A Norwegian perspective of India’s digital journey – Leveraging Digital Public Goods to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals: Lessons from India | 15 November 2023 | UPSC Daily Editorial Analysis

What's the article about?

• It talks about India's accomplishment in developing Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and the lessons that the rest of the world may learn from it.

Relevance:

• GS2: Important Aspects of Governance, Transparency and Accountability, E-governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; Citizens Charters, Transparency & Accountability and institutional and other measures
• GS3: Indian economy

Context:

• India's impressive progress in reaching out and providing social protection to its vast and diverse population of 1.4 billion people is a testament to the effectiveness of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).
• The country's success in issuing digital identities to almost all its citizens stands as a prime example of how DPI can empower individuals and foster inclusive development.

Analysis:

• Accelerating the Digital Public Goods Agenda: India's Leadership: 
  • India's leadership in promoting the digital public goods agenda is evident from its role in getting all G-20 countries to agree to the G-20 Framework for Systems of Digital Public Infrastructure.
  • This framework provides a common understanding and approach to DPI, paving the way for more effective collaboration and innovation.
• Digital South-South Cooperation – A New Paradigm for Development:
  • The work on digital public goods exemplifies the growing trend of South-South cooperation, where developing countries are taking the lead in shaping the global development agenda.
  • The Bengaluru-developed open-source ID system, MOSIP (Modular Open Source Identity Platform), which has provided IDs to over 97 million people across the globe, serves as a shining example of this collaboration.
• Norway's Commitment to Digital Public Goods:
  • Norway has a long-standing commitment to supporting digital public goods and is an active member of the Digital Public Goods Alliance (DPGA). The country's recent pledge to become a frontrunner in the 50-in-5 campaign further demonstrates its dedication to making digital public goods accessible to all.
• Challenges and Considerations:
  • While digital public goods offer immense potential for development, they also present challenges that need to be addressed. Ensuring privacy, data security, and digital sovereignty are critical considerations for the sustainable and equitable use of these technologies.

Way Forward:

• India's experience offers valuable lessons for other countries seeking to leverage digital public goods for development. By following India's blueprint, more countries can leapfrog the digital divide and accelerate their progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.