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The First Step Towards transforming into a Digital India!

Digital India is a massive campaign that the Government of India launched in the year 2015. The implementation of this would give easy access to government services in different regions of the country. This Digital India essay in English is for the students of Class 5 and above. This essay on Digital India in English is written in an easy-to-understand manner for a better understanding of the students. Students should read the following long essay on Digital India to be able to write an essay on Digital India in 1000 words on their own.  

In the same way, the below written short essay on Digital India will help the students write an essay on digital India in 500 words on their own. 

Long Essay on Digital India  

The “Digital India” campaign was launched by the government of India to uplift the usage of technology in India. The objective was to make Government services easily available to the citizens electronically by improving its online infrastructure all over the country. The process would be structured to increase internet connectivity to make the country digitally empowered. It helps to reach out to the masses and encourages them to use technology in their daily lives. Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi launched the campaign on July 1, 2015. The initiative aims at connecting rural India with the help of high-speed internet connectivity. 

There are three components at the core of the “Digital India” campaign. 

Creation of Digital Infrastructure  

To be able to deploy various digital services across the country, it is necessary to create a strong digital infrastructure, especially in rural areas of the country. The interior regions of the country either have very little or mostly do not have any electronic network. This is the reason behind establishing a digital network across the country. Bharat Broadband Network Limited, the governmental body that is responsible for the execution of the National Optical Fiber Network project is responsible for the Digital India project as well. Bharat Net aims to connect 2,50,500 gram panchayats across the country to a high-speed internet network via an optical fiber network. 4,00,000 internet points will be established all across the country as part of the program, from which anybody will be able to access the internet. 

Delivery of Digital Service  

A major component of the Digital India campaign is to deliver government services and other essential services digitally. It is easier to change the way of delivering services from physical to digital. Many services of the Government of India were digitized under the Digital India Campaign. 

All ministries would be linked under this scheme, and all departments will be able to reach out to the people with fundamental services like health care, banking, education, scholarships, gas cylinders, water and electricity bills, and judicial services. The daily monetary transactions of people were also converted into digital mode. To ensure transparency in the transactions and curb corruption all the money transactions are being made online, and are supported by one-time passwords. 

Digital Literacy  

For full participation of the people of India, the competency that they need to have is called Digital Literacy. The basic behavior, knowledge, and skills required to effectively use digital devices are mandatory. Desktop PCs, laptops, tablets, and smartphones are the digital devices used for the purpose of communicating, expressing, collaborating, and advocating. The mission of Digital Literacy will be covering over six crore rural households. 

With the Digital India Programme, the Government of India is hoping to achieve all-around growth on multiple fronts collectively. The objective of the Government is to target the nine ‘Pillars of Digital India’ that are identified as follows. 

Broadband Highways 

Universal Access to Mobile Connectivity 

Public Interest Access Programme 

E-Governance 

E-Kranti 

Global Information 

Electronics Manufacturing 

Training in Information Technology for Jobs 

Early Harvest Programmes

To directly benefit the citizens of all future government schemes. 

The awareness of the importance of technology has been successfully created among the masses of India by the Digital India campaign. There has been a vast growth in the usage of the internet and technology in the past few years. The Panchkula district in Haryana was awarded the best and top performing district under the Digital India campaign on the 28 th of December 2015. 

So far, services such as digital lockers, my government website, e-education, scholarships, pensions, ration cards, PAN cards, Aadhar cards, e-insurance, and e-health have been made accessible under this plan. The goal has been established for the Digital India project to be completely implemented by 2019. 

Technology giants from all over the world paid attention to the Digital India campaign and are readily and happily supporting the initiative. Even Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook, had changed his profile picture to support Digital India. He started a trend on Facebook and promised to get the WiFi Hotspots in rural India working. Google started on its commitment to providing broadband connectivity at 500 railway stations in India. Microsoft agreed on providing broadband connectivity to 5,00,000 villages in the country. Microsoft is also making India its cloud hub via the Indian data centers. Oracle planned on investing in 20 states to work on Smart City initiatives and payments. 

Some of the digital frameworks that are established under this scheme are given here: 

Accessible India Campaign and Mobile App  - It is also known as Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan. Its principal goal is to make all services open to individuals with disabilities. 

Mygov.in  - This forum allows users to voice their thoughts on the government's administration strategy. It has been implemented so that locals may actively participate. 

Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance (UMANG)  - This mobile platform can be used on any device. This software is available in a variety of Indian languages. This software allows users to access a variety of services. Education portals, a digital locker, Aadhar, tax, and train ticket purchasing are among the services available. 

Agri market App  - It was created to make agricultural prices known to farmers and discourage them from selling too soon. 

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao - Ensuring the welfare and nurturing of a girl child and also making sure that every girl child attends school. 

Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) - It makes payments quickly, easily, and simply through the Unified Payment Interface (UPI). It also allows the bank to accept instant payments and money collections using mobile phone numbers. 

Crop Insurance Mobile App - Used to calculate crop insurance premiums depending on numerous characteristics such as area or loan amount, if a loan is taken out. 

E-Hospital - It's an HMIS (Hospital Management Information System) for hospitals' internal workflows and operations. 

E-Pathshala - The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) created it to make all educational resources, such as books and videos, available online. 

EPFO Web Portal and Mobile App - Allow workers to check the amount of their provident fund using an e-passbook, which is a virtual equivalent of a real passbook. 

Start-up India Portal and Mobile App - It is a government of India program to encourage entrepreneurs to develop businesses (start-ups) in the country to expand sustainably. 

Benefits of Digital India

It makes health care and literacy more accessible since one may use a hospital service to receive online registration, a doctor's appointment, payment of the charge, a diagnostic test, and a blood test, among other things. 

It allows consumers to submit their paperwork and certifications online from anywhere, reducing the amount of physical work required. 

Citizens can digitally sign their records online to sign the framework. 

It benefits the beneficiaries of the National Scholarship Portal by allowing them to submit applications, have them verified, and then be paid or disbursed. 

BSNL's next-generation network will replace 30-year-old telephone exchanges for improved administration of online services on mobile devices like voice, data, multimedia, etc. 

Flexible electronics will be promoted with the support of the National Center for Flexible Electronics. 

As all transactions are completed through the digital method, it also aids in the reduction of black marketing. 

Write a Short Essay on Digital India  

A very ambitious initiative called Digital India got launched on a Wednesday, the 1 st of July in the year 2015 at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Delhi. Various top industrialists like Cyrus Mistry- the then Tata Group Chairman, Mukesh Ambani– Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance India Limited, Azim Premji– Chairman of Wipro were all present at the launch. They all shared how they plan on bringing a digital revolution to the masses of India in cities and villages. 

The execution of this program is expected to cost around one lakh crore rupees. However, Mr. Ambani, Chairman, and CEO of the Reliance Group have made a significant effort by spending 2.5 lakh crore on the digital India initiative. Many different events were held along with the IT companies to aid more than 600 districts in India. The digital India program was a big step taken by the Government of India to transform India into a digitally empowered country. 

Several schemes have been launched around this plan which are worth more than one lakh crores. They are e-health, e-sign, e-education, national scholarship portal, Digital Locker, etc. The program is such which would benefit both the consumers and the providers of the services. Free WiFi will be available in 2.4 lakh schools and institutions under this scheme so that students may work online without difficulty. A goal has been established for 1.7 lakh persons to be employed as part of this initiative. 

Summary  

A digitally connected India is aimed at the growth of the social and economic status of the masses in the country. The development of non-agricultural economic activities could pave the path for such an achievement, for providing access to financial services, health, and education. Information and Communication Technology alone cannot directly impact the overall development of a country. Basic digital infrastructure could help achieve overall development. 

Literacy and regulatory business environments also could help achieve the same. It will be a very profitable approach because it relieves the burden of spending time on paperwork and allows people to dedicate their time to other aspects of government. It is extremely efficient and beneficial for government employees who operate on a big scale.

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FAQs on Digital India

Q1. What is Digital India?

It is an initiative taken by the Government of India to provide government services to citizens electronically, create digitally literate citizens, and eventually transform India into a digitally empowered economy.

Q2. Mention the Benefits of using a Digi Locker.

A Digi Locker eliminates the usage of physical documents and enables the sharing of verified documents electronically in a secure manner across government organizations.

Q3. Which Indians have played a big role in the global digital transformation?

Much like Narendra Modi, who officially launched the Digital India project in India, leaders like Nandan Nilekani, Sanjeev Bikhchandani, Ruchi Sanghvi, Ben Gomes, and Rikin Gandhi have put India on the map of digital leaders and have played a big part in the global digital transformation.

Q4. In what areas is India expected to develop even more digitally in the future?

Fields like education, telecommunication, business operations, healthcare, and hospitality are areas where India is slowly but steadily transforming into a digital model.

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Essay on Digital India

Students are often asked to write an essay on Digital India in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Digital India

Introduction to digital india.

Digital India is a campaign launched by the Indian Government to ensure that government services are made available to citizens electronically. It aims to digitally empower the country.

Objectives of Digital India

The main objective of Digital India is to provide all services electronically and improve the way citizens interact with the government. It aims to make India a digitally empowered society.

Impact of Digital India

Digital India has made services like banking, education, and healthcare easier to access. It has also created job opportunities and improved the economy.

Digital India is a significant step towards a digital future. It has the potential to transform India into a digitally empowered society.

250 Words Essay on Digital India

Introduction.

Digital India, a flagship program initiated by the Government of India, is a transformative campaign that aims to digitally empower the country and bridge the digital divide. This initiative, launched in 2015, seeks to ensure that government services are made available to citizens electronically, thereby improving the quality of life through digital means.

Objectives and Implementation

The three core components of Digital India are digital infrastructure as a utility to every citizen, governance and services on demand, and digital empowerment of citizens. The program’s implementation is centered around these pillars, focusing on providing high-speed internet as a core utility, ensuring secure cyberspace, and granting universal digital literacy.

Impacts and Outcomes

Digital India has had significant impacts on various sectors. The digitalization of services has led to increased transparency and efficiency, reducing corruption and improving service delivery. The digital literacy drive has empowered citizens, especially in rural areas, to access and use digital services.

Challenges and Future Prospects

Despite its successes, Digital India faces challenges such as digital illiteracy, lack of infrastructure, and data security issues. However, with continued investment and focus on these areas, the initiative has the potential to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy.

Digital India is a revolutionary step towards creating a digitally inclusive society. It has the potential to redefine the relationship between the government and its citizens, making governance more transparent, accountable, and participatory. The journey is challenging, but the outcomes can reshape India’s socio-economic landscape.

500 Words Essay on Digital India

Digital india: a vision of empowerment, objective and strategy.

The primary objective of Digital India is to create a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. It aims to provide digital infrastructure as a utility to every citizen, governance and services on demand, and digital empowerment of citizens.

The strategy to achieve this vision is twofold. Firstly, it involves creating a robust digital infrastructure that can support the delivery of a multitude of services. Secondly, it involves digitally empowering citizens by enhancing digital literacy, digital resources, and institutional training.

Impact on Society and Economy

Challenges and opportunities.

Despite the promising prospects, Digital India faces several challenges. These include inadequate digital infrastructure in rural areas, a lack of digital literacy among the populace, and data security concerns. However, these challenges also present opportunities for growth and development.

Future Prospects

Moreover, the push for digital payments and e-commerce under Digital India can transform the economic landscape by promoting cashless transactions and boosting online trade.

Digital India is a visionary initiative that holds the potential to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. While it faces challenges, the opportunities it presents are immense. By leveraging these opportunities and overcoming the challenges, Digital India can play a pivotal role in shaping India’s future.

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Essay on Digital India

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digital india reality or myth essay

In the dynamic landscape of the 21st century, India is rapidly embracing the digital revolution, marking a transformative journey towards progress and inclusivity. The vision of a 'Digital India' is not merely a slogan but a comprehensive initiative that seeks to harness the power of technology to propel the nation into a new era of development.

At its core, Digital India is a government-led program that aims to ensure that government services are made available to all citizens electronically. It envisions the creation of a digitally empowered society where access to information, services, and opportunities is not limited by geographical constraints. This ambitious initiative encompasses various domains, from e-governance and digital infrastructure to the widespread use of digital technologies in sectors like education, healthcare, and agriculture.

One of the key pillars of Digital India is the promotion of digital literacy, recognizing that the true potential of technology can only be harnessed when citizens are equipped with the knowledge to navigate the digital realm. Schools, colleges, and vocational training centers are being roped in to impart essential digital skills, ensuring that individuals from all walks of life can actively participate in the digital transformation.

The advent of smartphones and the increasing penetration of the internet have played a pivotal role in shaping the Digital India landscape. Mobile applications and online platforms have made it easier for citizens to access government services, pay bills, and participate in various digital initiatives. The digital push is not limited to urban areas, as efforts are being made to bridge the digital divide and bring the benefits of technology to rural and remote regions.

Digital India is not just about technology; it's about creating a more efficient, transparent, and inclusive governance model. Through the use of technology, the government aims to minimize bureaucratic hurdles, reduce corruption, and enhance the overall quality of service delivery. As India marches towards a digital future, the vision of Digital India stands as a testament to the transformative power of technology in shaping the destiny of a nation.

Why is the Essay on Digital India Important for Your Exams? 

The Essay on Digital India is crucial for exams because it reflects a significant and ongoing transformation in our country. Understanding and writing about Digital India can help students showcase their awareness of contemporary issues and their ability to analyze the impact of technology on society.

Firstly, Digital India is a flagship government initiative, and exams often include questions related to current affairs and government policies. Being familiar with Digital India allows students to address questions about the government's efforts in harnessing technology for national development. It demonstrates an awareness of real-world issues and an ability to connect classroom learning to the practical aspects of governance.

