Question map
Which of the following is/are the aim/aims of "Digital India" Plan of the Government of India ? 1. Formation of India's own Internet companies like China did. 2. Establish a policy framework to encourage overseas multinational corporations that collect Big Data to build their large data centres within our national geographical boundaries. 3. Connect many of our villages to the Internet and bring Wi-Fi to many of our schools, public places and major tourist centres. Select the correct answer using the code given below :
Explanation
The Digital India programme was approved with the vision to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy.[1] This vision is being realised through three key pillars: robust digital infrastructure, accessible government services, and empowered citizens.[2]
Statement 3 is correct because BharatNet is the first pillar of Digital India programme being implemented in a phased manner for providing broadband connectivity to all the 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats (GPs) in the country.[3] Additionally, the government also intended to enhance and improve connectivity of all villages and rural areas through internet networks.[4] Till August 2019, more than 463 public Wi-Fi hotspots were operational across India.[5]
Statement 1 is incorrect as there is no mention in any source document that forming India's own Internet companies like China did is an aim of Digital India. The programme focuses on digital infrastructure and connectivity rather than creating domestic internet companies.
Statement 2 is also not supported by the sources as an explicit aim of Digital India. While several major states have notified their respective data centre policies and others have signed MoUs with private players to develop data centres[6], this represents separate policy initiatives rather than a core aim of the Digital India programme itself.
Sources- [1] https://www.meity.gov.in/static/uploads/2024/03/Running-single-file.pdf
- [2] https://www.investindia.gov.in/blogs/digital-india-revolutionising-tech-landscape
- [3] Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 15: Infrastructure > National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) > p. 462
- [4] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 39: After Nehru... > Digital India: a Step Forward in e-Governance > p. 778
- [5] Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 15: Infrastructure > Public Wi-Fi Hotspots > p. 463
- [6] https://www.trai.gov.in/sites/default/files/2024-11/CP_29092023.pdf
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Full viewThis question tests your ability to distinguish 'Official Pillars' from 'Newspaper Noise'. Statement 3 is a direct textbook fact (one of the 9 pillars). Statements 1 and 2 are 'plausible-sounding' traps drawn from peripheral debates (data localization, anti-China sentiment) rather than the actual notified aims of the scheme.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Statement 1: Is the formation of India's own Internet companies (akin to China's approach) an aim of the Digital India Plan of the Government of India?
- Statement 2: Is establishing a policy framework to encourage overseas multinational corporations that collect Big Data to build their large data centres within India's geographical boundaries an aim of the Digital India Plan of the Government of India?
- Statement 3: Is connecting many villages to the Internet and providing Wi‑Fi to schools, public places, and major tourist centres an aim of the Digital India Plan of the Government of India?
- Describes Digital India in terms of promoting electronics hardware manufacturing and supporting domestic manufacturers.
- Emphasis is on providing a level playing field for manufacturers to compete with imports, not on creating domestic Internet platform companies.
- Defines Digital India through three pillars: digital infrastructure, government services, and empowered citizens.
- Focus is on infrastructure and service delivery rather than an explicit aim to form Indian Internet companies like China's model.
- Highlights work on e‑governance standards, guidelines and the India Digital Ecosystem Architecture (InDEA) as part of Digital India.
- Shows emphasis on building standards and architectures for government digital services rather than on fostering domestic Internet platform companies.
Describes Digital India as aimed at electronically empowering citizens and connecting government departments and people digitally — a core programme to build digital infrastructure and services.
A student could infer that building digital services and platforms creates the policy space where domestic internet companies could emerge and then check whether Digital India explicitly funds or favours domestic firms.
Notes BharatNet (NOFN) is the first pillar of Digital India to provide broadband to gram panchayats — an infrastructural push that lowers entry barriers for internet services nationwide.
One could reason that nationwide broadband expansion is a prerequisite for scaling homegrown internet companies and then look for policy measures that promote domestic firm formation.
