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Q61 (IAS/2022) Science & Technology › ICT, AI, Cybersecurity & Emerging Tech › Science and technology initiatives Official Key

Consider the following : 1. Aarogya Setu 2. CoWIN 3. DigiLocker 4. DIKSHA Which of the above are built on top of open-source digital platforms ?

Result
Your answer:  ·  Correct: D
Explanation

The correct answer is Option 4 (1, 2, 3 and 4) because all four listed applications are integral components of India's Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and are built using open-source software stacks.

  • Aarogya Setu: The government released its source code on GitHub in 2020, making it an open-source contact-tracing app to ensure transparency and security.
  • CoWIN: Built as a scalable digital platform for vaccination, the Indian government has offered CoWIN as a "digital public good" to the world, based on open-source principles.
  • DigiLocker: This platform utilizes open-source technologies and provides APIs to create a paperless ecosystem for document verification.
  • DIKSHA: The Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing is built on Sunbird, which is an open-source digital infrastructure designed for learning and solutions.

Since all these platforms leverage open-source frameworks to promote interoperability, scalability, and transparency, Option 4 is the most comprehensive and accurate choice.

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Q. Consider the following : 1. Aarogya Setu 2. CoWIN 3. DigiLocker 4. DIKSHA Which of the above are built on top of open-source digital plat…
At a glance
Origin: Mixed / unclear origin Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 0/10 · 0/10

This question tests the 'Philosophy of Architecture' rather than just the utility of the apps. While standard books mention the 'Open Source' policy for Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) generally, they rarely list the tech stack for each specific app. The key was to recognize all four as pillars of 'India Stack' or 'Digital Public Goods', which by definition mandate open standards.

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 India's Aarogya Setu app built on top of an open-source digital platform?
Origin: Weak / unclear Fairness: Borderline / guessy
Indirect textbook clues
Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 15: Budget and Economic Survey > 1. Inclusive Development > p. 445
Strength: 5/5
“Digital public infrastructure for agriculture will be built as an open source, open standard and inter operable public good which will help in developing farmer centric solutions and the growth of agri-tech industry and startups.”
Why relevant

States a government policy pattern: new digital public infrastructure for agriculture will be built as open source, open standard and interoperable public good.

How to extend

A student could infer that similar central policies or preferences for open-source/open-standards might apply to other recent government digital public goods (like health apps) and then check whether Aarogya Setu follows that pattern.

Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 21: Sustainable Development and Climate Change > Part V: Government Reforms and Enablers > p. 622
Strength: 4/5
“• 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

Mentions the National Digital Health Blueprint/National Digital Health Mission as the governmental digital health implementation framework.

How to extend

One could check whether Aarogya Setu was developed under or aligned with this national digital health framework and whether that framework mandates open-source platforms.

Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 15: Budget and Economic Survey > 15.2 Economic Survey 2022-23 > p. 450
Strength: 4/5
“8. Digital Public Infrastructure: Besides the push to physical infrastructure, the government's emphasis on developing public digital infrastructure during the last few years has been a game changer in enhancing the economic potential of individuals and businesses. With its strong forward linkages to the non-digital sectors, digitalization strengthens potential economic growth through various channels such as higher financial inclusion, greater formalization, increased efficiencies and enhanced opportunities. Based on the pillars of a digital identity Aadhar, linking bank accounts with PM-Jan Dhan Yojana, and the penetration of mobile phones (JAM Trinity), the country has witnessed significant progress in financial inclusion in recent years.”
Why relevant

Describes a broader government emphasis on building Digital Public Infrastructure (JAM Trinity etc.) as a repeatable model for public digital goods.

How to extend

A student could use this pattern — that the government builds centralized digital public infrastructure — to investigate if Aarogya Setu was released as part of such infrastructure and whether those infrastructures are open-source.

Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 12: Indian Industry > STAND-UP INDIA > p. 401
Strength: 3/5
“• Launched in 2016, the Stand-up India portal provides a digital platform based on three pillars to support enterprises promotion for SC, ST and women entrepreneurs. • The portal also provides crucial links to central and state SC/ST corporations and industrial associations. • It provides for handholding support to borrowers both at the pre-loan stage and during \bullet operations”
Why relevant

Gives an example of a government 'portal' (Stand-up India) described as a digital platform built to support public programmes.