Moreover, the essay provides an opportunity for students to showcase their understanding of technology's role in shaping the future. As we live in an increasingly digital world, the ability to articulate thoughts on how technology influences various aspects of life, from education to healthcare, is a valuable skill. Exams often evaluate a student's capacity to think critically and express opinions coherently, and the Digital India essay provides a platform to demonstrate these skills.

Additionally, the essay on Digital India is relevant for exams because it covers a broad spectrum of topics, including digital literacy, e-governance, and the use of technology in different sectors. This allows students to exhibit a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter. Exams may include questions that require students to discuss the challenges and benefits of a digital society, and the essay equips them with the knowledge to tackle such questions effectively.

An essay on Digital India is essential for exams as it aligns with the contemporary issues shaping our nation. It provides students with an opportunity to showcase their awareness, critical thinking skills, and the ability to analyze the implications of technological advancements in society. Embracing the topic enhances a student's overall preparedness for exams that encompass a wide range of subjects and current affairs.

Long and Short Essay on Digital India

Essay on digital india 1 (100 words) .

On July 1, 2015, the comprehensive Digital India initiative was unveiled at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, Delhi, aiming to revolutionize technology access from cities to villages. Notable industrialists like Cyrus Mistry, Mukesh Ambani, and Azim Premji contributed to its launch, emphasizing a digital revolution for all. This ambitious program, spanning 600 districts, signifies a significant government effort toward a digitally empowered nation. With schemes exceeding Rs 1 lakh crore, including Digital Locker, e-health, e-education, national scholarship portal, and e-sign, Digital India stands as a pivotal step in transforming India into a technologically advanced and inclusive society.

Essay on Digital India 2 (150 words)

Digital India, initiated by the Indian government, strives to transform the nation into a digitally empowered entity, reducing paperwork and providing efficient electronic government services. Launched on July 1, 2015, this endeavor aims to bridge the digital gap, especially in rural areas, by connecting people to high-speed internet networks. The program's pillars include the establishment of digital infrastructure, promotion of digital literacy, and nationwide digital service delivery.

With a target completion year of 2019, Digital India not only saves time and manpower but also benefits both service providers and consumers. To ensure effective implementation, a Digital India advisory group, chaired by the Ministry of Communications and IT, oversees and regulates the program's progress. By emphasizing accessibility, efficiency, and connectivity, Digital India stands as a transformative initiative poised to shape a more digitally inclusive future for the nation.

Essay on Digital India 3 (200 words) 

Digital India, a groundbreaking initiative launched on July 1, 2015, at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Delhi, is a visionary campaign led by the government of India. Spearheaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this project, approved at a staggering Rs 1 lakh crore, aspires to transform India into a global exemplar of efficient governance. The anticipated completion date is set for 2019, with the ambition of realizing Modi's dream of serving the Indian populace through e-governance.

At its core, Digital India seeks to streamline government services, reduce paperwork, enhance efficiency, and save time. The project's significance extends beyond urban areas, reaching into rural regions by connecting remote villages with high-speed internet services. The supervision of this comprehensive endeavor rests with the Prime Minister, reflecting its paramount importance.

Digital India promises to be a catalyst for growth and development, particularly in rural sectors. By providing widespread internet access, it enables citizens to enhance their knowledge and skills. The initiative is a beacon of hope, particularly for villagers who grapple with time-consuming and costly paperwork. Anchored by nine pillars, including broadband highways, mobile connectivity, e-Governance, and IT for jobs, Digital India emerges as an upgraded version of the National e-Governance Plan, aiming to propel the nation into a digitally empowered and connected future.

Essay on Digital India 4 (250 words) 

Digital India, initiated on July 1, 2015, during a digital week that extended from the 1st to the 7th of July, is a transformative endeavor by the Indian government. The aim is to position India as a digitally empowered and knowledgeable global player. This interconnected project involves various governmental departments, including IT, education, and agriculture, working collaboratively to ensure comprehensive success. Spearheaded by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Digital India stands as a golden opportunity for the nation's progress when executed effectively.

From the project's inception, the state government envisioned providing high-speed internet connections to nearly 250,000 villages and residential areas across the country. The pivotal role played by the "Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL)" in this initiative is commendable.

Digital India promises efficient and speedy digitization of data, reducing paperwork, saving manpower, and optimizing time. The collaboration between the government and private sectors is crucial for the project's acceleration. Villages connected through high-speed networks are poised for a significant transformation, evolving from backward regions to digitally equipped hubs.

The impact of Digital India extends beyond urban centers, permeating cities, towns, and villages, fostering a tech-savvy environment. With a targeted completion year of 2019 and substantial investments from leading companies, both national and international, the project is set to redefine India's technological landscape. Notably, Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani has pledged a substantial investment of around 2.5 lakh crore in the Digital India project, underscoring the private sector's commitment to this digital transformation journey.

Essay on Digital India 5 (300 words)

Digital India, launched on July 1, 2015, by the Government of India, is a visionary campaign with the overarching goal of transforming India into a fully digitalized nation. This initiative seeks to empower Indian society digitally by fostering collaboration between government departments and leading companies, both national and international.

Three Pillars of Vision:

Digital Infrastructure as a Utility:

Digital infrastructure, akin to a utility, is envisioned to provide high-speed internet access across the country. This aims to make government services easily accessible and fast for the citizens. The initiative focuses on providing a lifelong, unique, online, and authentic digital identity, enabling online services such as banking, financial management, secure cyber-space, education, and distance learning.

Real-Time Services and Good Governance:

The demand for good governance drives the digitization of services, making them available in real time. This transformation encourages online business by simplifying financial transactions, making them electronic and cashless. The emphasis is on creating an efficient and transparent system through digital means.

Digital Empowerment and Literacy:

Digital empowerment of Indian citizens is a key aspect of the program, promoting digital literacy through universally accessible digital resources. It facilitates online submission of required documents or certificates, eliminating the need for physical visits to schools, colleges, offices, or any organization.

Aims of the Digital India Program:

The implementation of the Digital India program aligns with specific aims to propel the nation into a digitally advanced future:

Broadband Highways: Ensuring the establishment of robust broadband networks.

Universal Access to Mobile Phones: Making mobile phones accessible to all.

High-Speed Internet for All: Facilitating widespread access to high-speed Internet.

E-Governance: Reforming government services through digitization.

E-Kranti: Electronic delivery of services to citizens.

Online Information for All: Making information available online for universal access.

More IT Jobs: Creating opportunities for employment in the Information Technology sector.

Digital India is not just a program; it's a transformative journey toward a digitally inclusive and advanced India, where technology catalyzes progress and development.

Essay on Digital India 5 (400 words)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the ambitious Digital India project on July 1, 2015, marking a significant stride toward the growth and development of the nation. This initiative is designed to harness the power of digital technology for good governance and employment generation. The Digital India week, spanning from July 1 to July 7, witnessed its inauguration by the Prime Minister in the presence of esteemed ministerial colleagues and CEOs of leading companies.

Key Objectives of Digital India:

Digital Locker System and Reduced Paperwork:

Digital India introduces a digital locker system, minimizing the reliance on physical documents and encouraging e-sharing through registered repositories. This not only enhances efficiency but also contributes to environmental sustainability by reducing paper consumption.

Engaging Citizens in Governance:

The campaign provides an effective online platform for citizen engagement in governance through approaches like "Discuss, Do, and Disseminate." This fosters a sense of participation and transparency in government processes.

Achievement of Online Goals:

Digital India is designed to accomplish various online goals set by the government, promoting a seamless and efficient digital environment.

Online Submission of Documents:

Facilitating the submission of documents and certificates online eliminates the need for physical paperwork, streamlining processes and saving time.

e-Sign Framework:

The e-Sign framework enables citizens to digitally sign their documents online, adding a layer of security and convenience to the authentication process.

Revolutionizing Healthcare Services:

The e-hospital system under Digital India revolutionizes healthcare services, allowing online registration, doctor appointments, fee payments, and even diagnostic tests. This enhances accessibility and efficiency in the healthcare sector.

National Scholarship Portal:

The National Scholarship Portal streamlines the scholarship application process, from submission to verification, sanction, and disbursal, benefiting the recipients.

Efficient Service Delivery:

Digital India serves as a comprehensive platform for the efficient delivery of government and private services to citizens across the country, promoting accessibility and inclusivity.

Bharat Net Program:

The Bharat Net program, a high-speed digital highway, aims to connect nearly 250,000 gram panchayats, bringing connectivity to rural areas and fostering digital inclusion.

Outsourcing Policy and BSNL's Initiatives:

The introduction of an outsourcing policy supports the Digital India initiative, and BSNL's Next Generation Network will enhance the management of online services on mobile, including voice, data, and multimedia.

National Centre for Flexible Electronics:

The establishment of the National Centre for Flexible Electronics contributes to the promotion of flexible electronics, fostering innovation and technological advancement.

Broadband Highways and Wi-Fi Hotspots:

The Broadband Highways initiative addresses connectivity-related challenges, and the large-scale deployment of Wi-Fi hotspots by BSNL further enhances internet accessibility throughout the country.

Open Access to Broadband Highways:

Ensuring open access to broadband highways in cities, towns, and villages facilitates the availability of world-class services with just a click, bridging the digital divide and bringing the benefits of technology to every corner of the nation.

Digital India is not just a project; it's a vision that envisions a digitally empowered and connected India, fostering progress, efficiency, and inclusivity for all its citizens.

Essay on Digital India 6 (500 words) 

Launched on July 1, 2015, by the Indian government, the Digital India initiative stands as a monumental leap towards creating a digitally empowered society and a knowledge-centric economy. This visionary endeavor reflects India's commitment to harnessing technology for comprehensive societal transformation.

Efficiency through Digital Governance:

At the heart of Digital India is the mission to reduce paperwork and establish a digital platform for government services. This move not only enhances governance efficiency and transparency but also holds the promise of being a game-changer for rural communities. The reduction in paperwork translates to saved time, reduced administrative burdens, and a notable decrease in the likelihood of errors.

Building a Robust Digital Infrastructure:

Digital India places a strong emphasis on constructing a robust digital infrastructure that serves as a core utility for every citizen. This infrastructure aims to ensure uninterrupted connectivity even in the remotest corners of the country, with a particular focus on providing high-speed internet access in rural areas. The Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL) plays a pivotal role in spearheading this mission, working towards establishing high-speed digital highways across India's diverse topography.

Promoting Digital Literacy:

An integral aspect of the initiative is the promotion of digital literacy. By championing universal access to digital resources, Digital India aims to empower individuals from all socio-economic backgrounds with essential online navigation skills. This, in turn, facilitates easy access to crucial services like e-health, e-education, and e-governance.

Investment and Stakeholder Support:

Under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Digital India has garnered substantial investments from national and international stakeholders. Industry leaders have pledged their support, recognizing the project's potential to redefine India's developmental trajectory. Beyond technological advancements, the program emphasizes the crucial role of digital literacy in shaping an informed and empowered citizenry. The seamless delivery of electronic services ensures that every Indian has unrestricted access to information and opportunities.

E-Governance: A Transformative Model:

The e-Governance model within the project is particularly commendable. Envisioning a digitized administrative landscape, services ranging from scholarship applications to medical appointments are transitioning online. This shift enhances ease of access and expedites processes, laying the foundation for a responsive administrative apparatus.

Job Opportunities in the Digital Landscape:

A significant ripple effect of this digital-first approach is the anticipated surge in IT-centric job opportunities. As India expands its digital footprint, there will be an unprecedented demand for IT professionals and digital service providers. Emerging IT hubs and a burgeoning start-up culture stand as testaments to the potential growth, heralding a prosperous future for India's tech-savvy youth.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, Digital India transcends mere technological advancement; it represents a holistic vision for a resurgent India where digital empowerment is both the means and the end. As the nation progresses on this transformative journey, the horizon promises infinite potential, making Digital India not just a campaign but a clarion call for a brighter, inclusive future. The initiative embodies the spirit of progress, where technology acts as a catalyst for change, ensuring that no citizen is left behind in the digital age.

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Essay on Digital India for Students: 150, 250 and 500 Words

digital india reality or myth essay

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  • Mar 4, 2024

Essay on Digital India

Essay on Digital India: Digital India is a flagship program launched by the government of India on 1st July 2015. This programme aims to transform India into a digitally empowered society. To do this, the government has launched several initiatives and regional sub-schemes, such as the Digital India Mobile App, Digital India Portal, e-Governance, etc. Today, we will discuss some essay on digital India in 150, 250 and 500 words.

Master the art of essay writing with our blog on How to Write an Essay in English .

Table of Contents

  • 1 Essay on Digital India in 150 Words
  • 2.1 About the Digital India Scheme
  • 2.2 Aim of Digital India
  • 3.1 Objectives of the Digital India Scheme
  • 3.2 Key Vision Areas
  • 3.3 9 Pillars of Digital India
  • 3.4 Digital India Advantages

Essay on Digital India in 150 Words

Digital India is a central-government-backed scheme, launched in 2015. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched this scheme to transform India into a digitally empowered nation. This scheme will bring digital revolution to the entire country by providing easy access to digital services in remote and rural areas. 

The government launched several sub-schemes to support the digital revolution, such as the Digital India Portal, the National Optical Fibre Network, the National e-Governance Plan, etc. The Digital India scheme encompasses three key vision areas: 

  • Digital infrastructure is a core utility to every citizen.
  • Governance and services on demand.
  • Digital empowerment of citizens.

All the focused areas will benefit the consumer as well as the service providers. With the sub-schemes launched, the government will also provide access to WiFi connectivity in public places and government schools. This will make e-learning and online education accessible to everyone.

Also Read: Essay on Peer Pressure in 100, 200 and 350 Words

Essay on Digital India in 250 Words

The government of India launched the Digital India scheme in 2015 to transform the country into a digitally empowered and economically advanced nation. This flagship scheme was launched at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, Delhi. The country’s top industrialists, such as Cyrus Mistry (Former Chairman of Tata Group), Mukesh Ambani (Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance India Ltd.), Wipro’s Chairman Azim Premji, and others were present. 

