: a mobile operating …

The Public Digital Platforms Opportunity for India at G20
1 year, 11 months ago

The Public Digital Platforms Opportunity for India at G20

News 18  

The 21st century has seen a boom in building transformative technological and digital solutions to cater to different social and economic challenges. The concept of technology becoming a fulcrum for development has showcased the numerous ways in which different platforms and digital infrastructure can be built to ensure public service delivery as well as streamline governance. Leveraging the Network Effects …

Political Line | Public Debate on Privacy
2 years ago

Political Line | Public Debate on Privacy

The Hindu  

India’s new draft Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2022 is being debated intensely. Privacy activists and legal scholars are concerned that the draft is going in the wrong direction, with the government giving itself too much power to collect data, and snoop on people. The draft DPDP bill reiterates state authority and sovereignty over all questions related to data, including …

Women, Unemployed, Rural Poor Lagging Due to Digital Divide: Oxfam India Report
2 years ago

Women, Unemployed, Rural Poor Lagging Due to Digital Divide: Oxfam India Report

News 18  

The percentage of men owning phones is as high as 61 per cent while only 31 per cent of women-owned phones in 2021, according to a new report, which claimed that India’s growing inequalities based on caste, religion, gender, class, and geographic location are being worryingly replicated in the digital space. Oxfam India’s latest ‘India Inequality Report 2022: Digital Divide’ …

Significant work done, draft Digital India Act framework by early 2023: MoS IT
2 years, 1 month ago

Significant work done, draft Digital India Act framework by early 2023: MoS IT

The Hindu  

A significant amount of work has been done on proposed Digital India Act, and the draft legislative framework to support 'India's techade' is expected by early 2023, Minister of State for IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar has said. Asked about the status of Digital India Act, which will replace the IT Act, Mr. Chandrasekhar said: "A significant amount of work has been …

Digital India: The Indian way | OPINION
2 years, 3 months ago

Digital India: The Indian way | OPINION

India Today  

The digital policies that are being picked up in India do not really reflect the digital issues that are important from an India perspective. While India is hurtling in an accelerated manner towards an ever-increasing digitalisation of our economy and of our society, we also need to ensure that it is happening the Indian way, supporting the issues that are …

India’s role in digital democracy: UPI in France
2 years, 5 months ago

India’s role in digital democracy: UPI in France

New Indian Express  

The European nation would be the first major developed economy to embrace the UPI-Rupay system. This is a new kind of bridge that is being built between countries – a kind of deeper digital cooperation which is much more fundamental than efforts at digital diplomacy using communication tools like Twitter. This deal in France, therefore, in my mind, underlines India’s …

Public-private cooperation: A key pillar in creating a cyber-secure India
2 years, 6 months ago

Public-private cooperation: A key pillar in creating a cyber-secure India

Hindustan Times  

Recently, the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team housed within the ministry of electronics and information technology issued guidelines for cybersecurity, under Section 70-B of the Information Technology Act. The stated goal is to “augment and strengthen the cybersecurity in the country” and “coordinate response activities as well as emergency measures with respect to cybersecurity incidents.” The guidelines, among other things, …

UPI, CoWIN, ONDC: Public Digital Infrastructure Has Put India on the Fast Lane of Tech-led Growth
2 years, 6 months ago

UPI, CoWIN, ONDC: Public Digital Infrastructure Has Put India on the Fast Lane of Tech-led Growth

News 18  

“Government 2.0, then, is the use of technology – especially the collaborative technologies at the heart of Web 2.0 – to better solve collective problems at a city, state, national, and international level”, Tim O’Reilly, Chief Executive Officer of O’Reilly Media said in a paper published in 2010. This paper is considered the origination of the term “Government as a …

India, China, Russia Missing from 'Future of the Internet' Pledge Inked by US, EU, UK And 32 Other Nations
2 years, 7 months ago

India, China, Russia Missing from 'Future of the Internet' Pledge Inked by US, EU, UK And 32 Other Nations

News 18  

The White House announced on April 28 that the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and 32 other countries have accepted an agreement, the “Declaration for the Future of the Internet”, but India, China, and Russia are notable exclusions. “Partners in this Declaration invite other partners who share this vision to join us in working together, with civil …

India’s e-belt-and-road initiative for digital diplomacy
2 years, 7 months ago

India’s e-belt-and-road initiative for digital diplomacy

Live Mint  

As of 2021, India had issued more than 1.3 billion digital identity cards via its Aadhaar platform and over 1.1 billion digital vaccine certificates through its CoWin platform. Aadhaar’s open architecture that allows for scalability and vendor neutrality has already had several countries approaching India to either replicate the model or take note of its technology to develop their own …

India needs a plan so we are not vulnerable to the ‘splinternet’: Rajeev Chandrasekhar
2 years, 7 months ago

India needs a plan so we are not vulnerable to the ‘splinternet’: Rajeev Chandrasekhar

The Hindu  

In the first step towards overhauling of the two-decade old IT Act, the government will put up the draft of the proposed new legislative framework for public consultation as soon as next month, Minister of State for IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar told The Hindu. He added that the government is looking at a new legislative framework with the new rulemaking capabilities …

India’s Data Protection Laws Will be Critical in Attracting FDI and Pushing Digital Exports
2 years, 8 months ago

India’s Data Protection Laws Will be Critical in Attracting FDI and Pushing Digital Exports

News 18  

At the cost of repeating a cliche, technology and data-driven innovations are at the centre of economic activity in what is now a digitally led era. And, with India negotiating trade agreements with several countries, including the UK, it will be important that the Personal Data Protection Bill strikes the right balance between localising data and enabling cross-border data flows. …

IT Act reforms: Plug leakage of sensitive State information
2 years, 9 months ago

IT Act reforms: Plug leakage of sensitive State information

Hindustan Times  

At a recent Nasscom event, Union minister of state for electronics and information technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar said India needs a new digital law as the current one — the Information Technology Act, 2000 — is more than 20 years old. Several reforms were made, including the substitution of “digital signature” with “electronic signature” to make the Act technology-neutral. No discussion …

Digital ecosystems: Who should finance what?
2 years, 10 months ago

Digital ecosystems: Who should finance what?