How to extend

Use this example to reason that many government services are implemented as platforms/portals and then check whether the health-sector equivalent (Aarogya Setu) followed the same build-model and its licensing/open-source status.

Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 7: Indian Economy after 2014 > Some initiatives of Govt. of India for Skilling: > p. 241
Strength: 2/5
“• PRIME: Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has partnered with NASSCOM to create an online platform to upskill IT professionals in emerging technologies such as AI, Blockchain, Cybersecurity, IoT etc. to increase their employability called Future Skills PRIME (Programme for Reskilling/Upskilling of IT Manpower for Employability).• ASEEM: In an endeavour to improve the information flow and bridge the demandsupply gap in the skilled workforce market, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship on 10th July 2020 launched 'Aatamanirbhar Skilled Employee Employer Mapping (ASEEM)' portal to help skilled people find sustainable livelihood opportunities. ASEEM is an AI-based digital platform to bridge demand-supply gap of skilled workforce across sectors.”
Why relevant

Describes multiple government-led digital platforms for skilling and workforce mapping (PRIME, ASEEM) illustrating a pattern of creating sectoral digital platforms.

How to extend

Compare these platform examples to Aarogya Setu to see if the health platform was similarly structured and whether those platforms were open-source or proprietary.

Statement 2
Is India's CoWIN vaccination platform built on top of an open-source digital platform?
Origin: Weak / unclear Fairness: Borderline / guessy
Indirect textbook clues
Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 15: Budget and Economic Survey > 1. Inclusive Development > p. 445
Strength: 5/5
“Digital public infrastructure for agriculture will be built as an open source, open standard and inter operable public good which will help in developing farmer centric solutions and the growth of agri-tech industry and startups.”
Why relevant

States that digital public infrastructure for agriculture will be built as open source, open standard and interoperable public good — indicating a government policy/precedent favoring open-source DPIs.

How to extend

A student could infer the government’s stated preference for open-source DPIs and check whether CoWIN, as a national DPI for vaccination, follows the same policy (e.g., by looking for public code repositories or policy documents).

Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 21: Sustainable Development and Climate Change > Part V: Government Reforms and Enablers > p. 622
Strength: 4/5
“• 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

Mentions implementation of a National Digital Health Blueprint/National Digital Health Mission, showing that the government plans structured, centralized digital health platforms.

How to extend

Using basic knowledge that CoWIN is a national health IT service, a student could compare CoWIN’s architecture to the Blueprint’s open/standards guidance to see if it aligns with open-source principles.

Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 12: Indian Industry > STAND-UP INDIA > p. 401
Strength: 3/5
“• Launched in 2016, the Stand-up India portal provides a digital platform based on three pillars to support enterprises promotion for SC, ST and women entrepreneurs. • The portal also provides crucial links to central and state SC/ST corporations and industrial associations. • It provides for handholding support to borrowers both at the pre-loan stage and during \bullet operations”
Why relevant

Describes the Stand-up India portal as a government digital platform built to support services — an example that Indian government often uses dedicated digital portals for national schemes.

How to extend

A student can use this pattern (government uses portals) to expect documentation/implementation details for CoWIN and then search for whether that portal’s code or design is open-source.

Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 7: Indian Economy after 2014 > Some initiatives of Govt. of India for Skilling: > p. 241
Strength: 3/5
“• PRIME: Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has partnered with NASSCOM to create an online platform to upskill IT professionals in emerging technologies such as AI, Blockchain, Cybersecurity, IoT etc. to increase their employability called Future Skills PRIME (Programme for Reskilling/Upskilling of IT Manpower for Employability).• ASEEM: In an endeavour to improve the information flow and bridge the demandsupply gap in the skilled workforce market, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship on 10th July 2020 launched 'Aatamanirbhar Skilled Employee Employer Mapping (ASEEM)' portal to help skilled people find sustainable livelihood opportunities. ASEEM is an AI-based digital platform to bridge demand-supply gap of skilled workforce across sectors.”
Why relevant

Describes ASEEM and Future Skills PRIME as government digital/AI-based platforms, reinforcing that multiple government services are implemented as online platforms.