About the Digital India Scheme

The government of India conducted a meeting of top-level industrialists and government officials to discuss the digital transformation of the country. The purpose of the meeting was the bring a digital revolution in India by making government services accessible to the remotest areas of the country. 

The government has invited private organisations to invest in the Digital India scheme. The execution cost of this flagship project was 1 lac crore rupees. This money was invested to develop government services and digital platforms so that people living in rural areas can have easy access.

Aim of Digital India

The aim of Digital India is simple; digital transformation of the national economy. However, to support this national-level scheme, the government has launched several parallel projects or sub-schemes. These schemes are:

  • National e-Governance Plan
  • Digital India Mobile App
  • Digital India Portal

All these sub-schemes will benefit the rural population, who have no access to the internet and government services. With its online learning and e-health platforms, the government has provided people with educational platforms, where people, especially rural people, can learn and benefit from government schemes.

Also Read: Essay on the Importance of Internet 

Essay on Digital India in 500 Words

On 1st July 2015, the government of India launched a massive nationwide scheme called the Digital India scheme. This meeting was attended by top government officials and India’s top industrialists, including Mr Mukesh Ambani, Cyprus Mistry (Former Chairman of Tata Group), and others. The Prime Minister declared the objective of this scheme; to make India a digitally advanced and self-reliant nation. 

Objectives of the Digital India Scheme

One of the primary objectives of this scheme is to provide digital access to all government services and online education. People will be able to connect with the government and understand the latest technological developments in the country. 

People living in rural areas will be provided with adequate infrastructure, where they can have access to government services like education, healthcare, banking, etc.

Digital India also aims to facilitate cultural innovation and entrepreneurship. Through the Make in India and Made in India initiatives, the government is creating a start-up-friendly environment. Entrepreneurs and young innovators are provided with loan facilities, subsidies and tax benefits. 

Key Vision Areas

The Digital India scheme has three key vision areas:

9 Pillars of Digital India

The digital India scheme rests on its 9 pillars. These pillars will help India achieve desirable growth in all sectors. e-Governance and the Digital India Programme were the major sub-schemes launched under the Digital India programme. These 9 pillars are:

  • e-Governance – Reforming Government through Technology
  • e-Kranti – Electronic delivery of services
  • Universal Access to Mobile Connectivity
  • Electronics Manufacturing
  • Broadband Highways
  • Global Information
  • Public Interest Access Programme
  • Early Harvest Programmes
  • IT for Jobs

The success of the entire programme relies on these 9 pillars and the participation of the people of India. The government will provide every necessary resource and tool to educate and empower its people. The government has aimed to cover 60 million rural households through the Digital Literacy mission.

Digital India Advantages

The Digital India scheme will provide easy access to the government through online platforms. It means people in rural areas won’t have to travel for hours to access government services. 

  • The e-Vidya scheme will give access to quality education in rural areas. Students can access free study materials and video lectures at domestic ease.
  • People will have easy access to healthcare services in government and private hospitals through the e-health platforms. People can easily have medical appointments and health check-ups, especially for elders with physical illnesses. 
  • Government services are also made accessible first-hand. Government services, such as Aadhar cards, voter ID cards and PAN cards can be easily accessed and linked through government websites.
  • Students can access social media platforms, such as X (Twitter), Facebook, WhatsApp, etc. where they can connect with different people and stay updated on the latest news and trends.

Digital India has the potential to transform the entire Indian society into a global economy. Everyone in the country must learn about this flagship programme to understand its objectives, impact and benefits. It will not only transform the Indian economy but will also have a positive impact on their future.

Also Read: Essay on Contribution of Technology in Education for School Students

Ans: Digital India is a central-government-backed scheme, launched in 2015. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched this scheme to transform India into a digitally empowered nation. This scheme will bring digital revolution to the entire country by providing easy access to digital services in remote and rural areas.

Ans: The Digital India scheme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 1st July 2015.

Ans: The Digital India scheme will provide easy access to e-learning and e-health services to students. Students living in rural areas can have access to online classes, study materials and video lectures. Students can access internet services and social media platforms, which will help them connect with the rest of the world and learn about new trends. 

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Essay on Digital India, Impact | Success, and Failure

By Anurag Chawake

essay on digital india

Essay on Digital India | Essay on Digital India in English, Overview, Benefits, Success and Failure

Digital india essay overview, objectives of digital india, digital infrastructure.

  • e-Governance

Digital Attendance

Umang (unified mobile application for new-age governance), the impact of the digital india project, digital india- success or failure.

In 2015, the Government of India launched a massive campaign named “ Digital India “. This was done to make the government services accessible in various parts of the country. The main aim was to improve access to technology to the people of the country.

The government worked on improving internet connectivity and made sure that it was easily accessible to the remote and rural parts of the country. One of the initiatives included a plan to connect the rural parts of the country with high-speed internet.

Digital India was launched on 1 July 2015, by the current Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi. The campaign drastically boosted the use of electronic services and products. The project is run by a Government entity called Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL).

Top Related – Essay on the importance of Computers in our life

The massive campaign is divided into three parts which hope to achieve the following objectives:

  • A stable, secure digital infrastructure connecting every part of the country
  • Easy access to online government services (e-Governance)
  • Digital literacy of the masses

The government of India wanted the rural public to make use of the internet and offer them access to various services online.

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With a population of over 130 crores, India is the second-largest populated country after China. The actual meaning of digital infrastructure is in reference to platforms where the citizens of the country will have a digital identity which will allow them to access government services easily.

Under this initiative, almost all services are made available online such as managing a bank account, long-distance learning, signing up for various government portals, storing documents digitally, etc.

The project is also working on providing high-speed internet access to all the rural parts of the country. This will help them reap the benefits of the hundreds of project the government runs.

e-Governance:

Digital India has introduced a large number of government services. Some of them are:

A platform where people share inputs and ideas on the administration’s policy and the overall governance. This is introduced so that citizens can actively participate in the process.

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In an effort to keep records of government employee’s attendance, the initiative was launched in Delhi and made use of a Biometric System to mark the employee’s attendance.

It is an application developed for all mobile platforms and even works on feature phones. Available in multiple Indian languages, the application allows people to access services such as tax payment, railway ticket booking, education portals, a digital locker and a biometric identification system called AADHAR.

Top Related – Essay on Skill India Mission

This is an application that provides access to various hospital services such as online lab reports, payment gateway, book an appointment etc.

It is a service which allows the registered citizens to digitally sign a document using their AADHAR cards as a means of authentication.

A digital locker which helps citizens store all their government documents digitally. It is a cross-platform application developed to work across various branches of the administration. Since the documents are authenticated by the government itself, there is no need for citizens to carry a physical copy.

Related – Essay on Renewable Sources of Energy

Digital Literacy

This is a huge step undertaken by the Government of India to let rural people make use of the internet in order to improve the overall quality of life. A majority of the rural population did not have internet access until 2015.

The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi also undertook an initiative to make rural households digitally literate. The massive 2,351.38 crore project is an effort to cover approximately 6 crore households under its umbrella. The project, executed by a body known as PMGDisha (Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan), is hoping to achieve its target by the end of March 2019.

It will also help people connect with just the touch of a button. The government also wants to make digital payment platforms popular amongst businesses. This will facilitate more people to jump in on the digital platforms and ease doing business across various parts of the country.

Digital India has a profound impact on people from every aspect of society. The campaign has had a positive impact on the life of the individual as a whole and has contributed to the progress of the society as a whole.

There are hundreds of programs under Digital India. One of the plans is aimed at creating 28,000 BPO jobs throughout the country and set up a “Common Service Center” in every gram panchayat.

This will also enable the government to generate thousands of IT jobs since Digital India will require individuals to help establish the platform as well as introduce a new wave of the young population to the digital revolution.

Till now, Digital India has connected more than 250,000 villages throughout the country. Every village covered, now has access to high-speed internet provided by a government-owned telecom called the BBNL.

The Indian Government also undertook 11 technological initiatives including boosting the volume of digital payments by encouraging several payment platforms such as PhonePe. It also encouraged the RuPay platform, an Indian company competing with the likes of MasterCard and Visa.

The Prime Minister said that if people start using RuPay, it will directly benefit the country. Since the infrastructure was not present at the moment, IT companies started hiring more people in order to develop one.

The campaign also led to an enormous decrease in the amount of black money people had. Since everything will be done digitally, many people came under the tax radar and as a result, a significant portion of the black money in the market was traceable. This led to a sudden increase in the revenue collected by the government in the following year. People from all over India can now directly engage with a large number of government agencies from the comfort of their homes. For example, in the past, people used to travel for hours on end just to get to a hospital to realize that their doctor wasn’t available.

The rural part of India, which constitutes a majority of the population suddenly found themselves interconnected, directly benefiting millions of lives. Farmers can now intercommunicate and get help from the experts on a range of variety of subjects.

Top Related – Essay on Make in India Project

Digital India is a work in progress in the truest sense. Though the project has surely made an impact on the common people of India, much of the work done is either inadequate or unsatisfactory at some level or the other.

However, the number of internet users in India has increased to a whopping 500 million users in the year 2017. Suddenly, the country has the highest rate of newly added monthly users, contributing almost 10 million people every day.

Surely, the government initiative has done much work in laying out the groundwork to a technologically advanced country, but the lack of awareness, literacy and infrastructure is getting in the way. The government hoped to cover more people under the umbrella of the scheme, but some parts of India are still unable to use the technology due to various reasons such as lack of resources or understanding.

The project can be considered to be successful in general terms but still remains a failure in the broader sense. Of course, campaigns like these take years if not decades and Digital India is still in its early stages.

The government is actively pushing the project and announced in the 2019 Union Budget that they will be working towards a $5 trillion digital economy in the near future.

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Insights EDITORIAL ANALYSIS : The Digital India Transformation

Source: The Indian Express

  • Prelims: 4G, 5G, Governance(Adhar, UIDAI, KYC,Bharatnet, CSCs, drones.
  • Mains GS Paper II: Digital India, Important aspects of governance(e governance, accountability), Application of drones.

ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS

  • Recently the Prime Minister said that Digital India is a transformative programme to deliver that every Indian must have a smartphone in his hand and every field must be covered by a drone ”.
  • Digital technology must be low-cost, developmental, inclusive, and substantially home-grown and it should bridge the digital divide and usher in digital inclusion.

INSIGHTS ON THE ISSUE

Digital India:

  • It is an umbrella program to prepare India for a knowledge-based transformation.
  • It weaves together a large number of ideas and thoughts into a single comprehensive vision so that each of them is seen as part of a larger goal.
  • It has been launched by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity).
  • Vision of Digital India:
  • Digital infrastructure as Utility to Every Citizen
  • Governance and services on demand
  • Digital empowerment of citizens

digital_india

Initiatives Under Digital India:

  • It establishes a link between Government and Citizens towards meeting the goal of good governance.
  • It encourages citizens as well as people abroad to participate in various activities i.e. ‘Do’, ‘Discuss’, ‘Poll’, ‘Talk’, ‘Blog’, etc.
  • DigiLocker :

It serves as a platform to enable citizens to securely store and share their documents with service providers who can directly access them electronically.

  • e-Hospital-Online Registration Framework (ORF):
  • It is an initiative to facilitate the patients to take online OPD appointments with government hospitals.
  • This framework also covers patient care, laboratory services and medical record management.
  • National Scholarships Portal (NSP):

It provides a centralized platform for application and disbursement of scholarship to students under any scholarship scheme.

  • It is an online tool that can be used to monitor and analyze the implementation of critical and high priority projects of the State.
  • It facilitates presentation of real time data on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) of selected schemes/projects to the senior functionaries of the State Government as well as district administration.
  • PRAGATI (Pro-Active Governance And Timely Implementation):
  • It started a culture of Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation.
  • It is also a robust system for bringing e-transparency and e-accountability with real-time presence and exchange among the key stakeholders.
  • Common Services Centres 2.0 (CSC 2.0) :
  • They are implemented to develop and provide support to the use of information technology in rural areas of the country.
  • The CSCs are Information and Communication Technology (ICT) enabled kiosks with broadband connectivity to provide various Governments, private and social services at the doorstep of the citizen.
  • Mobile Seva:

It provides government services to the people through mobile phones and tablets.

  • BharatNet Project
  • BharatNet is a flagship mission implemented by Bharat Broadband Network Ltd. (BBNL).
  • It is a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) set up by the Government of India under the Companies Act, 1956 with an authorized capital of Rs 1000 crore.
  • It is being implemented by the Department of Telecommunication under the Ministry of Communications.
  • It aims to facilitate the delivery of e-governance, e-health, e-education, e-banking, Internet and other services to rural India.
  • It aims to connect all the 2,50,000 Gram panchayats in the country and provide 100 Mbps connectivity to all gram panchayats.

Direct Benefit Transfer Scheme:

  • It has been visioned as an aid for simpler and faster flow of information and funds to the beneficiaries and to reduce the fraud in the delivery system.
  • Central Plan Scheme Monitoring System (CPSMS ), the earlier version of the Public Financial Management System (PFMS), of the Office of Controller General of Accounts, was chosen to act as the common platform for routing of the Direct Benefit Transfer.
  • Components of DBT:
  • Beneficiary Account Validation System
  • A robust payment and reconciliation platform integrated with RBI, NPCI, Public & Private Sector Banks, Regional Rural Banks and Cooperative Banks (core banking solutions of banks, settlement systems of RBI, Aadhaar Payment Bridge of NPCI) etc.
  • Schemes involving DBT:
  • Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana
  • National Food Security Mission
  • Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana
  • Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin
  • Atal Pension Yojana
  • National AYUSH Mission.etc

e-Governance(electronic governance):

  • It can be defined as the application of information and communication technology (ICT) for providing government services, exchange of information, transactions, integration of previously existing services and information portals.
  • It includes the publishing of policy and program-related information to transact with citizens.
  • It extends beyond the provision of online services and covers the use of IT for strategic planning and reaching the development goals of the government.

