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.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Marxism will remain relevant despite Left electoral's losses, says general secretary M A Baby
New Delhi (PTI): CPI(M) General Secretary M A Baby on Thursday asserted that the Left movement would remain relevant despite not being in power in any state, saying the ideology would continue to endure as long as social and economic inequalities persist.
Hitting back at BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar over his reported remarks that Marxism had become irrelevant, Baby, in an interview with PTI Videos, said, "So long as there is division in society, so long as there is exploitation of the majority of workers, peasants and ordinary masses by a handful of billionaires, Marxism will remain relevant."
"That perhaps Mr Rajeev Chandrasekhar may not be able to understand, but this is the fact of the matter," he said.
Baby acknowledged that the CPI(M)-led Left was currently without an elected government in any state, but maintained that electoral setbacks would not diminish the movement's role.
"We may not have an elected government in any state. There were occasions when we didn't have a government. But the red flag and the commitment to organise and struggle for the rights of the dispossessed, marginalised and exploited will always be upheld by CPI(M) and the Left movement," he said.
He said the Left continued to enjoy support among workers, peasants, agricultural labourers, youth, students and women, and argued that the movement remained necessary because "oppression and assault" continued in society.
"So long as such problems exist in society, the red flag and the working class movement will continue to work among the masses," the Left leader said.
Exuding confidence on the Left's revival, Baby said the party would reflect on the reasons behind its electoral loss.
"We may be rejected in one election, but we will stage our comeback by understanding what went wrong with us," he said, adding, "We will listen to people and we will come back with higher strength."
Baby also criticised the Congress over reported factional tensions in Kerala after the Congress-led United Democratic Front's victory in the state.
"The way they are behaving is being watched by the people of Kerala," he said, referring to infighting within the Congress.
"Those who have given a massive majority to Congress and UDF would be watching all this," he added, while urging party leaders to "settle the problem in an amicable, democratic manner".
Referring to West Bengal, Baby alleged that violence had escalated following the BJP's victory in the state assembly polls.
"It is quite unfortunate that the moment BJP snatched a massive victory in West Bengal, violence has also started on a big scale," he said.
He also accused the Trinamool Congress of being "notorious for violent activities" and alleged that the "RSS-controlled BJP" had "unleashed violence in many places" after the election results.
"This is not good for Bengal, not good for the country. We wish and hope that normalcy would be restored as soon as possible," he said.
Baby said the CPI(M) and the Left in West Bengal would continue efforts to "pacify people" and avoid violence and confrontation.
Asked about former Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan not reacting publicly to the election results, Baby said Vijayan would respond "at an appropriate time".
