Data, demographic dividend present huge opportunity; this decade to be India's techade': PM Modi
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the combination of nation's demographic dividend and data, with proven tech prowess presents immense opportunities as he exuded confidence the decade will be 'India's techade'.
Speaking at a virtual event to mark the completion of six years of Digital India, Modi said India is fully conscious of its responsibilities as a data powerhouse and noted that work was underway on all aspects of data protection.
Data and demographic dividend present a massive opportunity for India... together, we will be successful in making this decade, 'India's techade', Modi said.
Estimates suggest that dozens of tech companies in India will enter the unicorn club (with USD 1 billion valuation) in coming years, he said and asserted that data and demographic dividend collectively offers huge potential.
Modi spoke via video conference to beneficiaries of various schemes of Digital India programme, including Diksha, eNAM, eSanjeevani solution for telemedicine, DigiBunai and PM SVANidhi scheme.
Modi talked about the critical role that technology had played during the pandemic to ensure continuity of education, access to healthcare, and other citizen services, and noted that digital solutions created by India during this period are being acknowledged globally.
The digital solutions that India has prepared during this time are a topic of discussion and interest all over the world today. One of the world's largest digital contact tracing app, Aarogya Setu has played a key role in containing the spread of COVID, he said.
Many nations have shown interest in the CoWIN app, and tools like these are proof of India's technical prowess.
Modi lauded the passion for innovation and the zeal to adopt those innovations rapidly, and said six years of Digital India programme marks the rapid strides that the country has taken in adoption of technology.
Digital India programme underscores the nation's resolve for self-reliance (AatmaNirbhar Bharat), he said.
Affordable tablets and digital devices are being offered to students across the nation and production-linked subsidies are being given to electronic companies to realise this goal.
In the last 6-7 years, leveraging Digital India, around Rs 17 lakh crore has been transferred in the bank accounts of beneficiaries under various schemes, Modi said.
During interaction with the Prime Minister, Suhani Sahu (a class 5 student from Balrampur, Uttar Pradesh) shared her experiences about the DIKSHA app and explained how it had helped her in continuing her studies.
Be it driving licence, birth certificate, paying electricity bill, paying water bill, filing income tax return, for many such tasks, now the processes have become very easy, very fast with the help of Digital India. And all this is happening in villages, in Common Service Centres (CSCs) near people's homes, Modi observed.
Launched on July 1, 2015, Digital India builds on the concept of minimum government, maximum governance and has led to opportunities for all, facility for all, and participation of all . It has enabled people's access to the government system, made services and processes transparent, non-discriminatory, and attacked corruption.
The Prime Minister explained how Digital India is empowering the common citizen by reducing the gap between government and people, system and facilities, and problems and solutions.
He cited an example of how Digilocker has helped millions of people especially during the pandemic by providing a digital storage facility for school certificates, medical documents and other important certificates.
On One Nation One Ration Card, Modi commended the Supreme Court for asking all the states to implement the initiative. He said the One Nation One Ration Card initiative is benefitting people who travel to other states for work.
Expressing satisfaction over the successful outcomes of Digital India, Modi said the programme has helped the country during the pandemic period.
At a time when developed countries were unable to send aid money to their citizens due to the lockdown, India was sending thousands of crores of rupees directly to the bank accounts of the people leveraging technology, he said.
Under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, Rs 1.35 lakh crore have been deposited directly into the bank account of more than 10 crore farmer families, and that Digital India has realised the spirit of One Nation, One MSP, he added.
Modi highlighted that 2.5 lakh CSCs had helped take the Internet to remote areas. Under Bharat Net scheme, work is underway on a mission mode to bring broadband internet to the villages.
Through PM WANI, access points are being created so that rural youth can connect with high-speed internet for better services and education. Also, 5G technology will bring significant changes in the world, and India is preparing itself to make the most of this opportunity.
IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad was also present on the occasion.
He said Digital India had played a crucial role in citizen services and resolved that the movement forward will be taken forward by leveraging futuristic technologies like Artificial Intelligence and blockchain.
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Sharad Pawar's 'merger with Cong' remark shows it's difficult for him to run his party,says Fadnavis
Mumbai, May 8: NCP founder Sharad Pawar's remark on regional parties' possible merger with the Congress shows it has become difficult for him to manage his own party, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Wednesday.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde latched on to Pawar's comment to target Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, saying the latter has already become "Congress-minded".
Another leader of the ruling 'Mahayuti' in Maharashtra said Pawar's remarks reflect that ground was slipping from under his feet in his home turf Baramati and the only option before him was merging his party with the Congress.
In an interview to The Indian Express, Pawar said that in the next couple of years, several regional parties will associate more closely with the Congress or may look at the option of merger with it if they believe that is best for their party.
To a question if that applied to his own party, Pawar told the newspaper that he doesn't see any difference between the Congress and his party because both belong to the Gandhi, Nehru line of thinking.
Pawar made it clear that any decision on strategy or the next step will be taken collectively. He also said that his party is close to the Congress ideologically and that Uddhav Thackeray is positive about working together with like-minded parties.
Asked about Pawar's remark, Shinde said the Shiv Sena (UBT) has already become Congress-minded.
"Pawar is a big leader and he makes such statements. But the Sena (UBT) faction has already become Congress as they speak the language of the Congress and Pakistan," Shinde, who heads the ruling Shiv Sena, said.
"Just the formality (of merger between them) is remaining," he added.
Fadnavis said that through his remark, Pawar might be suggesting that it was difficult for him to run his party and hence he may opt to merge it with the Congress.
"It is nothing new because Pawar has formed new parties and later merged them with the Congress," he said.
Former Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam, who recently rejoined the ruling Shiv Sena led by CM Shinde, said Pawar has been thinking about merging his party with the Congress for a long time and even the Congress had given the proposal to this effect to him.
"But Congress rejected the proposal to entrust the leadership to Supriya Sule. Pawar's fresh comment suggests that the ground is slipping from under his feet in Baramati. Even if that is not the case, he has no option but merge his party with Congress which will be seen as a merger of two loss-making companies," the former MP said.
BJP leader Prasad Lad asked whether the Sena (UBT) will merge with the Congress along with the Sharad Pawar-led party.
"Uddhav Thackeray has stopped saying 'My Hindu brothers and sisters' at the outset of his speeches. He has become friends with those who criticise Veer Savarkar. Only time will tell whether Thackeray will merge his party with Congress," he said.
NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule said her father made a generic statement.
Leader of Opposition in the state assembly and senior Congress leader Vijay Waddetiwar said there was truth in what Pawar said.
"He has a long-term vision. People are fed up with the dictatorial regime and want a change of guard," he said, targeting the BJP-led government.
Chhagan Bhujbal of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP said he doesn't think regional parties will merge with the Congress.
"They are strong in their respective states and have formed governments in West Bengal and Odisha," he said, referring to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD).
The NCP founded by Sharad Pawar in 1999 split in July 2023 after his nephew Ajit Pawar rebelled against him and joined the Eknath Shinde-led government. The Election Commission and assembly speaker later recognised the Ajit Pawar-led faction as the "real NCP" and allotted the clock symbol to it, while the NCP (SP) group was given 'man blowing turha' as the symbol.