Benefits of e-governance:

digital india reality or myth essay

Challenges to E-Governance:

digital india reality or myth essay

4G uses lower radio frequencies of 5G utilizes much higher radio frequencies of
4G speed is lesser with less data transfer.5G transfers more data over the air at faster speeds.
4G has higher latency as compared to 5G. Latency for 4G is around 5G has lower latency i.e the delay before a transfer of data begins following an instruction. Latency for 5G is predicted to be below
4G supports a lesser number of devices of about 5G uses millimeter wave spectrum which enables more devices to be used within the same geographic area supporting around
4G has led to more congestion and lesser coverage as compared to 5G.5G uses a new digital technology that improves coverage, speed and capacity.

Jan-Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile (JAM) trinity:

  • JAM, derived from Jan Dhan, Aadhaar and Mobile, combines bank accounts for the poor.
  • It eliminates leakage in the transfer of benefits and enabling the poor to have bank accounts are worthy objectives of JAM.
  • Aadhaar being the pivot here, allows the government to ensure that benefits reach the poor and enables them to make payments through ordinary mobile phones.
  • JAM ensures seamless transfer of welfare payments and facilitates the making payments in real time.
  • It is believed that the JAM revolution can link all Indians into one common financial, economic, and digital space.
  • It is a terminology for Unmanned Aircraft (UA).
  • They were originally developed for the military and aerospace industries, drones have found their way into the mainstream because of the enhanced levels of safety and efficiency they bring.
  • A drone’s autonomy level can range from remotely piloted (a human controls its movements) to advanced autonomy, which means that it relies on a system of sensors and LIDAR detectors to calculate its movement.

Application of Drones:

digital india reality or myth essay

Application of Drones in Agriculture:

digital india reality or myth essay

SVAMITVA (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) scheme:

  • It is a collaborative effort of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, State Panchayati Raj Departments, State Revenue Departments and Survey of India
  • It aims to provide an integrated property validation solution for rural India.
  • It is a scheme for mapping the land parcels in rural inhabited areas using drone technology and Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS).
  • The mapping will be done across the country in a phase-wise manner over a period of four years from 2020 to 2024.
  • The scheme will enable creation of better-quality Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs), using the maps created under this programme.

National Policy on Electronics 2019:

  • It aims to create an ecosystem for the globally competitive ESDM sector by promoting domestic manufacturing and export in the entire electronics system value-chain.
  • Providing incentives and support for manufacturing of core electronic components.
  • Special package of incentives for mega projects which are extremely high-tech and entail huge investments, such as semiconductor facilities display fabrication, etc.
  • Formulation of suitable schemes and incentive mechanisms to encourage new units and expansion of existing units.
  • Promotion of Industry-led R&D and innovation in all sub-sectors of electronics, including grass root level innovations and early stage Startups in emerging technology areas such as 5G, Internet of Things (IoT)/ Sensors, Artificial Intelligence (Al), Machine Learning, Virtual Reality (VR), Drones, Robotics, Additive Manufacturing, Photonics, Nano-based devices, etc.
  • Providing incentives and support for significantly enhancing availability of skilled manpower, including re-skilling.
  • It provides for special thrust on the Fabless Chip Design Industry, Medical Electronic Devices Industry, Automotive Electronics Industry and Power Electronics for Mobility and Strategic Electronics Industry.
  • Creation of Sovereign Patent Fund (SPF) to promote the development and acquisition of Intellectual Properties(IPs) in the ESDM sector.
  • Promotion of trusted electronics value chain initiatives to improve national cyber security profile.

Schemes for Electronic Manufacturing:

  • The Production Linked Incentive Scheme (PLI) for large scale electronics manufacturing.
  • The scheme for Promotion of Manufacturing of Electronic Components and Semiconductors (SPECS).
  • The modified Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMC 2.0) Scheme.

Digital Divide:

  • Huge gap between users and non-users of e-govt. services.
  • The digital divide takes form in rich-poor, male-female, urban-rural etc segments of the population.
  • The gap needs to be narrowed down, then only the benefits of e-governance would be utilized equally.

●     It is a term used for the customer identification process.

●     It involves making reasonable efforts to determine true identity and beneficial ownership of accounts, source of funds, the nature of customer’s business, reasonableness of operations in the account in relation to the customer’s business, etc which in turn helps the banks to manage their risks prudently.

●     The objective of the KYC guidelines is to prevent banks being used, intentionally or unintentionally by criminal elements for money laundering.

●     KYC has got a Reserve Bank of India has issued guidelines to banks under the and

●     KYC has two components – Identity and Address. While identity remains the same, the address may change and hence the banks are required to periodically update their records.

 

●     It is a to the residents of India after satisfying the verification process laid down by the Authority.

●     Any individual, , who is a resident of India, may voluntarily enroll to obtain an Aadhaar number.

●     The person willing to enroll has to provide minimal during the enrolment process which is totally free of cost.

●     An individual needs to form Aadhaar only once and after de-duplication only one Aadhaar shall be generated, as the uniqueness is achieved through the process of demographic and biometric de-duplication.

●     : The Parliament has passed the which allows

 

●     AePS is a bank led model which allows online through the Business Correspondent (BC)/Bank Mitra of any bank using the Aadhaar authentication.

●     This system adds another layer of security to financial transactions as bank details would no longer be required to be furnished while carrying out these transactions.

●     It was taken up by the

 

Way Forward

  • There are many roadblocks in the way of its successful implementation like digital illiteracy, poor infrastructure, low internet speed, lack of coordination among various departments, issues pertaining to taxation These challenges need to be addressed in order to realize the full potential of this programme.
  • Tech solutions empowered by Digital India that has built the infrastructure for years together today serve as a basis for other emerging interventions in the fields of start-ups, digital education, seamless banking and payment solutions, agritech, health tech, smart cities, e-governance and retail management.
  • The electronics sector has the potential to become one of the top exports of India in the next 3-5 years. Electronics exports may account for significant contributions to the Indian economy in terms of foreign exchange earnings and employment generation.
  • The subsidized purchase of agriculture drones for CHCs/Hi-tech Hubs will make the technology affordable, resulting in their widespread adoption. This would make drones more accessible to the common man in India and will also significantly encourage domestic drone production.

QUESTION FOR PRACTICE

There is a huge gap of digital divide between rural and urban India. In the light of this statement discuss the initiatives by the government to promote digital India and discuss the key features of National Electronic Policy 2019. (200 WORDS, 10 MARKS)

Drones have found their way into the mainstream because of the enhanced levels of safety and efficiency they bring. Discuss the application of drones in agriculture. (200 WORDS, 10 MARKS)

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Essay On Digital India

digital india reality or myth essay

Table of Contents

Short Essay On Digital India

Digital India is a government initiative launched in 2015 aimed at transforming India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge-based economy. The initiative aims to provide digital infrastructure, services, and access to all citizens, particularly in rural areas.

One of the key benefits of Digital India is increased efficiency and accessibility of government services. The initiative has led to the development of digital platforms that allow citizens to access government services such as passport application, income tax filing, and digital signatures from the comfort of their homes. This has reduced the need for people to physically visit government offices, saving time and effort.

Another important aspect of Digital India is the promotion of digital literacy and skill development. The initiative aims to equip citizens with the skills necessary to participate in the digital economy, including basic digital literacy, computer skills, and information technology. This will help to create a more inclusive and equitable society, where all citizens, regardless of socio-economic background, have access to the tools and skills necessary to participate in the digital economy.

The initiative is also playing a significant role in driving innovation and entrepreneurship in India. The government is providing support to start-ups and other small businesses through tax incentives, funding, and mentorship programs. This is helping to create a supportive ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurship, which is essential for the growth and development of the digital economy.

In addition, Digital India is contributing to the growth of the Indian economy. The development of digital infrastructure, such as high-speed internet and mobile networks, is enabling businesses to reach new markets and customers, leading to increased economic growth and job creation. The initiative is also creating new opportunities for entrepreneurship, innovation, and investment, contributing to the overall development of the Indian economy.

In conclusion, Digital India is a crucial initiative that is transforming India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge-based economy. By increasing efficiency, promoting digital literacy and skill development, fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, and contributing to economic growth, the initiative is helping to create a more inclusive and equitable society and a more prosperous future for all citizens.

long Essay On Digital India

Over the past few years, India has made considerable progress in the digitalization of its economy. The government’s Digital India initiative is an ambitious project which seeks to bring about a transformation in the way citizens interact with the government, access services and do business. In this article, we take a look at how this initiative is changing the face of India and what it means for its future.

Introduction

In the recent past, the Indian government has taken several steps to digitize the country. The motive behind this initiative is to make India a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. By 2017, it is estimated that there will be around 500 million internet users in India. This creates a huge potential for businesses to capitalize on.

Digital India is an ambitious project launched by the government of India with a vision to transform the country into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. The project aims at providing easy access to digital resources and services for all citizens. It also envisages creating an enabling environment for businesses to flourish in the digital space.

The launch of Digital India has given a boost to various sectors such as e-commerce, online education, online healthcare, and so on. With more and more people getting access to the internet, these sectors are expected to grow manifold in the coming years. This would result in increased employment opportunities and overall economic development of the country.

Definition of Digital India

Digital India is a campaign launched by the Government of India to ensure that all citizens have access to digital technology and are able to use it effectively. The initiative aims to bridge the digital divide and make sure that everyone, regardless of their socio-economic background, has access to the same opportunities.

The initiative has several components, including:

Making government services available online: This includes making it possible for citizens to access government services and information online. This will make it easier for people to get the help they need, when they need it.

Developing infrastructure: This includes developing reliable and high-speed internet connectivity across the country. This will make it easier for people to access digital resources and connect with others.

Creating awareness: This includes creating awareness about the benefits of digital technology and how it can be used effectively. It also includes training people on how to use digital technology safely and securely.

Benefits of Digital India

Digital India is a campaign launched by the Government of India to ensure that all citizens have access to digital technology and are able to use it to their advantage. The main aim of this initiative is to make India a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy.

There are many benefits of Digital India. Some of them are listed below:

1. It will help in creating more jobs: With Digital India, there will be a lot of new opportunities for people to work in the field of Information Technology (IT). This will lead to more job creation and reduce unemployment in the country.

2. It will improve the quality of life: By digitizing various sectors such as healthcare, education, and transportation, the quality of life of people will improve significantly. This is because they will have better access to services and will be able to get them at a much cheaper rate.

3. It will make governance more efficient: One of the main objectives of Digital India is to make government processes more efficient and transparent. This will lead to less corruption and better delivery of services to the citizens.

4. It will promote entrepreneurship: The initiative aims at providing easy access to capital, markets, and mentors for budding entrepreneurs. This will create an environment conducive for innovation and creativity which is very essential for economic growth.

5. It will bring about social inclusion: By providing affordable Internet connectivity and digital literacy training to all sections of society, Digital India will help in bridging the digital divide and making everyone an equal part of the digital revolution.

Key Components of Digital India

In order to ensure that all citizens have access to digital technology, the government has launched the Digital India initiative. This ambitious program aims to provide every Indian citizen with high-speed internet access and enable them to use digital services. The key components of this initiative are:

1. Connectivity: One of the main objectives of Digital India is to connect all citizens with high-speed internet. To achieve this, the government is working on providing free Wi-Fi hotspots in public places, laying optical fiber cables in rural areas, and expanding mobile coverage.

2. e-Governance: Another key component of Digital India is e-Governance. This involves using technology to make government processes more efficient and accessible to citizens. For example, the government is working on setting up an online portal where citizens can apply for various services such as passports and driving licenses.

3. Financial inclusion: One of the goals of Digital India is to promote financial inclusion by providing access to financial services for all citizens. The government is working on setting up new banking correspondents in rural areas and providing mobile banking services. It is also promoting the use of digital payment methods such as UPI and Bharat QR code.

4. Skills development: In order to make sure that all citizens are able to take advantage of the opportunities provided by digital technology, the government is focusing on skills development. It is providing training programs for students and adults so that they can acquire the necessary skills for jobs in the digital world.

5. Data security: In order to ensure that citizens’ data is safe and secure, the government is taking various measures such as setting up a cyber coordination center, introducing new regulations for data security, and promoting awareness about data protection among citizens.

Challenges Faced by Digital India

There are many challenges faced by Digital India. One of the main challenges is the lack of infrastructure. There is a lack of reliable and fast internet connectivity in many parts of the country. This makes it difficult for people to access digital services and use them effectively.

Another challenge is the lack of awareness about digital services and how to use them. Many people are not aware of the various digital services that are available and how they can be used to improve their lives. This lack of awareness is a major barrier to the success of Digital India.

Another challenge is the high cost of digital devices and data charges. Many people cannot afford to buy smartphones or laptops, or pay for data charges. This limits their ability to access and use digital services.

Despite these challenges, Digital India has made significant progress in recent years. With continued effort, it is possible to overcome these challenges and make Digital India a success story.

Digital India is a program that has the potential to transform the country and enable citizens to lead more empowered lives. It has already made advances in areas such as connectivity, job creation opportunities, education and health services. Despite these advances, much remains to be done to ensure that everyone can benefit from the advancements of Digital India. To truly make Digital India a success and bring about meaningful changes in people’s lives, sustained efforts need to be taken by all stakeholders involved – government institutions, businesses and individuals alike.

Manisha Dubey Jha

Manisha Dubey Jha is a skilled educational content writer with 5 years of experience. Specializing in essays and paragraphs, she’s dedicated to crafting engaging and informative content that enriches learning experiences.

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Myth versus Reality

Instead of searching for truths in myths, it would be easier if we appreciated the scientific achievements of ancient Indians

digital india reality or myth essay

Recently, the chief minister of Tripura said that India had internet in the times of the Mahabharata. Possible? Anything is possible. Probable? Highly improbable and unlikely.

