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Q36 (IAS/2018) Science & Technology › ICT, AI, Cybersecurity & Emerging Tech › Science and technology initiatives Official Key

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 :

Result
Your answer:  ·  Correct: B
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. [1] https://www.meity.gov.in/static/uploads/2024/03/Running-single-file.pdf
  2. [2] https://www.investindia.gov.in/blogs/digital-india-revolutionising-tech-landscape
  3. [3] Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 15: Infrastructure > National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) > p. 462
  4. [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. [5] Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 15: Infrastructure > Public Wi-Fi Hotspots > p. 463
  6. [6] https://www.trai.gov.in/sites/default/files/2024-11/CP_29092023.pdf
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Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. 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 comp…
At a glance
Origin: Books + Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 3.3/10 · 3.3/10
You're seeing a guest preview. The Verdict and first statement analysis are open. Login with Google to unlock all tabs.

This 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.

How this question is built

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?
Origin: Web / Current Affairs Fairness: CA heavy Web-answerable

Web source
Presence: 1/5
"The Government attaches high priority to electronics hardware manufacturing, and it is one of the important pillars of both “Make in India” and “Digital India” programmes of Government of India."
Why this source?
  • 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.
Web source
Presence: 1/5
"This vision is being realised through three key pillars: robust digital infrastructure, accessible government services, and empowered citizens."
Why this source?
  • 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.
Web source
Presence: 1/5
"e-Governance Standards and Guidelines C-DAC along with STQC is working on development and/ or review of ICT Standards/Guidelines/Frameworks for effective and efficient implementation of e-Governance projects as part of the “Digital India Program” initiative by the Government of India."
Why this source?
  • 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.

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
Strength: 4/5
“One of the basic aims of the Modi government was to encourage electronic governance. Considering the importance of reducing the paperwork involved in the public - government interface and thereby lowering the corruption levels, the Modi government launched the Digital India campaign within three months of taking office, in August 2014. The success of several socio-economic and governance programmes, existing as well as intended to be launched, depended upon the efficacy of Digital India. The idea was to electronically empower the Indian citizen and the economy. The programme was designed to get all government departments and the people of India to connect with each other digitally or electronically, so that governance could be improved.”
Why relevant

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.

How to extend

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.

Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 15: Infrastructure > National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) > p. 462
Strength: 4/5
“• It was launched in 2011 to provide broadband connectivity. It was later renamed BharatNet in 2015.• It 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.”
Why relevant

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.

How to extend

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.

Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 15: Infrastructure > National Digital Communication Policy, 2018 > p. 463
Strength: 4/5
“• Objectives of the policy include: • Provisioning of broadband for all. • Creating 4 million additional jobs in the digital communication sector. • Enhancing the contribution of the digital communication sector to 8 per cent of India's GDP from 6.5 per cent. • Propelling India to the top 50 nations in the ICT Development Index of ITU. • Enhancing India's contribution to global value chains.”
Why relevant

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.

How to extend

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.

Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 56: NITI Aayog > RATIONALE > p. 466
Strength: 3/5
“India is a diversified country and its states are in various phases of economic development along with their own strengths and weaknesses. In this context, a 'one-size-fits-all' approach to economic planning is obsolete. It cannot make India competitive in today's global economy.… The Resolution observed: "Perhaps most importantly, the institution must adhere to the tenet that while incorporating positive influences from the world, no single model can be transplanted from outside into the Indian scenario. We need to find our own strategy for growth. The new institution has to zero in on what will work in and for India. It will be a Bharatiya approach to development."”
Why relevant

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.

How to extend

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.

Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 21: Sustainable Development and Climate Change > Part V: Government Reforms and Enablers > p. 622
Strength: 3/5
“• Implementation of National Digital Health Blueprint through National Digital \Health Mission to be undertaken. • Education sector: • A programme PM eVIDYA to be launched for multi-mode access to digital/online education. It is to consist of: • 1. DIKSHA (one nation, one digital platform) for school education in States/UTs: In this regard, e-content and QR-coded energised textbooks for all grades to be launched. • 2. Special e-content to be ensured for visually and hearing impaired. • To exclude COVID-19-related debt from the definition of 'default' under the Indian Bankruptcy Code, 2016. • Private companies which list non-convertible debentures on stock exchanges not to be regarded as listed companies. • Public sector enterprises (PSEs) related: • In strategic sectors, private sector to be allowed.”
Why relevant

Lists digital initiatives in health and education (National Digital Health Blueprint, DIKSHA) showing the programme emphasizes building national digital platforms across sectors.

How to extend

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.

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