PM interacts with beneficiaries of Digital India programme

Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with beneficiaries of government’s flagship programme, Digital India, on Friday.

Interacting with beneficiaries of the various Digital India efforts, PM Modi pushed for use of RuPay, the Indian version of credit/debit card, saying when other similar cards are used the transaction or processing fee goes to foreign companies. However, when RuPay is used, the money remains in India and is used for development works and infrastructure projects.

The Prime Minister said people made fun of him when he first spoke of digital payments in the country where people were used to stashing money underneath the pillow and ration could not be availed without middlemen. But experiences narrated by beneficiaries of how services are reaching people directly are a befitting reply to such naysayers, he said.

Now, some people are spreading rumours that money is not safe when used digitally, he said, adding such conspiracies will be hatched as he has created problems for middlemen. “Digital India is a fight with dalali (touts),” he said. “Digital India has checked blackmoney and black marketing and uprooted middlemen.” From booking rail tickets to paying bills and availing government services like pensions by giving proof of existence digitally, people are being empowered, he said.

Digital India is a campaign launched to ensure the government services are made available to citizens electronically by improved online infrastructure, increasing internet connectivity and by making the country digitally empowered in the field of technology. Complementing it has been the launch of large-scale digital payment processing platforms like the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM), Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) and India’s home-grown card network RuPay.

PM Modi said while the National Knowledge Network has linked over 1,700 educational and research institutions, libraries, academicians, government officials and more than 5 crore students, citizen engagement platform ‘mygov’ has 60 lakh volunteers. “We can now fight for our rights,” he said.

He said the push for domestic electronic manufacturing has seen setting up of 23 electronic manufacturing centres in 15 states and the number of units manufacturing mobile handsets and their components multiply from just two in 2014 to over 120 now, providing direct and indirect employment to 4.5 lakh people.

Also, the Rs 550 crore BPO promotion scheme has led to the creation of two lakh job opportunities as it took business process outsourcing centres to smaller cities and towns by providing financial assistance of up to Rs 1 lakh for every seat. “Along with digital empowerment, we also want technology to boost innovation,” he said.

PM Modi said the network of about three lakh Common Service Centres (CSCs), which act as access points for delivery of digital services, have bolstered employment and entrepreneurship opportunities, thus empowering citizens. He said the initiative was launched with an objective of bringing benefits of technology to people, especially in rural areas.

Addressing the Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs), who run these centres, via video conferencing, Modi said Digital India was launched with an aim to connect India’s villages and youth. Over the last four years it has brought a slew of services to the doorsteps of the common man, he said. “Every aspect of digital empowerment has been worked on, from rolling out fibre optics in villages to digital literacy,” PM Modi said.