Indian literature has been described as mythology. But is it all myth? Let us take the most linear of our literature, the Ramayana. The first canto summarises the entire epic in a few words, when Narada narrates to Valmiki the story of the greatest man of their times, the wise, intelligent, handsome and great warrior-king of Ayodhya, Rama, a contemporary of Valmiki. Guha the Nishada, Sabari, Hanuman and the Vanaras – forest people, not monkeys – and Ravana and the Rakshasas are all mentioned by Narada. Then Valmiki, the “adi kavi” fleshes it out, with flying chariots and monkeys who soar the skies, creating the greatest epic of all time, an epic which crossed the seas and was adopted by many different civilisations. Invariably, a poet will add masala to a story, not unlike our Bollywood films. Thanks to Narada, we know the real story and sifting reality from myth is not difficult in this case.

The Mahabharata is even less mythical with very real people and real situations. Here the multiplicity of authors, in spite of the credit going to Vyasa, makes the epic very complicated. Sifting myth from reality is not easy.

Sanskrit literature was described as myth by early English translators who were generally Boden Professors of Sanskrit at the University of Oxford. The professorship was established in 1832 with money bequeathed to the university by Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Boden, a retired soldier in the East India Company who wanted the university to establish a Sanskrit professorship “ to proceed in the conversion of the natives of India to the Christian Religion ”. To do this, said the Lieutenant, they had to know Sanskrit, to be able to run down Hindu literature. The Boden professors included H.H. Wilson, M. Monier Williams, A.A. Macdonell and others. Max Müller also applied for the post but the German was defeated by the Englishman Monier Williams. Müller’s view was that his work was of greater value to missionaries in their efforts to proselytize, and published testimonials to the effect, while Monier Williams stressed in his campaign that the holder should assist in converting Indians. The translations and commentaries of these writers, who described Sanskrit literature and its writers as mythical and primitive, is still used by our historians and writers. Needless to say, their motive was singular: to destroy the religion that Sanskrit literature represented.

The Vedas distinguished between the Aryas and the Devas. The former were people who herded cattle, tilled the land and fought battles. The Devas were the “Shining Ones” whose activities affected the lives of the Aryas. The battle between Indra and Vritra, for example, is the personification of rain overcoming drought. The story is a myth, but it is undoubtedly an actual event.

L. Spence described mythology as “the science of primitive man, his manner of explaining the universe.” Man, as a symbol-using animal, not only needed to act, but also give symbolic reasons for his acts. In primitive religion, the mythical world is related to the actual world and the chief concern was the maintenance of personal, social and cosmic harmony and the attainment of material ends – rainfall, a good harvest, good health and children – not very different from the rural Indian’s material ends even today. Natural phenomena were explained as the action of mythical beings and expressed the hopes and fears of a people who had not yet understood the natural order of the universe. A record of invasions, migrations, changes of dynasties and social changes were maintained in the mythologies of the various great civilizations of the ancient world.

The Marxist historian D.D. Kosambi attempted to trace the primitive roots of Indian myths and rituals that survived the beginning of civilization. He identifies the three-faced naked male figure with buffalo horns on a Harappan seal as Mhasoba or Mahisha. Ancient India was a land of buffalo grazers. When the Goddess-worshipping food producing the Dravidas arrived, the two battled for control of the land. The success of the Dravidas is represented in Mahisha-Mardini, the Goddess who slays the buffalo “demon”. Dravidian cultures are generally worshippers of the Goddess, be it Devi, Amman, Durga, etc. The buffalo worshippers were forced to flee into forests and continue to be found there – the Gonds and Maria Gonds in Central India and the Todas in the Nilgiris, the last fleeing from Mahisha-ur or Mysore where the temple of Goddess Chamundeshwari has a huge statue of Mahisha at the foothill. But all this has to be inferred.

However, such inferences can go wrong too. Kosambi compared the dancing Nataraja to the Ice-age Chamois-masked dancer of Les Trois Freres or the French stone-age Diablotins. The leftists left no stone unturned in their efforts to decry India’s civilizational achievements as myths. But Dr. Sharada Srinivasan and the late Dr. Nirupama Raghavan established how the figure of Nataraja – standing on one leg, the other uplifted, one arm blessing and the other stretched out – could be plotted on the asterism Tiruvatira (Ardra) as it appeared in the sky in the eighth century CE.

Instead of searching for truths in myths, it would be easier if we appreciated the scientific achievements of ancient Indians. The Prime Minister said that cosmetic surgery was practised in India thousands of years ago. He was right, but instead of the example of Ganesha’s head – an elephant’s head attached to a human body, which would have been a physical impossibility, given the sheer size and weight of the elephant’s head – he could have mentioned the great plastic surgeon Sushruta, who lived around 700 BCE and could do ophthalmic and plastic surgery. He could even fix chopped-off noses. Shoorpanakha may have benefitted from his skill! Indians were practising plastic surgery till the arrival of the British, who learned the skill, chopped off the hands of the Indian practitioners and introduced plastic surgery in British medical colleges as a British invention. Charaka wrote about herbal treatments based on nearly 100,000 plants: today the wheel has turned a full circle and people are returning to Charaka’s herbal remedies instead of antibiotics.

By 800 BCE, Baudhayana had calculated the value of  pi , besides square roots and other geometric theorems. He was the first to calculate the theorem attributed to Pythagoras, who is believed to have travelled to India, learned mathematics and geometry, and presented it in Greece as his idea (according to his contemporaries). In 700 CE, Brahmagupta, another great mathematician, gave the first rules for using zero as a number (1+0=1; 1-0=1; 1×0=0) and for geometry and trigonometry. 500 years later, another mathematician, Bhaskara II, showed that 1 divided by 0 was infinity. Brahmagupta explained how to find the cube root of an integer, and devised rules to calculate squares and square roots. Aryabhatta stated that the earth was round, and was the first to calculate the diameter of the earth. Kanada discovered the laws of gravity 2000 years before Isaac Newton. Varahamihira was an astronomer, Nagarjuna a metallurgist, Bhaskaracharya and Hemchandra astronomers and mathematicians. In the fifteenth century, Madhava, a great mathematician of medieval India, took algebra to calculus. Mathematics, Astronomy, Science – India had no dearth of talent.

But how many Indians know about our great mathematicians, astronomers, surgeons and scientists? How many text books contain information about them? We still talk of Arabic numerals, Pythagoras’ theorem and British surgeons. A love for all things western – a legacy of the Nehruvian years – blinds us to our own reality. Instead of wallowing in a mythical past, let us appreciate the achievements of a great Indian past, of people who worked without computers or even electricity to teach the world science and mathematics.

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Abhishek Das

Abhishek Das

Right to privacy and data protection in digital age: Possibility of myth?

CCI Online Learning

Introduction:

Data protection is a legal safeguard, adopted in order to prevent misuse of personal information. Every individual has a right to exercise fundamental degree of control over its personal data or information. Privacy and data protection are two major internet governance issues in this digital age and are interrelated to each other. Making individual personal data or information easily available to others (interested parties) can lead to invasion in privacy. Issues pertaining to data protection and privacy of critical personal information are concerned towards the automatic and easy availability of the required information about an individual to other individual or public or private entity.

How the digital age stands in violation of Right to privacy?

With more data becoming digitized, personal information becomes easily accessible to others and that is why there exists an inherent conflict between the two major internet governance issues of today i.e., Privacy and data protection. Data protection is a legal safeguard that ensures privacy and data privacy suggests how personal information of an individual to be handled based on its perceived importance. Individual’s data or information should be protected in a manner that their privacy is not compromised.

It is more advisable to be aware of the privacy rights when it comes to sharing of personal information and avoid multiple risks. This information are easily available from the credit card numbers, Aadhar or PAN cards, bank accounts, social security numbers and etc. History reminds that the data that should remain private when gets into questionable hands, bad things might follow.[1] Therefore, there is a need for the Data Protection Law mainly for[2] -

  • Regulation and processing of data
  • Protection of both individual’s rights as well as subject matter
  • Enforcement of privacy and security rules against unauthorized access
  • Imposing penalties upon failure of compliance with the prescribed policies.

The recent technologies are vulnerable to interception and surveillance. The United General Assembly passed sa resolution in 2018 on ‘The right to privacy in the Digital Age’.[3] The central idea behind the resolution was clear that when anything one say or do can be intercepted, it can led to chilling effect on what one feel free to say or do and therefore it calls for the global concern on human rights.

Right to Privacy

It is believed that the legal concept of Privacy was originally coined in an essay published in 1890.[4] The jurisprudence of privacy suggests it has fragmented history. The core sense of privacy, the central interest which is proper to be defended by law is the field of personal information.[5] Privacy is a fundamental human right as recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,[6] the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights[7] and other human right conventions. It is known as right of any citizen to exercise substantial degree of control over their personal information. The appointment of 1st UN Special Rapporteur in 2015 on the Right to Privacy in the Digital Age reflects its rising importance and need to address privacy rights issues at global as well as national levels.[8] In the age of digitalization, the right to privacy has become a challenging issue as personal data is routinely collected and traded in the new economy.

CURRENT SCENARIO OF INDIAN LAW

As on date, India does not have a specific and comprehensive regulatory regime dealing with privacy rights and data protection. However, the constitution of India provides privacy rights guaranteed under the scope of Article 21 but it is not enough to provide adequate protection to the data in this digital age because of the essentially sectoral nature of the existing frameworks. The relevant provisions of Information Technology Act, 2000 regulates the use of sensitive personal information. Recently, in 2019 legislature has introduced a new bill called ‘The Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019’ with an aim of protecting the autonomy over the personal data of the concerned individual and to further set up a specific regulatory body that will deal with personal data infringement activities.

Approach towards Data Protection and Privacy Issues

The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights is the main global legal instrument for the protection of privacy. There has been recent changes around the around towards one step closer to data protection and infringement issues in consonance with right to privacy. Two of the major changes brought are as follows:

The report released by UN Human Rights Council in 2017 was in attempt to address the responsibility of companies to respect the privacy rights of an individual in the digital age.[9] It requires companies to adopt policies, procedures and remedies and conduct human rights impact assessments of their operation.

The EU General Data Protection Regulation[10] (hereinafter referred as GDPR) is the most important change in the regulation of data privacy in 20 years. The change was brought with an aim of reshaping the manner data is being handled in various sectors and likewise as the report of UN council made companies liable for the mishandling of the personal information of the customers.

In India, a detailed legislation on Data protection is yet to come in force but it is believed that it is going to be equally stringent as GDPR is. Primary IT industry bodies such as NASSCOM and Data Security Council of India have always backed rigorous data privacy for years in the country and ever since the Apex Court declared right to privacy being deemed as a fundamental right,[11] the focus on data privacy and protection to enhance citizen safety and security has increased.

The Government has recently appointed Jus. Srikrishna Committee to have a detailed study of issues pertaining to data protection laws in India. The committee main work was to propose necessary suggestions to the Central government for its consideration on the principles of Data protection in India and suggest a draft data protection bill accordingly.[12]

Role of Digital India Initiative

The significance of digital revolution around the world is no doubt has been recognized by Government of India as well resulting in implementation of ‘Digital India’ Initiative. The revolution promises to bring disruptions in almost all sectors of the society. In accordance to ‘Digital India’ initiative, a ‘White paper’ has been drafted by the legislature to achieve the seven principles[13] based on which a comprehensive data framework for the country shall be drafted. The White paper is divided into three parts[14] that are mentioned below:

Scope and Exemptions- The territorial reach of the law; the contours of personal data; the application of the law to the private and the public sector; the entities regulated by the law; the activities regulated by the law; cross border flow of data; and data localization.

Grounds of Processing, Obligation on Entities and Individual Rights- This part basically focus on the requirement of individual’s prior consent to data processing and the need to legally demarcate other grounds than consent based on which personal data maybe processed.

It also examines the manner in which an entity can obtain valid and informed consent.

Regulation and Enforcement- Regulatory models including: (a) the command-and-control approach; (b) the self regulation approach; and (c) co-regulation approach. This Part also mentions about the need for a separate and independent authority to oversee the efficient enforcement of a data protection law in India.

CHALLENGES TO EXISTING FRAMEWORK IN INDIA

The Information Technology Act, 2000 when brought, lacked provisions for safety of sensitive personal information of an individual that led to several changes, amendments and bills. Until in 2008, Section 43A was inserted in the IT Act that released the Information Technology (Reasonable security practices and procedures and sensitive personal data or information) Rules, 2011, applicable on body corporate and persons located in India. Civil and criminal remedies are available in the IT Act with respect to data protection but there are several limitations to those provisions that is posing legal challenges. Some of them are discussed below:

Remedies for Data protection under IT Act, 2008

Civil remedies

Section 43A of the act provides for compensatory liability of the body corporate on failure to protect sensitive information. It reads as follow:

“Where a body corporate, possessing, dealing or handling any sensitive personal data or information in a computer resource which it owns, controls or operates, is negligent in implementing and maintaining reasonable security practices and procedures and thereby causes wrongful loss or wrongful gain to any person, such body corporate shall be liable to pay damages by way of compensation, to the person so affected.”[15]

It is settled principle that person in ‘control’ of the data is hold liable for any consequences subsequent to loss, disclosure or unauthorized access to such data and hence we can compute that the liability is restricted to those who are able to control the manner of the use of such data. However, the amendment has made changes and now the mere possession of information would render the person liable to pay damages. But the main question still remains as to what constitutes ‘possession’ and how it is different from ‘control’.

Criminal Remedies

Section 72A of the act provides for punishment for disclosure of personal information in breach of lawful contract with the intention or knowledge likely to cause wrongful loss or wrongful gain.[16] The provision includes term ‘personal information’ and provides for its protection but the term itself has not been defined in the act that makes it difficult to understand the scope of the subject matter. Moreover, the bare reading provision suggests that it only talks about information obtained under a contract for services and hence is not applicable on confidential agreement (not of personal nature). However, there are several other limitations under the various provisions of IT Act that could affect the development of data protection and privacy jurisprudence in India.[17]

Aadhaar Card and Right to Privacy

Aadhaar is a nationwide biometric identification system in which the citizens were mandated to get an Aadhaar card that required sharing of personal information. The scheme was introduced with the aim of distribution of subsidies but now is used for variety of other purposes, for example, KYC guidelines and transaction authentication.

