Tech use will help India become developed nation by 2047: PM Modi
New Delhi (PTI): Technology will help India achieve the target of becoming a developed nation by 2047, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday, as he outlined the massive and modern digital infrastructure being created to ensure that benefits of digital revolution reach all citizens.
Addressing a post-Budget webinar on 'Unleashing the Potential: Ease of Living Using Technology', Modi said the government wants to reduce the cost of compliance of small businesses, and asked the industry to formulate a list of unnecessary compliances that can be pruned.
"We want to reduce the compliance cost of small businesses. Can you (industry) formulate a list of unnecessary compliances that can be pruned. We have finished 40,000 compliances," Modi said.
India is creating a modern digital infrastructure, and ensuring that benefits of digital revolution reach every section of the society, he noted.
Citing certain examples, he said technology is being used to make the tax system faceless to address problems of taxpayers.
Technologies like 5G and AI (Artificial Intelligence) are leading conversations now and poised to transform areas like medicine, education, agriculture, and many other sectors, Modi said adding technology formed the base of One Nation One Ration, and the JAM (Jan Dhan Yojana, Aadhaar and Mobile number) trinity helped in giving benefits to the poor.
"Now between your grievances and the redressal there is no person, just technology," he said.
The prime minister exhorted stakeholders to identify 10 problem areas facing the common man which can be solved using AI. He said the 21st century is technology-driven, and one cannot restrict it to just digital, and internet technology.
"Every budget in the past few years has stressed the ease of living for people with the help of technology. In this year's budget also, the priority is given to technology and a human touch," he said.
He also said the government interventions have now been reduced and citizens do not consider the government to be an obstacle. The prime minister asked various departments to collectively think about using technology for solving their problems and reaching global standards.
"Going a step further, we can identify the areas where dialogue with the government can be further eased," he added.
Further, he emphasised on the need to keep updating the training process under 'Mission Karmayogi' and highlighted that with modifications based on the feedback from the citizens, significant improvement can be witnessed.
Modi suggested creating a system where feedback can be easily submitted to improve the training. Citing examples of the use of technology in the government, he mentioned the Digilocker services for entities where companies and organizations can store their documents and also share them with government agencies. He suggested exploring ways to expand these services so that more people can benefit from them.
Further, Modi stressed on the need to brainstorm and identify the obstacles faced by MSMEs.
"The lack of trust between the government and the people is the result of a mindset of slavery," he remarked and pointed out that the government has won back the trust of the citizens by decriminalizing petty offences and becoming a loan guarantor for MSMEs.
Highlighting the role of technology, Modi pointed out that technology can help create a finished product that can help in capturing the global market. The success of the budget or any government policy, he said, depends on how well it is prepared but also highlighted the importance of people's cooperation.
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Deletions impossible without due process: CEC refutes claims of electoral roll manipulation
New Delhi, Jan 7: Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Tuesday dismissed allegations of manipulation in electoral roll, saying no deletion can occur without thorough documentation, field verification, and giving the concerned individual an opportunity to be heard.
He emphasised that the process for additions and deletions is transparent, rigorous, and immune to arbitrary changes.
Speaking at a press conference to announce the schedule for Delhi assembly polls, the chief election commissioner (CEC) said, "Every step of the electoral roll process is rooted in transparency and accountability. Deletion of names is not possible without adhering to strict protocols, and every party has the right to raise objections at various stages."
Kumar also detailed the comprehensive process governing the maintenance of electoral roll.
For additions, names are included only after thorough foot-and-field verification by booth-level officers (BLOs), he said.
"Regular meetings are held with the representatives of political parties, who have the right to appoint booth-level agents (BLAs). Weekly lists of claims and objections are shared, and both draft and final rolls are published on the Election Commission's website. Polling station rationalisation is also carried out with the consultation of all the stakeholders," the CEC said.
"There are 70 processes related to the election process whether it is electoral roll, counting, polling agents, or political parties - any process whatsoever - are entirely detailed on our website. Complete guidelines have been circulated to political parties," he said.
On deletions, Kumar clarified that they are processed only through Form 7 or Form B, following strict guidelines.
"Mandatory field verification is conducted by the BLOs, and in cases where deletions exceed 2 per cent of a polling station's voter list, cross-verification is done. Deletions due to death require a certified death certificate, and a seven-day window is provided for objections after notices are published online. Also, the affected voters are given the opportunity for a personal hearing before their names are removed," he said.
"No deletion can occur without thorough documentation, field verification, and giving the concerned individual an opportunity to be heard," Kumar reiterated.
The CEC also pointed out that claims and objections are not only reviewed, but also shared with all the political parties and made accessible online to ensure transparency.
Criticising the tendency to question the integrity of the electoral process only during elections, the CEC argued that allegations of mass deletions are misleading without evidence and undermine public trust in the system.
"Where every vote matters, raising doubts about deletion of thousands of names without evidence is misleading. The processes we follow leave no room for manipulation," he stated.
The CEC's comments came in the backdrop of recent allegations made by Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, who claimed the voter list in the New Delhi assembly constituency had been tampered with to influence the upcoming elections.
Atishi also called for an immediate inquiry into the matter, alleging large-scale deletions to manipulate the electoral outcome.
