“India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) has become a model for inclusive governance. Critically evaluate its potential and challenges.”

Aadhaar, UPI, DigiLocker, CoWIN, and ONDC are all part of India’s Digital Public Infrastructure, which has revolutionised how the government communicates with its people. It signifies a change from welfare delivery to digital empowerment, guaranteeing transparency and last-mile inclusion.

Prospects and Accomplishments:

• Financial Inclusion: Banking and payment access have become more accessible to all thanks to Jan Dhan and UPI accounts.
• Effective Service Provision: Direct Benefit Transfers provide real-time welfare scheme tracking and minimise leaks.
• Digital Identity: Millions of people now have unified identification thanks to Aadhaar, which makes it easy to access services.
• International Recognition: A number of developing nations are currently adopting or researching India’s DPI as a governance model.

Important Aspects:

•  Although DPI promotes inclusivity and efficiency, worries about data privacy, surveillance, and digital exclusion still exist.
• If access and literacy barriers are not addressed, the digital divide—particularly in rural and isolated areas—may continue to promote inequality.
• The ability of institutions to protect citizen data and stop abuse is still lacking.

Way Ahead: 

• To preserve citizens’ digital rights, India has to put strong data protection regulations in place.
• To guarantee that having access to technology results in empowerment, public digital literacy initiatives ought to be expanded.
• It is necessary to improve the interoperability of different DPI platforms in order to achieve integrated governance.
• To establish India as a pioneer in moral digital governance, international cooperation could be leveraged through programs such as the G20 DPI project.

India’s DPI is a revolution in administration rather than only a technological advancement. However, in order to be really inclusive, it must combine human dignity with digital advancement, efficiency with equity, and innovation with ethics.

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About the Author: Jyoti Verma