Since the introduction of the scheme, there has been debate lately as to whether Aadhaar and Right to privacy can co-exist in the country without Aadhaar being in violation of the Constitutional provisions. The government cannot ignore its responsibilities and obligation towards the protection of citizens from cybercrime under the zeal to aggregate data in electronic form and target subsidies better.

The landmark judgment of K. S. Puttaswamy v Union of India[18] , in 2017 settled the position of privacy rights in India. The use of scheme of Aadhar card for various purposes was challenged on the constitutional ground that the collection and compilation of personal data of the residents stands in violation of fundamental right to privacy falling under Article 21.

JUDICIAL PRONOUNCEMENTS

In the case of M. P. Sharma v Satish Chandra [19],  wherein the warrant issued for search and seizure under provisions[20] of Code of Criminal Procedure, 1908 was challenged. The Hon’ble Court refrained from giving recognition to right to privacy as one of the fundamental right under the Constitution by observing as under: -

“When the constitution makers have thought fit not to subject regulation of search and seizure to constitutional limitations by recognition of a fundamental right to privacy,

analogous to the Fourth Amendment, we have no justification to import it, into a totally different fundamental right, by some process of strained construction.”

The Apex Court of India has made it clear that even though right to personal liberty is read as one of the fundamental rights under Article 21 of the constitution, it cannot be treated as an absolute right. In order to arrive at a just conclusion the court may even allow a person to be subjected to a test that would invade his right to privacy and hence a balance between the public rights at large and privacy right of an individual is required to be maintained.[21]

In the case of Gobind v. State of M.P. [22] , the court was of the view that right to privacy is a fundamental right but subject to restrictions based on compelling public interest. Privacy requires a balancing interest between and individual and public at large. Later, in People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) v. Union of India [23] , the issue contested was that whether calling upon contesting candidate to disclose assets and liabilities of their spouses is an infringement of right to privacy of the candidates or not. The Supreme Court held that by doing the same, right to information of voter is promoted and due to compelling public interest rights of the voters will prevail over the privacy rights of the candidates.

Moreover, in 2017, the majority judgment given by the Constitutional bench of 9 Judges held privacy as the constitutional core of human dignity. This was a landmark judgment because the inclusion of privacy right as one of the fundamental right in the constitution would mean that no institution can enforce their authority unless in accordance with procedure established by law. Hence, the decision of MP Sharma stands overruled and the court held:

“The right to privacy is protected as an intrinsic part of the right to life and personal liberty under Article 21 and as a part of the freedoms guaranteed by Part III of the Constitution.”[24]

The government of India needs to adopt Data protection legislation to prevent exploitation of data by public or private entities. In order to do that the government can regulate the treatment of personal data or information by limiting the actions of those entities to only unquestionably relative and necessary information. Although India has made certain timely amendments in IT Act, 2000, the lack of stringent and separate data protection legislation has made the situation only worse. This necessitates passing of a new legislation that will deal specifically with the personal data privacy issues and challenges in the country. However, while drafting the legislation, caution has to be made to balance the interests of common public and to overcome the increased rate of cybercrimes so that people are not under constant fear of their personal information getting misused or leaked. However, in general it is considered that despite the efforts put by the government to preserve basic human rights of citizens there always exists a question as to the possibility of myth that privacy and data protection could be promised in this digital age.

Following are few suggestions pertaining to the data protection laws in India:

Suggestions

Firstly, there is a need of clarity and codifications as to the Data Protection Laws in India. The remedies provided consequent to the data protection rights are often neglected and hence it calls for recognition of the provisions of law that will assure those rights. Thus, analysis of the safeguard mechanism set out for their efficient implementation could be the first step towards protection of personal data or information. This will eventually help in formulation of a more comprehensive legislation.

Secondly, then there is a need for revamping the existing data protection laws to be dealt in more exhaustive manner. Despite the presence of Information Technology (Amendment) Act, 2008 dealing with data protection and privacy issues, in order to mitigate the complexity arising out of the digital revolution, necessitates for a far more comprehensive legislation. This could be done by establishing specific standards for purpose of assimilation of data protection and privacy.

Thirdly, Indian Contract Act can also provide relief from infringement of personal information. Although the act is nowhere related to Data protection issues but the fact that it permits parties to enter into a legally enforceable agreement, it can offer an alternative solution to our issue in hand. This can be done by including data protection as one of the condition for legally enforceable contracts.

  • [1] FileCloud Blog, Data Privacy in a digital Age, Available at https://www.getfilecloud.com/blog/2019/02/data-privacy-in-a-digital-age/#.XWfVVOMzbIU, Last visited Aug 29 2019.
  • [2] Rahul Dhote & Shrishti Keshari, The curious case of data protection in India, Available at https://www.lawyered.in/legal-disrupt/articles/curious-case-data-protection-india/, Last visited Aug 29 2019.
  • [3] General Assembly of United Nations resolution on, The Right to Privacy in the Digital Age, Available at https://www.un.org/en/ga/69/resolutions.shtml, Last visited Aug 29 2019.
  • [4] Samuel D. Warren; Louis D. Brandeis,The Right to Privacy, (1890) 4 Harv L.R. 193.
  • [5] Grewlich, Klaus W: Governance in Cyberspace- Access & Public Interest in Global Communication, (Kluwer Law International, The Hague, 1999) 280.
  • [6] United Nations, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Available at https://www.un.org/en/udhrbook/pdf/udhr_booklet_en_web.pdf, Last visited Aug 29 2019.
  • [7] United Nations, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, (Available at, https://treaties.un.org/doc/publication/unts/volume%20999/volume-999-i-14668-english.pdf, Last visited Aug 29 2019.
  • [8] Geneva Internet Platform, Privacy and Data Protection, Available at https://dig.watch/issues/privacy-and-data-protection, Last visited Aug 29 2019.
  • [9] Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on, The right to privacy in the digital age, Available at
  • https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/DigitalAge/ReportPrivacyinDigitalAge/A_HRC_39_29_EN.pdf, Last visited Aug 29 2019.
  • [10] EU General Data Protection Regulations, Available at https://eugdpr.org/, Last visited Aug 29 2019.
  • [11] Puttuswamy v. Union of India, AIR 2017 SC 4161.
  • [12] Jus. B.N. Srikrishna Committee Report on, A free and fair Digital Economy, Available at
  • https://meity.gov.in/writereaddata/files/Data_Protection_Committee_Report.pdf, Last visited Aug 30 2019.
  • [13] Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Data Protection In India, Available at https://digitalindia.gov.in/writereaddata/files/6.Data%20Protection%20in%20India.pdf, Last visited Aug 30 2019.
  • [15] Information Technology Act, 2008, s. 43A.
  • [16] Information Technology Act, 2008, s. 72 A.
  • [17] Faisal Fasih, “Regulation of Data in the Cyberspace- Drawing Roadmap for India” CNLU LJ (2) [2011-12] 99.
  • [18] Puttuswamy v. Union of India, AIR 2017 SC 4161.
  • [19] M. P. Sharma and Ors. v Satish Chandra, District Magistrate, Delhi and Ors, 1954 SCR 1077.
  • [20] Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, s. 94, 96 (1).
  • [21] Sharda v. Dharampal, AIR 2003 SC 3450.
  • [22] Gobind v. State of M.P, AIR 1975 SC 1378.
  • [23] People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) v. Union of India, AIR 2004 SC 456.
  • [24] K. S. Puttaswamy (Retd.) v Union of India, (2015) 8 SCC 735.

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India’s democracy: illusion or reality.

For the last sixty years, since it gained independence in 1947, India has claimed the position of the world’s largest democracy. For almost as long, skeptics have seen India’s democracy as an Indian rope trick,1 an illusion in which the superstructure of democratic government—a parliament and prime minister, periodic elections, constitutionally-guaranteed freedoms—hides the reality of on-the-ground authoritarian rule by local landlords, bureaucracy, and party bosses, buttressed by a culture of caste-based inequality, and sustained by India’s continuing desperate poverty.

If this is an illusion, it is an impressive one. Within two years of independence, and through open and spirited debate, India produced a constitution that guarantees “fundamental rights,” and a federal and parliamentary system with a significant role for the Supreme Court, which over the years has enhanced its powers in the system through decisions that limit parliamentary sovereignty. From the beginning, there was tolerance of peaceful dissent and a wide range of active political associations. Despite some small-scale Communist-led rebellions, the Communist Party was not banned. There was a vigorous free press.

The 1951–52 elections for national parliament and state legislatures highlighted the bold decision to adopt universal adult suffrage. Despite the high level of illiteracy and low level of education, all men and women twenty-one and older—the age limit has since been lowered to eighteen—had the right to vote. With Jawaharlal Nehru in the lead, the campaign was very lively, with literally thousands of public meetings and processions. There was no doubt that the Congress Party would win the election easily, since it was a mass movement that had brought freedom to the country. It had major responsibility for governing the country in the five years before the election, but it is significant that Nehru, as Prime Minister, had included important leaders of other parties in the cabinet, including the Law Minister, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, the leader of the “untouchables,” and S. P. Mookherjee, who later founded the Hindu nationalist party, the Bharatiya Jana Sangh. Even though the Congress won an overwhelming majority of seats in parliament and in every state legislature, it received less than half the vote. Thus, a mandate was given for Congress to rule, and for the opposition to legitimately hold it accountable.

Nehru continued to act as tutor for India’s democracy, making sure to attend parliament on important occasions, respecting opposition party leaders, and listening to those in power in the states, who were his comrades in the freedom struggle and Congress Party members. The next two sets of elections (held in 1957 and 1962) followed the same pattern, with the Congress surviving the major political crisis that ended with the reorganization of the states—a substantial redrawing of the map of India based on language. In the 1967 election, however, the Congress met defeat in many major states, bringing opposition coalitions to power. The defeat was one factor that caused a split in the party in 1969. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, adopting a populist electoral appeal, swept aside the other Congress splinter, and in the aftermath of India’s successful war against Pakistan in 1971, won victories in states lost in 1967 and in several other mid-term elections. Indira Gandhi’s actions seemingly re-established Congress hegemony.

A series of economic and political crises, however, resulted in Mrs. Gandhi, in June 1975, invoking a constitutional provision for declaring a national “Emergency.” She jailed opposition leaders, imposed press censorship, and rammed through constitutional amendments to reduce the autonomy of the judiciary and enhance executive powers. Despite very little popular resistance, after a year or so there was considerable disillusionment with the claimed benefits of the Emergency and disquiet with apparent abuses of power. To her everlasting credit, Mrs. Gandhi not only allowed the scheduled election of parliament, but did not interfere with its administration. The election was as free and fair as previous ones, with most opposition leaders freed from jail and the press allowed to function as before.

Photo of Jawaharlal Nehru

The unexpected and exhilarating defeat of Mrs. Gandhi and the Congress in the 1977 election constituted a second liberation from authoritarian rule. It is critical to note that Mrs. Gandhi quietly handed over power to the winners, and three years later fought successfully to return to power through democratic means. In the meantime, the constitutional powers of the judiciary had been restored, other changes repealed, and the Congress faced a credible political alternative at both national and state levels. The press rapidly changed into a more active institution, doing investigative reporting and challenging the government in ways it hadn’t before the Emergency.

In the four decades since 1977, India’s democracy has weathered other crises—the separatist movements in Punjab and the northeast states, for example—without returning to authoritarian rule. Regular elections have been held, and there has been peaceful alternation of power between parties or coalitions six times at the national level and countless times in the states. 2 A free press has become a largely free media, as the government has diluted its monopoly of TV (although it still holds complete control of the radio broadcast system), and information flows freely from abroad, as it has always done. Political parties and non-governmental organizations, ranging from local social action groups to country-wide issue-oriented movements (on the environment, for instance) continue to grow in importance. Individual freedoms of speech, association, and assembly are largely unconstrained.

Currently, the political landscape continues to feature a national parliament that meets regularly, debates openly, but in many ways is fairly weak as a legislative body. Now, twenty-eight states also have regularly elected and functioning legislatures, chief ministers, and cab inets that make policies in crucial areas mainly reserved for the states, such as law and order, education, health, and economic development. Originally, local government institutions were creatures of state government. However, local government has found a place in the constitution, with required periodic elections and a mandate for substantial transfer of resources for development purposes. Elections throughout India have produced literally millions of newly elected representatives, one-third of them women. For the most part, however, substantial financial resources have not been provided to those institutions.

Image shows children, a man, and a woman on the sidewalk in front of a CPI(M) mural (Communist Party India Marxist). A large pig stands in the street

A judicial system at the upper levels—the High Courts of the states and the Supreme Court in Delhi—is respected for administration of justice, though burdened by widespread inefficiency. Some cases take literally decades to decide. There is corruption at the lowest levels.

The players in the system have changed dramatically over the last sixty years. At present, in national elections, the Congress Party gets around a quarter of the vote, as does the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Parties powerful in only one state split the rest of the vote. There are hundreds of small parties and thousands of independent candidates, very few of whom win any seats.

Over time, more and more states have developed two-party systems, many of which have in fact two coalitions, but they are not necessarily the same two parties (or coalitions) that are competing. The Congress remains a force in almost all states, but the BJP’s strength is confined mostly to northern and western states. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has won every election in West Bengal since 1977, and in Tamil Nadu, the two major contestants are the two Tamil nationalist parties, the DMK and the AIADMK. Other major parties include the Socialist Party and the BSP—the party whose core is the people once considered outside and beneath the Hindu castes (the Untouchables), many of whom now use the term “dalit” (oppressed)—in Uttar Pradesh; the Akali Dal (party of the Sikhs) in Punjab; the cultural nationalist TDP in Andhra Pradesh; and the RJD (a middle-caste based party) in Bihar.