Hindustan Times  

Last month, the ministry of electronics and information technology released its report on India Enterprise Architecture 2.0 — which envisions the development of a digital ecosystem that enables an integrated delivery of services in the country. This is an improvement on the first version with more clarity as to the vision, principles and implementation aspects of such an ecosystem, but …

Can India help build a confederation of digital democracies?
3 years, 1 month ago

Can India help build a confederation of digital democracies?

Firstpost  

The US has spoken of a ‘club of democracies’. Inaugurating The Sydney Dialogue, the summit for emerging, critical and cyber technologies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “The digital age is reshaping international competition, power and leadership. But we should not allow vested interests to misuse this openness.” Echoes of this emerged from Hillary Clinton, the former US presidential nominee and …

E- International Seminar: "Data Protection And Data Privacy" [Submit Abstract By 30th Nov, 2021]
3 years, 1 month ago

E- International Seminar: "Data Protection And Data Privacy" [Submit Abstract By 30th Nov, 2021]

Live Law  

The International Seminar on Data Protection and Data Privacy is taking place on 18th December, 2021Online. The International Seminar on Data Protection And Data Privacy is being organized by Law Mantra Trust, The Indian Law Institute New Delhi, Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Punjab, Maharashtra National Law University, Nagpur & Advanced Centre on Research, Development & Training in Cyber …

The digital future of our country is distinctly being re-imagined
3 years, 3 months ago

The digital future of our country is distinctly being re-imagined

Live Mint  

If you ask a group of people what ‘Digital India’ means to them, it is really interesting to see the variety of responses you get. For some, it is about Indian tech startups—Zomato, Ola, Urban Company, etc, that are redefining how we consume goods or services; for some it’s the legendary tech services companies—TCS, Infosys and the like that have …

This decade will be ‘India’s techade’, says PM Modi
3 years, 5 months ago

This decade will be ‘India’s techade’, says PM Modi

The Hindu  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that data and demographic dividend combined with India’s proven tech prowess presents massive opportunity for the country, and exuded confidence that this decade will be ‘India’s techade’. Speaking at a virtual event to mark the completion of six years of Digital India, Mr. Modi said India is also conscious of its responsibilities as …

Digital India: How the six-year-old mission has taken a largely offline nation online
3 years, 5 months ago

Digital India: How the six-year-old mission has taken a largely offline nation online

Firstpost  

Digital India is a Rs 1,13,000-crore flagship programme of the Government of India with a vision to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy Digital India, a flagship initiative that was launched with a vision to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy, has completed six years of its journey since its launch on …

Covid-19 Pandemic Laid Threadbare Issue of Digital Divide: Ravi Shankar Prasad
3 years, 7 months ago

Covid-19 Pandemic Laid Threadbare Issue of Digital Divide: Ravi Shankar Prasad

News 18  

The Covid-19 pandemic has laid bare the issue of the digital divide and recast the world’s view of digital access as a critical component to an equitable society, according to Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad, who underlined that technology is meant to be a great equaliser and not a source of division. In 2020, the year …

Digital nation: The Hindu Editorial on need for seamless delivery of citizen services
4 years, 1 month ago

Digital nation: The Hindu Editorial on need for seamless delivery of citizen services

The Hindu  

Affordable smartphones and Internet access have made India a digital nation with an estimated 750 million connections and a thriving financial technology sector. Digital platforms providing goods and services, including online education and telemedicine, have grown vigorously during the COVID-19 pandemic, while many professionals have maintained productivity by working from home. The true measure of digital nations is the readiness …

Digital India now a way of life, says Modi
4 years, 1 month ago

Digital India now a way of life, says Modi

The Hindu  

Digital India mission, launched five years ago, was not being seen as any regular government initiative and had now become a way of life, especially for the poor and marginalised and those in the government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday. Addressing the summit, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said India and Australia have unlimited possibilities of working together …

Bringing the Internet to everyone
4 years, 3 months ago

Bringing the Internet to everyone

The Hindu  

The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the influence of technology in our lives. They find themselves unable to get access to health and welfare alerts, critical services, engage in upskilling or learning, or take part in economic activities without potentially exposing themselves to the virus. Kerala, my home State, with India’s second highest Internet penetration rate, is attempting to conduct all …

India must focus on digital infrastructure, data protection laws
4 years, 4 months ago

India must focus on digital infrastructure, data protection laws

Hindustan Times  

India’s public access to the internet commenced 25 years ago, when Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited announced its services. It has been perfecting the capabilities of spying on every person on the planet by spying on its own people, and seeks to influence global public opinion through social media and monopolize almost every supply chain by controlling digital infrastructure. That is …

25 years of mobility in India & the future that lies ahead
4 years, 4 months ago

25 years of mobility in India & the future that lies ahead

Hindustan Times  

On July 31, 1995, India made history as the first mobile phone call was made by then West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu and erstwhile Union Telecom Minister Sukh Ram. “In the last 25 years, the telecom sector has witnessed tremendous transformation – in connecting a billion citizens by 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G, ushering in several disruptive technological developments …

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