National Digital Communication Policy objectives include provisioning broadband, creating jobs, increasing sector GDP share and enhancing contribution to global value chains — indicating emphasis on strengthening the domestic digital industry.
A student might extend this to ask whether 'enhancing contribution to global value chains' implies nurturing domestic internet companies and then search policy documents for explicit industry-development measures.
States the principle that India should not transplant a single external model and must find its own strategy for growth — a general rule about policy direction.
From this, one could infer India may avoid simply copying China's approach and instead craft an indigenous path; follow-up would be to compare Digital India text with China's industrial policies to see alignment or divergence.
Lists digital initiatives in health and education (National Digital Health Blueprint, DIKSHA) showing the programme emphasizes building national digital platforms across sectors.
A student could argue that creating national digital platforms shows preference for domestic digital infrastructure, then investigate whether these platforms are implemented by domestic companies or opened to foreign firms.
Defines Digital India as a programme to electronically empower citizens and connect government and people digitally, implying an emphasis on digital infrastructure and services.
A student could infer that major digital programmes often require data-handling infrastructure and therefore check Digital India policy texts for explicit data‑centre or data‑localisation aims.
National Digital Communication Policy lists objectives like 'provisioning of broadband for all' and increasing ICT sector contribution, indicating government focus on digital infrastructure and incentives for the sector.
One could reasonably look for parallel provisions or incentives in complementary policies (Digital India/DCP) that target data‑centre investment or localisation by multinationals.
PM Gati Shakti description emphasises use of geospatial data, satellite imagery and centralized digital portals to plan and monitor infrastructure projects, showing government practice of using large digital systems and data layers.
Combine this with the practical need for hosting and processing such large datasets to motivate checking whether the government promotes domestic data‑centre capacity.
Discussion of Industry 4.0 highlights that big data and high computing capacity drive digitalisation, implying national economic goals that benefit from on‑shore data and compute infrastructure.
A student might infer that to support Industry 4.0 goals, policymakers could aim to attract data centres, and thus examine policy documents for explicit measures toward that end.
The 'digital divide' note stresses uneven ICT access within countries and the importance of providing ICT access broadly, suggesting policy attention to expanding domestic digital infrastructure.
Using this, a student could hypothesize that encouraging local data‑centre construction is one way to improve access and then verify whether Digital India includes such directives.
- Explicitly identifies the National Optical Fibre Network (renamed BharatNet) as the first pillar of the Digital India programme.
- States the programme’s objective: providing broadband connectivity to all 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats (village-level units).
- Directly states the government intended to enhance and improve connectivity of all villages and rural areas through internet networks under Digital India.
- Links this connectivity effort to broader e-infrastructure and e-services goals of the programme.
- Describes public Wi‑Fi hotspots as a scalable means to spread Internet access in rural and urban areas and to bolster connectivity inside public buildings and airports.
- Provides concrete evidence that public Wi‑Fi deployment is part of India’s connectivity approach (operational hotspots cited).
- [THE VERDICT]: Moderate/Trap. Statement 3 is a standard textbook fact (Nitin Singhania/India Year Book). Statements 1 & 2 are 'Current Affairs Over-inference' traps.
- [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: Flagship Government Schemes > Digital India > The 9 Pillars framework.
- [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Memorize the 9 Pillars of Digital India verbatim: 1. Broadband Highways, 2. Universal Access to Mobile, 3. Public Internet Access, 4. e-Governance (Reforming Govt), 5. e-Kranti (Service Delivery), 6. Information for All, 7. Electronics Manufacturing (Target: Net Zero Imports), 8. IT for Jobs, 9. Early Harvest Programmes.
- [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: When UPSC asks for the 'Aims' of a specific scheme, stick strictly to the official notification text. Do not extrapolate based on general political rhetoric (e.g., 'beating China') or subsequent draft bills (e.g., Data Protection Bill debates). If it's not in the original vision document, it's likely false.
Evidence describes Digital India as aimed at electronic governance and empowering citizens and the economy via digital connection between government departments and people.