A pattern of instability in state governments after the 1967 election lasted about two decades. Now, it is not exceptional for state governments to last a full five-year term, and recently several have won re-election. This stability has helped state governments to become more active and effective promoters of programs in education and economic development; they now play the central government for resources rather than being manipulated, as in the past when their local political footing was less sure. Some instability associated with coalitions surfaced in Delhi after the 1989 election, when a coalition called the “Third Force” (i.e., neither Congress-led nor BJP-led) took power, but soon had to be rearranged. The same thing happened in 1996–98. The BJP-led coalition that won in 1998 came apart, but a new version won in 1999 and served a full term. The Congress-led coalition that won narrowly in 2004 has managed to stay together.

In sum, India appears to have a democracy that functions according to the rules. The country handles external and internal crises well, while accommodating new political leaders, movements, and patterns of political rule and opposition. The ordinary citizen has not been left out: turnout in elections has risen to a present-day figure of about fifty-five to sixty percent of eligible voters, and the percentage of women, people designated “tribal,” and other marginal groups has almost reached that of the population as a whole. Turnout percentages of poor and rural voters are significantly higher than the average Indian turnout.

Indian citizens show strong support for democracy. In the 2007 State of Democracy in South Asia report, ninety-two percent of a large survey sample believe democracy to be suitable for India; “strong democrats” outweigh “non-democrats” by forty-one to fifteen percent (with forty-three percent as “weak democrats”). 3 In Yogendra Yadav’s summation: “The idea of democracy has, above all, come to supply the only valid criterion for claims to legitimate rule and, correspondingly, the moral basis of political obligation.” 4

If this is all not an illusion, and India is indeed democratic, then it stands as a mammoth exception that tests our understanding of what makes countries democratic. India has features that most believe make democracy impossible. Although its economic growth in recent years has been high, India remains a very poor country with a per capita income well below the threshold that seemingly demarcates democracies from dictatorships. 5 It has a bewildering number of ethnic communities, separated by language, religion, and caste, with occasionally alarming incidents of inter-community violence. 6 Caste remains a major feature of the social and political landscape with its religiously-sanctioned inequality. India is usually ranked among the world’s worst countries when it comes to the prevalence of corruption. The military is strictly under civilian control, and, historically, has never been a threat to stage a coup. However, the military has been given power for significant periods and allowed to ignore normal legal processes in certain parts of the country, such as the northeastern border states, Punjab from 1984 to 1992, and Kashmir since 1989. Finally, it has a bureaucracy inherited from colonial rule that—in practice and in the attitudes of its officials—is often capricious, authoritarian, and almost impossible to hold accountable. 8

Image shows man and dog sleeping under a 1980 election-time wall poster of the CPI(M)

Clearly, there are also flaws, perhaps fatal flaws, in India’s democracy. Are those many elections truly free and fair, given that in each election there are reports of intimidation, forcible occupation of polling stations, and other irregularities? With literacy and significant education still at very low levels, how can citizens cast their votes effectively? Do programs and policies change meaningfully when new parties come to power? Doesn’t the weakness of the rule of law at the lowest level encourage criminalization of politics and increase the difficulty of bringing corrupt officials to justice? Are there not powerful landowning and other classes that dominate and control politics in Delhi, state capitals, and local arenas?

Let us sketch responses to these questions and link them, in general, to underlying anti-democratic features. To begin, let us consider the integrity of elections. An autonomous Election Commission, one of the most respected institutions in the country, conducts elections and its record has been remarkably good. The electoral registers the Commission compiles can be quite inaccurate, and may contain many names of those who have died or moved; other names are missing. However, political parties and ordinary citizens have ready access to the rolls and are able to challenge or add names. Currently the rolls are being computerized, and anyone with an Internet connection can check them. The Election Commission has a code of conduct for election campaigns that regulates the hours of public meetings, requires financial and criminal record disclosure by candidates, recognizes parties and assigns them symbols, and attempts to regulate expenditures. Although expenditure rules are routinely flouted, it is not clear that this affects the outcome. Early on, money to buy votes for particular leaders flowed quite freely, but as voters gained confidence that the ballot was truly secret, vote-buying produced unreliable results and became less important.

On polling days, the Election Commission has full authority to mobilize government employees, such as teachers and security forces, to conduct the election. Most elections have violent incidents, including murdering candidates and ballot box stuffing. These occurrences have declined in recent years, however, as security has tightened; polling is on multiple days for up to a month. In cases where an election has been “countermanded,” a fresh poll is held weeks later, with additional security—and invariably there is no further problem. Vote fraud still exists in a few areas, but even then affects only a small percent of the vote total. All voting is on Indian-designed and Indian-manufactured electronic machines. This has accelerated the vote count results, but even before these technological advances, elaborate procedures were in place to make sure ballot boxes were secure and votes counted fairly.

Uncontested elections are rare at national and state levels. The range in ideology, policy, and social base of the winning parties is quite large. Communists have ruled West Bengal for thirty years, and in Kerala, a Communist-led coalition has alternated with a Congress-led coalition for almost as long. There are parties with cultural nationalist agendas, religious parties, and parties centered on particular castes that have ruled solely, or in coalition, in many states and in Delhi.

Election campaigns are wide open and thoroughly reported in the press. Spirited discussions also occur on TV. Face-to-face contact of candidates with voters remains at the heart of the campaign, however, with countless speeches and snippets of discussions during the three-week, eighteen-hour day sprint to polling day. This lessens the significance of education. Male voters with little or no schooling are practiced in judging what a candidate says and remembering it. As a rule, women do not attend meetings or hear speeches, and if uneducated, they have more difficulty than peer males understanding issues. Still, considerable empirical evidence exists that regardless of gender, most people no longer vote according to the dictates of husbands, or caste leaders, or even those with economic power over them. The secret ballot makes an enormous difference.

Images shows a woman is putting paper into a box

People appear to act rationally when they vote—not wasting their vote on candidates who have no chance of winning. They frequently throw out incumbents (about fifty percent), and usually disregard boasts of accomplishments and promises of good things to come, such as roads, electricity, or fertilizer supply. Local issues count more than national issues, except in extraordinary elections like 1977. The poor value the vote as one of the very few ways they can exercise even the smallest amount of power. Typically, they are utterly dependent on their landlord or their boss in a shop, with no recourse to laws, or even public opinion, if they are made to work long hours without decent pay, let alone other benefits; they are often beaten. They have no influence when it comes to getting proper health care or other government benefits. But with the assurance of a secret ballot and usually an uncertainty about who is leading, they find rich and powerful candidates begging for their vote.

There are, of course, large numbers of poor people who vote, and in India, the voter turnout of the poor is now higher than that of the non-poor. The contrast becomes most clear when the very poor are compared to the very rich, or illiterates to college graduates. The reverse is true in developed countries, including the US.9 And they get results. The most recent example is the party that won the 2007 state assembly election in the giant state of Uttar Pradesh (185 million inhabitants), which is led by an ex-untouchable woman named Mayawati, who captured a majority of the seats—mainly with the votes of the poor. 10

India’s society is socially fragmented to a high degree. For example, even if we ignore the fact that Hindi, the national language, composed of mutually unintelligible dialects (in addition to literary and film dialogue forms), is spoken by a minority of Indians. In any given electoral constituency, with a few exceptions, no community, whether caste or religious, has a majority, so cross-caste, and often cross-religion alliances must be created to win. Some of these alliances are horizontal, with middle-level farmers uniting, while others are vertical, between landlord groups and their farm workers, for example. Caste and religious groups, especially in local arenas, are often divided into factions, which can further complicate support. In some villages, and even in larger areas, powerful men organize followers into armed gangs to intimidate the lower classes. In some areas (mainly in the tribal belt of east-central India), these oppressed people have been organized to resist by workers of a coalition of revolutionary parties. In most of India, however, politics of all kinds—including democratic electoral politics—is more a matter of shifting alliances, countervailing groups, and leader-follower relationships based on the personal characteristics of the leader.

Efforts to create class-like movements on a broader level—farmers’ movements, for example—have been unsuccessful, and the caste associations that became prominent in the early years of independence have faded from the scene. In no state, much less at the national level, are there institutions that pull together even economic interest groups for effective political action. There are multiple and competing business associations, and Communist, Congress, and BJP parties mainly control trade unions through affiliating federations. Feminist, environmental, and other social movements have some impact on politics, using such tools as demonstrations and litigation, but they usually steer clear of electoral politics. The rich, and even the urban middle classes, manage to advance and protect their interests in large measure through networks of kinship and common institutions, such as schools and colleges, social clubs, and professional associations. This form of interest group politics by well-positioned groups is typical of not only India, but of all democracies.

Corruption in the court and criminal justice systems most certainly distorts the rule of law and the implementation of government programs. Although many politicians have criminal cases pending against them, very few have been convicted and almost none have exhausted their appeals. The serious “mafias” (the word is used in India) that are involved in smuggling, illicit drugs, alcohol, and other protection or extortion rackets and that control politicians, exist in relatively few cities. In certain government departments, corruption is endemic— contractors and others pay bribes shared by officials and politicians who control their transfers and promotions. That said, the national scale or even state-level corruption in which policies are bought and sold is rare.

Democracy in India is not a façade behind which one finds dominant classes or other societal institutions that exercise power. India is not very different from other democracies in the extent to which the bureaucracy governs without much day-to-day accountability. Colonial rule was built on a very small, elite corps of administrators whose task was primarily to maintain order. When independence came, those who did not quit were allowed to continue, but they had to prove their loyalty to the new political order, and to the leaders they had put in jail just a few years before. At the same time, the tasks of government expanded enormously, as the promises in education, health care, and, most of all, economic development, required a much-enhanced bureaucratic apparatus. Unlike many Third World countries, the balance of power between elected politicians and bureaucrats in India favored the politicians, and that advantage has not been lost. 11

Photo shows a man climbing onto an elephant

In contrast to most post-colonial countries—Pakistan presents a particularly vivid comparison—India’s military has been kept firmly under civilian and political control. Because the military also needed to demonstrate their loyalty to the new political leaders, when fighting erupted with Pakistan in Kashmir at independence, and a border dispute with China in 1962 ended in war, the military had an important national security mission, which it had been taught, in the British tradition, would be undermined by involvement in politics. The Indian government also was aware of the need to keep the military budget firmly under civilian control. Coups in many Third World countries have been associated with armies controlled by particular, often minority ethnic communities. Although Punjabis, particularly Sikhs, were disproportionately represented in the army at independence, they were still a small minority, which was further diluted as the navy and air force expanded.

Most important, though, was the success of the Indian democratic system in resolving crises involving states with different languages and cultures, and dealing with the economic crisis of the mid-1960s. The army faced insurgencies in peripheral states, but never had to deal with a law and order problem the government could not handle. Each time the military was not called upon for domestic purposes—notably not even during the Emergency—the less likely the chance of subsequent intervention.

The absence of a military coup, or even the threat of one, is one explanation for why India remains a democracy. It is less clear why India has maintained a democracy while remaining below the theoretical threshold of development that many political scientists see as crucial for sustained democracy. Using quantitative data, scholars have shown that almost all countries at the lowest level of development are autocracies, and almost all countries at the highest level of development are democracies. Development that breaches the threshold does not necessarily produce democracy. However, when a high development country becomes democratic, it nearly always sustains its democracy.

Carles Boix and Susan Stokes make a persuasive argument that “democracy is caused not by income [the measure of development] per se but by other changes that accompany development, in particular, income equality.” 12 As India has developed, its inequality has increased only slightly and remains at the comparatively low figure, as measured by a Gini coefficient of consumption, of 30.5 in 2004–05. 13 Smaller Gini coefficients indicate greater equality of income and wealth distribution. Significantly, in the countryside, the small farmers have increased in number and in percent of landholdings at the expense of marginal farmers and large landowners. In urban India, the middle class has expanded at the most rapid rate, especially in recent years. India is exceptional in this as well: for example, the Gini indexes of Nigeria, China, and Brazil, are, respectively, thirtyfour percent, thirty-seven percent, and seventy-eight percent larger than India’s, which indicates substantially greater inequality. 14 It is quite possible that India’s democracy helps explain the difference. When the poor can vote effectively, government is more likely to ensure that they get a more substantial share of the benefits of development.

The income equality argument does not sufficiently explain why India was able to build a democracy when others failed. The best probable explanation of why India is democratic today is that it had a functioning democracy yesterday. Particularly for a country like India that is struggling to develop and manage huge societal and cultural change at the same time, the success of democracy builds on its ability to solve those problems, as demonstrated by its earlier successes. 15 The 1977 election, or possibly the first half of 1980, when Sanjay Gandhi seemed to be leading the Congress Party towards a more authoritarian program, marked crucial “roads not taken” moments. Before then, although democratic institutions had been established and worked effectively, there was a good chance democracy would break down. 16

Nehru’s personal role in setting India firmly on a democratic path has been noted, but Nehru himself got his opportunity from being the “first among equals” in the Congress movement that transformed itself into a party of governance. That nationalist movement is unique in the colonial era for its longevity, the depth and breadth of its roots in the populace, and the general extent to which it was internally democratic. Founded in 1885, for thirty-five years the Congress was essentially an annual gathering of the elite of India’s educated class who had petitioned the British to grant rights to their citizens in India. As the British resisted change, the Congress debated among themselves and demanded rights from the Raj. Then Gandhi transformed the Congress into a mass movement with a permanent governing body and a revolutionary constitution. He then led movements of civil disobedience in the early 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. Each of these drew in larger and larger numbers of followers. The new Congress organization ensured that they were represented in the highest councils by leaders with local support, as well as by Gandhian or other nationalist credentials. As a movement for independence, the Congress was inclusive and included rich and poor, socialists, and Hindu nationalists. Only those who rejected nonviolence were excluded. Gandhi’s respect for the rule of law was such that while he claimed to be the judge of which laws he would follow, he insisted that he be condemned in court for breaking those laws. Although Gandhi and his trusted lieutenants effectively ran the Congress from above, the annual sessions and the debates on policies were exercises in free speech.

