The United States, Japan and South Korea recently announced the launch of the Digital Infrastructure Growth Initiative for India Framework (DiGi Framework).
About DiGi Framework
- Partner country: United States, Japan, and South Korea.
- Aim: To strengthen digital infrastructure in India through collaboration with the Indian private sector.
- The framework focuses on high-quality, sustainable development in digital infrastructure to support strategic projects.
Enroll now for UPSC Online Course
Areas of Support
- The framework targets projects in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) including:
- 5G Networks
- Open RAN (Radio Access Network)
- Submarine Cables and Optical Fiber Networks
- Telecom Towers and Data Centers
- Smart City Infrastructure
- E-commerce, AI, and Quantum Technology
Significance for the Indo-Pacific Region
- Supports U.S.-Japan-Republic of Korea trilateral summit goals and strengthens cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.
- Aligns with the economic and diplomatic agendas of the U.S., Japan, and Korea, fostering development in line with regional priorities.
About Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)
- Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) refers to the digital platforms and systems that enable the delivery of public services, such as identification, payments, health, education, and governance.
- It can be understood as an intermediate layer in the digital ecosystem.
- It sits atop a physical layer (including connectivity, devices, servers, data centres, routers, etc.), and supports an apps layer (information solutions to different verticals, e-commerce, cash transfers, remote education, telehealth, etc.).
- DPI can help solve global challenges such as poverty reduction, climate resilience, and digital transformation by improving the efficiency, transparency, inclusion, and innovation of public service delivery.
- Three Pillars of DPI– DPI has 3 broad objectives- identity, payments and data management.
- India, through its India Stack Platform, has become the first country to develop all the three foundational pillars of DPI.
Check Out UPSC NCERT Textbooks From PW Store
Categories of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)
- DPIs can be broadly grouped into two categories:
- Foundational DPIs: Aadhaar, UPI, and Data Empowerment and Protection Architecture (DEPA) are developed to create robust digital rails and span the domains of digital identity systems and payment infrastructure, and data exchange platforms.
- Sectoral DPIs: It provides specialised services tailored to the needs of specific sectors.
- Examples include the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, which is the rails for the provision of universal health coverage.
- A notable DPI success story is the CoWIN platform, which utilized Aadhaar-based authentication to facilitate the administration of more than 2.2 billion Covid-19 vaccines.
Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) in India
- Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) in India is a set of digital systems and services that support the digital economy and society.
- DPIs are created by the public sector and are available to users and developers.
- They can be used to deliver public services like education, healthcare, payments, identification, and governance.
- Some examples of DPIs in India include:
-
- Aadhaar: A digital identity system that allows users to verify and manage their identities online
- UPI: A digital payment system that has revolutionised the payment landscape
- CoWIN: A platform that has helped to deliver services
- DigiLocker: A data infrastructure system that allows users to store documents like insurance, PAN cards, passports, and more in digital format
G20 Framework for Systems of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)
- The G20 Framework for Systems of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) is a voluntary framework that outlines how to create, implement, and govern DPI.
key principles
- Interoperability: DPIs should be designed to be interoperable so that different systems and institutions can interact with them.
- Open standards: The framework emphasizes the need for open software, open standards, and open application programming interfaces (APIs).
- Governance: The framework calls for legal regulation of DPI through new legislation or subordinate legislation.
- Market participation: The framework emphasizes the involvement of market participants in the development and deployment of DPIs.
- Public benefit: The framework calls for maximizing public benefit, trust, and transparency while respecting applicable legal frameworks.
Initiatives under framework
- Global Digital Public Infrastructure Repository: A virtual repository where G20 members and others can voluntarily contribute their open-source technologies.
- One Future Alliance (OFA): A voluntary initiative to build capacity and provide technical assistance and funding support for implementing DPI in low- and middle-income countries.
|
Enroll now for UPSC Online Classes
Impact on India
- Boost to Private Investment: Facilitates private sector involvement in India’s digital infrastructure development.
- Enhanced Digital Ecosystem: Expected to improve India’s ICT capacity, fostering smart cities, AI, and e-commerce growth.
- Strategic Partnership: Reinforces India’s geopolitical and economic partnerships with the U.S., Japan, and South Korea, promoting shared development goals.
October 28, 2024