High‑yield for UPSC because Digital India is a flagship programme frequently asked in GS papers and interviews; links governance reform, service delivery, and ICT policy. Mastering this helps answer questions on objectives, pillars, and outcomes of digital governance initiatives.
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 39: After Nehru... > Digital India: a Step Forward in e-Governance > p. 778
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 15: Infrastructure > National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) > p. 462
References identify NOFN/BharatNet as the first pillar of Digital India focused on providing broadband to Gram Panchayats, highlighting an infrastructure focus rather than explicit promotion of domestic internet firms.
Important for questions on digital divide, rural connectivity and scheme implementation; connects to topics on infrastructure, rural development and technology-enabled governance. Understanding this aids answers on how digital initiatives are operationalised.
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 15: Infrastructure > National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) > p. 462
Policy objectives in the references emphasize provisioning broadband, creating digital jobs and increasing ICT's GDP share — showing economic and access goals rather than stating creation of India‑specific internet companies.
Useful for UPSC to distinguish policy goals (access, jobs, GDP contribution) from industrial strategies (e.g., state‑backed domestic champions). Helps tackle questions on digital economy, telecom policy and linkages with employment and GDP.
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 15: Infrastructure > National Digital Communication Policy, 2018 > p. 463
Digital India is described as a programme to electronically empower citizens and connect government departments and people digitally, which frames policy discussions about data, services and infrastructure.
High‑yield for UPSC: understanding Digital India clarifies central government priorities on digital governance, public service delivery and infrastructure—useful for questions on e‑governance, digital policy and administrative reforms. Links to ICT policy, cybersecurity and infrastructure debates; prepares answers comparing programme aims versus specific regulatory measures.
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 39: After Nehru... > Digital India: a Step Forward in e-Governance > p. 778
The policy sets concrete national objectives for digital connectivity, jobs and contribution to global value chains, which are relevant when assessing government aims regarding digital infrastructure.
Important for UPSC as it supplies explicit policy targets and metrics (broadband, jobs, GDP share) that can be cited in answers; it connects telecom/digital policy to economic outcomes and geopolitical discussions about digital infrastructure and investment.
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 15: Infrastructure > National Digital Communication Policy, 2018 > p. 463
Industry 4.0 is driven by big data, high computing capacity and analytics—context for why locating large data centres matters for economic and infrastructure policy.
Useful for framing why states might pursue data‑related policies: ties technology trends to industrial policy, digital economy and infrastructure planning. Enables answers on tech‑driven economic transformation, data governance and the rationale for domestic data infrastructure.
- Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 7: Indian Economy after 2014 > Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0): Present > p. 232
BharatNet/NOFN is named in the references as the Digital India programme’s first pillar to provide broadband to Gram Panchayats (villages).
High-yield for UPSC: BharatNet links telecom policy, rural infrastructure and digital inclusion; questions often ask aims/components of Digital India and flagship telecom schemes. Understanding its scope (GP-level coverage) helps answer policy, governance and rural development questions.
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 15: Infrastructure > National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) > p. 462
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 39: After Nehru... > Digital India: a Step Forward in e-Governance > p. 778
The 'Electronics Manufacturing' pillar of Digital India specifically aimed for 'Net Zero Imports'—a very specific, extreme-sounding goal that is actually TRUE. Contrast this with Statement 1 (copying China), which is FALSE. Know the specific 'extreme' goals the govt actually committed to.
The 'Sovereign Dignity' Heuristic. Statement 1 says '...like China did.' Indian Government policy documents almost never explicitly state an aim as 'copying Country X'. They use terms like 'indigenous development' or 'global leadership'. Explicitly naming a rival nation as the model in a visionary aim is a red flag for a wrong option.
Link Digital India to Mains GS-2 (Governance) and GS-3 (Security). The evolution is: Digital India (Infrastructure/Access) -> India Stack/UPI (Digital Public Infrastructure) -> Data Protection Act (Regulation). Use 'DPI' as a keyword for India's soft power diplomacy in IR answers.