The second leadership generational transfer brought Jawaharlal Nehru in, with Gandhi’s support, even though Nehru’s views on socialism and modernist development contradicted Gandhi’s own ideas favoring village-level economic self-sufficiency and the belief that the rich should hold property as “trustees” for the poor. Over generations, the Congress developed a style of leadership and internal functioning that fit well with democracy. It developed momentum derived from effective action with an unrivalled network of support that reached minorities, women, and the rural poor. These political attributes served India well when independence came in 1947.

If India had not begun with that precious inheritance, it is doubtful that its democracy would be the reality it is today. That reality is clear in the unwavering commitment to democratic practices, especially in elections, and in the effective control of the military and bureaucrats. With the exception of the Emergency of 1975–77, the crises in the federal system, the ethnic and revolutionary insurgencies, and wars with India’s neighbors have been handled without damaging the democratic system, although the government has been responsible for severe violations of civil rights in the localities concerned, some of them quite substantial states, like Punjab and Kashmir.

As in all democracies, groups and some individuals wield a very wide range of power vis-à-vis government, but even at the local level there are only a few places where landlords or dominant castes can consistently get their way. In state and national government, it is the political party system that shapes most policy—not big business, or external powers, or a religious institution. In recent decades, there has been an impressive mobilization of the poor and previously marginalized groups, including the lower castes and women, which has been reflected in voting, in participation in local government, and in the leadership that has come to power. If India continues to grow economically at a rapid pace, the final foundation piece for a stable democracy will soon be put in place.

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  • See Lee Siegel, Net of Magic: Wonders and Deceptions in India (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1991) for a discussion of the magicians’ “rope trick.”
  • Not counting the rearrangement of coalitions in 1990 and 1997, and with a fresh election in 1999.
  • In Pakistan “non–democrats” (forty-one percent) outweigh “strong democrats” (ten percent), with “weak democrats” at forty-nine percent.
  • Yogendra Yadav, “Politics,” in Marshall Bouton and Philip Oldenburg, eds., India Briefing: A Transformative Fifty Years (Armonk: M. E. Sharpe, 1999), 31.
  • See: Axel Hadenius and Jan Teorell, “Cultural and Economic Prerequisites of Democracy: Reassessing Recent Evidence,” Studies in Comparative International Development 39, 4 (Winter 2005), 87–106.
  • See: D. L. Sheth, “Society,” in Marshall Bouton and Philip Oldenburg, eds., India Briefing: A Transformative Fifty Years (Armonk: M. E. Sharpe, 1999).
  • See: Transparency International India, India Corruption Study 2005; To Improve Governance , http://www.cmsindia.org/cms/events/corruption.pdf, (accessed July 7, 2007).
  • See Myron Weiner, The Child and the State in India (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1991).
  • See the Wikipedia entry on “voter turnout” (accessed September 20, 2007): “In developed countries, non-voters tend to be concentrated in particular demographic and socioeconomic groups, especially the young and the poor. However, in India, which boasts an electorate of more than 670 million people, the opposite is true. The poor, who comprise the majority of the demographic, are more likely to vote than the rich and the middle classes.” For representative India data, see the important chapter by Yogendra Yadav, “Understanding the Second Upsurge: Trends of Bahujan [“majority”] participation in electoral politics in the 1990s,” (Francine R. Frankel et al., eds., Transforming India: Social and Political Dynamics of Democracy (Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2000), 120–145.
  • See Yogendra Yadav and Sanjay Kumar, “Poor Man’s Rainbow over U.P.,” Indian Express (online edition), May 18, 2007; the data show that forty-one percent of the poor, and only fifteen percent of the rich, voted for the Bahujan Samaj Party.
  • For an important argument on this issue, see Fred W. Riggs, “Bureaucrats and Political Development: A Paradoxical View,” in Joseph LaPalombara, ed., Bureaucracy and Political Development (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1963), 120–167.
  • Carles Boix and Susan Carol Stokes, “Endogenous Democratization,” World Politics 55, 4 (July 2003), 540.
  • See Surjit S. Bhalla, “Misconceived Ideas—Income Inequality,” Business Standard (New Delhi), July 7, 2007, http://www.business–standard.com/economy/storypage.php? tab=r&autono=290320&subLeft=3&leftnm=3 (accessed July 7, 2007).
  • UNDP, Human Development Report 2006, Table 15, http://hdr.undp.org/ hdr2006/pdfs/report/HDR06–complete.pdf (accessed July 7, 2007). The report does not note precisely what the Gini index is measuring (income, consumption, wealth?).
  • See Atul Kohli, ed., The Success of India’s Democracy (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001).
  • For the general analysis of democratic breakdowns (and “reequilibration,” which is what happened in India in 1977), see Juan J. Linz, Breakdown of Democratic Regimes: Crisis, Breakdown, and Reequilibration . (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1978). For a pessimistic view of the survival of India’s democracy even after 1977, see Ainslie Embree, “The Emergency as a Signpost to India’s Future,” in Peter Lyon and James Manor, eds., Transfer and Transformation: Political Institutions in the New Commonwealth (Leicester: Leicester University Press, 1983), 59–67.
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TriumphIAS

The Concept of Indian Culture: Myth or Reality?

  The Concept of Indian Culture: Myth or Reality? 

  • Introduction
  • Points to Think
  • Indian culture is one of the most talked about cultures in the world. It has got vast variety in its culture. People from different countries come to India to get a touch of it. But what exactly culture is? Culture is a state of being cultivated or refined. Culture is about everything how people live, what their values, beliefs, are and then their language, food, religion, traditions and so many things. All these things together form culture. Thus everything from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata to the cave art of Ajanta and Ellora come together to create the enigma of Indian culture. Rich thoughts are essential to produce richness of cultural content.
  • India’s culture is among the world’s oldest; civilization in India began about 4,500 years ago. Many sources describe it as “Sa Prathama Sanskrati Vishvavara” — the first and the supreme culture in the world. The uniqueness of our country lies in its huge cultural diversity. India is a potpourri of different ethnic groups and communities with their own set of culture and traditions. This has given rise to several varied forms of arts-music,dance,food which now have been given international recognition. The people of these various communities are bound by a set of values clearly seen in traditional Indian families.
  • But in recent times a question has been raised several times: Has the Indian Culture diminished among today’s Indian youth? Has the Indian Culture become a myth today?Well one must admit the impact of globalisation and the resulting modernisation on Indian society. With globalisation, there has been an exchange of cultures and ideas between various countries and this has had a profound impact on our society in both ways-good and bad.
  • Modernisation has helped to eradicate our social evils on a large scale that were prevalent in the society like sati system, child marriage, polygamy etc.. Had it not been the British with their modern ways, India would have still been an underdeveloped nation. But today modernisation has gone far beyond and is slowly crippling the traditional values of our society- that binds an Indian family making Indian culture a myth.  
  • Although we are trending towards west in term of how we dress, eat and live, but our mindset is still grounded and same, resulting us to stay peaceful in secular and sovereign society . We live together and embrace others’ culture and propagating the message of unity in diversity to the world. Pluralism is the soul of India, we could nurture it because of our beautiful culture. Racism is a big problem world wide and many countries have been bearing the brunt of it. In that sense, India is much better placed where all sects of people have equal rights. Women are preferred for the top position, infact, many states are being run by women, minority and dalits are treated equally. All these are possible because of our rich culture which is a Reality.

 

  • Temporal Elaboration
  • India culture traces its origin back to almost the beginning of human civilization or roots of the Rig Veda. Hinduism, the Sanatan Dharma, has no known date of origin . The Vedic rishis through generations of spiritual research and meticulous study of matter, energy and spirit evolved the wisdom of the Vedas, the Upanishads, and the Gita. No aspect of human existence, from the basic values of life to education, medical science (ayurveda), astronomy (jyotisha) is left untouched. Thus were the beginnings of what we refer to as the Indian culture today.
  • It is worth remembering here that Christianity arrived in South India in the first century AD much before it spread throughout Europe . The spread of Islam, courtesy the Delhi Sultanate and followed by the Mughal Empire, had a profound impact on Indian culture. Thus Indian culture as we understand it today blends the ideas of different religions and hence cultures.
  • From the Buddhism of Ashoka to the Hinduism of the Guptas, from the music of the Sufis to the humanitarianism of the Bhakti movement, from the simple wisdom of Guru Nanak to the Khalsa of Gobind Singh, from the glorious ‘jowhar’ of the Rajput women to the fight against evils like ‘Sati’ by Rammohan and Vidyasagar, Indian culture has truly come a long way

Indian culture : A Reality

  • Points to think
  • Unity in diversity: Unity in diversity is integral feature of Indian culture from time immemorial.Indian culture is about sharing the values and showing unity in diversity that is still prevalent in India. 
  • Value and respect for other cultures :  Culture is about openness to accept the other people and respect their culture. Indians are still best at it.
  • Indian ethinic wears: The dress culture must have changed but that doesn’t means that sarees and other Indian dresses are forgotten. They are making an impact on the foreigner people.
  • Indian heritage sites: People from all over the world come to India to see the TajMahal, Ellora caves, taste the Indian food and many other activities. 
  • Indian festivals :All the festivals in India are still celebrated with the same spirit and joy as it used to be in the past. People who stays far from their families due to their jobs ,education or otherwise still prefer to go to home to celebrate festivals with their familes.
  • Namestey-Indian greeting style: The  Namaste , or  namaskar , or  ‘namaskaar a ‘  is one of the five forms of traditional greetings mentioned in the ancient Hindu scriptures, the Vedas. It is one of the most popular Indian customs and isn’t really just restricted to the Indian territory anymore but being followed in foreign countries.For example: Barack Obama and Ban Ki-moon, who have been seen greeting everyone with a namaste on various occasions.
  • Religious tolerance: India is land of religions and sees a large number of festivals, mainly because of the prevalence of diverse religions and groups.All the religious festivals like Eid, the good Friday Baisakhi ,the birthdays of sikh Gurus and Diwali, Holi, Makar Sakranti, Mahavir Jayanti,  Buddha Poornima, with same vigour and respect.
  • Fasts or Upvas: Fasting is an integral part of Hindu culture. Fasts or Vrats or Upvas are a way to represent your sincerity and resolve, or express your gratitude to the Gods and Goddesses.  People throughout the country observe fasts during various religious occasions, Married women still keep karwachauth vrat for the long life of their husbands.
  • Arranged Mariage System: The concept of arranged marriage in India traces its origin to as early as the Vedic times. For royal families, a ceremony known as the ‘Swayambar’ would be arranged for the bride.  Even today, the concept of arranged marriage remains a favourite among many Indians and is an integral part of ‘Indian Traditions’.
  • Atithi Devo Bhavah :In India, the saying ‘Atithi Devo Bhavah’ is also integral. It means ‘the guest is equivalent to god’. Even today all foreign guests are welcomed in India with warm hearts.
  • Indian Culture is a Myth:
  • Disintegration of joint Families: The culture of joint family is being diluted by modern concept of Nuclear family.Today each individual member of the family takes his own decision regardless of the difficulty of others. This is leading to chaos and disrupting the peace of mind.
  • Horoscope matching for marraiges :Traditionally the elders of the family used to arrange marriages but now, are mostly settled on the basis of horoscopes.Modern generation preferring love marraiges over arrage marriages.
  • Religious fundamentalism and Intolerance : Indian culture has witnessesed so many religions intermingling and prospering over the ages without bias.Indian culture has always taught tolerance which has now become extinguished feature of inmdian culture.
  • Craze for indian cusine fading away: Nowadays, the so called westernised youth prefer pizzas and hamburgers more to home cooked rice and chappatis. It has become a trend for everyone to  hang out with their friends and visit pizza huts,KFCs. Many find home cooked food tasteless.
  • Western music taking over Indian classical music: most of Indian youth like to dance to the tunes of Western Rock or Pop or even westernised Indian Pop, but only a handful prefer Indian Classical music. Modern youth found classical songs are “too boring”.
  • Degrading Value System: With westernisation, many of the youngsters seem to have lost their ethics,the respect for their elders. They like to party,hang out with their friends, but least bothered about family relationships. The values parents like to imbibe on their children, the advices they give to their kids do not appeal to them..
  • Vast geographical Extent Vs Cultural Identity :The vast geography of India does not permit for one cultural identity to develop. A Bengali may find more in common in terms of culture with a Bangladeshi than a Gujarati.
  • Declining interest in Indian traditional festivals :  Many of the youth feel suffocated in their homes-spending time with their family,taking part in family functions as they feel these are too ‘old-fashioned’ for them. The traditions appear to be boring for them.
  • Hindi losing its Importance: One of the most important aspects of any culture is its language and in India Hindi is getting overshadowed by English. People find it a matter of shame to speak in Hindi. 
  • Western outfits getting popularity : Indian culture is more about the Sarees, suits and lehengas that are even not seen in the marriages today. The place is taken by the indo western outfits.
  • No one can confidently define all the aspects of Indian culture , as we have different religions, languages, and climates that contribute to the development of distinct cultures.
  • India is undergoing a stage of transition where we are trying to accommodate various values as a unique combination. With our permutations and combinations still on the testing phase, we are trying to leave back a few good values, like our joint family, and inducing new things like night out lifestyle, increasing social moves especially between the two genders etc. These have both positive and negative impacts on the society. Still, we have not reached at an irreversible stage of damage to call our culture a myth. Indian culture is definitely an undying reality, and will continue to shine with its charm. And some changes are bound to come with time that can neither be stopped nor challenge But there could always be a way…with the introduction of value education programmes in educational institutes, to prevent our culture from completely turning into a myth.

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