How to extend

A student could treat these as examples to look for common deployment practices (open APIs, open standards, or open-source releases) and then inspect CoWIN for similar traits.

Exploring Society:India and Beyond ,Social Science, Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 7: Factors of Production > Technology paving the way for accessing knowledge, skills, and job opportunities > p. 177
Strength: 2/5
“A variety of online courses are available to students through Government platforms like SWAYAM (Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds), which offers courses for Grade 9 onwards and operates on Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) through which learners can explore subjects like robotics, aquaculture, textile printing, and so on that are free of cost. Students benefit from learning at their own pace, from anywhere, while pursuing other jobs or courses. Online portals, like the Government's National Career Service, help people find job opportunities across various sectors, from plumbing to accounting. This is how technology has eliminated geographical barriers, allowing people access to knowledge, skill development and jobs in India and abroad.”
Why relevant

Notes SWAYAM and other government MOOC portals as free online government platforms, illustrating government use of large-scale digital public services.

How to extend

Given SWAYAM is a national DPI-style service, a student might look for public licensing, repositories, or policy links for SWAYAM and analogously for CoWIN to infer openness.

Statement 3
Is India's DigiLocker digital document locker built on top of an open-source digital platform?
Origin: Weak / unclear Fairness: Borderline / guessy
Indirect textbook clues
Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 15: Budget and Economic Survey > 15.2 Economic Survey 2022-23 > p. 450
Strength: 4/5
“Numerous digital public goods such as digital verification (e-KYC), digital signature, digital repositories (Digilocker), and digital payments (UPI) have supported financial inclusion by improving access to formal financial services and reducing transaction costs. Greater financial inclusion and access to credit incentivize higher consumption and investment, leading to higher economic growth. Unified digital interfaces that connect various initiatives/portals have simplified governance resulting in a more efficient resource allocation in the economy. 9. Trust Based Governance: Building trust between the government and the citizens/businesses unleashes efficiency gains through improved investor sentiment, better ease of doing business, and more effective governance.”
Why relevant

Identifies DigiLocker explicitly as one of the 'digital public goods' / 'digital repositories'.

How to extend

A student could combine this with policy statements about how digital public goods should be implemented (see snippet 4) to infer likely platform design choices.

Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 15: Budget and Economic Survey > 1. Inclusive Development > p. 445
Strength: 5/5
“Digital public infrastructure for agriculture will be built as an open source, open standard and inter operable public good which will help in developing farmer centric solutions and the growth of agri-tech industry and startups.”
Why relevant

States a general rule that 'digital public infrastructure' will be built as open source, open standard and interoperable public goods.

How to extend

A student could apply this rule to other items classified as digital public goods (like DigiLocker) to suspect they are/should be on open‑source platforms and then seek confirmation.

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: 3/5
“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 the Digital India programme's broad aim to create digital governance and electronic empowerment through connected government platforms.

How to extend

Using the programme's emphasis on unified digital governance, a student might expect government digital services (including DigiLocker) to follow prevailing DPI design principles such as openness and interoperability.

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

Mentions 'one nation, one digital platform' (DIKSHA) as an example of unified national digital platforms for public services.

How to extend

This pattern of centralized/unified public platforms suggests a policy preference for common standards and possibly open implementations, which a student could check against DigiLocker's classification.

Statement 4
Is India's DIKSHA national digital infrastructure for education built on top of an open-source digital platform?
Origin: Weak / unclear Fairness: Borderline / guessy
Indirect textbook clues
Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 21: Sustainable Development and Climate Change > Part V: Government Reforms and Enablers > p. 622
Strength: 4/5
“• 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

States DIKSHA is the 'one nation, one digital platform' for school education, showing DIKSHA is a government national digital platform for education.

How to extend

A student could use this to focus verification on government digital platforms (like DIKSHA) and then check whether such named national platforms adopt open‑source approaches.

Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 15: Budget and Economic Survey > 1. Inclusive Development > p. 445
Strength: 5/5
“Digital public infrastructure for agriculture will be built as an open source, open standard and inter operable public good which will help in developing farmer centric solutions and the growth of agri-tech industry and startups.”
Why relevant

Says digital public infrastructure for agriculture will be built as open source, open standard and interoperable public good, giving a government policy pattern for DPI design.

How to extend

A student could infer a government tendency/policy to make digital public infrastructure open‑source and investigate whether that policy also applied to education DPI like DIKSHA.

Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 15: Budget and Economic Survey > 15.2 Economic Survey 2022-23 > p. 450
Strength: 3/5
“8. Digital Public Infrastructure: Besides the push to physical infrastructure, the government's emphasis on developing public digital infrastructure during the last few years has been a game changer in enhancing the economic potential of individuals and businesses. With its strong forward linkages to the non-digital sectors, digitalization strengthens potential economic growth through various channels such as higher financial inclusion, greater formalization, increased efficiencies and enhanced opportunities. Based on the pillars of a digital identity Aadhar, linking bank accounts with PM-Jan Dhan Yojana, and the penetration of mobile phones (JAM Trinity), the country has witnessed significant progress in financial inclusion in recent years.”
Why relevant

Discusses 'Digital Public Infrastructure' as a government emphasis and pillar (JAM Trinity), indicating a broader policy focus on national digital infrastructures.

How to extend

Use this to reason that DIKSHA, as a national education DPI, might follow the general DPI principles and so check official DPI design guidelines or announcements for open‑source commitments.

Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 14: Infrastructure and Investment Models > 14.20 PM Gati Shakti > p. 442
Strength: 3/5
“• It is the National Master Plan for infrastructure development and multi-modal connectivity (connecting various modes of transport like road, rail, airway, shipping etc.) which signals a paradigm shift in our approach to development planning.• Gati Shakti is a digital platform which will bring several Ministries including Railways and Roadways together for integrated planning and coordinated implementation and execution of infrastructure connectivity projects. It will be a game changer in interministerial and inter-departmental cooperation in infrastructure planning.• Gati-Shakti will incorporate the infrastructure schemes of various Ministries and State Governments like Bharatmala, Sagarmala, inland waterways, dry/land ports, UDAN etc.”
Why relevant

Describes Gati Shakti as a digital platform uniting ministries for integrated planning, illustrating examples where the government builds central digital platforms for cross‑departmental use.

How to extend

Compare design/implementation practices of other central digital platforms (like Gati Shakti) to DIKSHA to see if open‑source approaches are typical or mandated.

Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 15: Budget and Economic Survey > 6. Youth power > p. 447
Strength: 2/5
“• Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 4.0 will be launched to skill lakhs of youth within the next three years.• The digital ecosystem for skilling will be further expanded with the launch of a unified Skill India Digital platform for enabling demand-based formal skilling, linking with employers including MSMEs, and facilitating access to entrepreneurship schemes.”
Why relevant

Mentions a unified Skill India Digital platform to expand the digital ecosystem for skilling, another instance of government creating national digital platforms.

How to extend

A student could examine whether this and similar platforms were built open‑source to infer patterns applicable to DIKSHA, then verify DIKSHA specifically.

Pattern takeaway: UPSC has evolved from asking 'What is the objective of this scheme?' to 'What is the technological architecture of this scheme?' (e.g., Web 3.0, Open Source, SaaS). Focus on the governance of technology (Interoperability, APIs, Privacy).
How you should have studied
  1. [THE VERDICT]: Conceptual Application. Not found directly in static texts, but inferable from the 'India Stack' philosophy mentioned in Economic Survey chapters.
  2. [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: 'Digital Public Infrastructure' (DPI) and 'Open Digital Ecosystems' (ODEs). The shift from building 'Systems' to building 'Public Goods'.
  3. [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Memorize the underlying open blocks: Sunbird (powers DIKSHA), DIVOC (powers CoWIN certs), Beckn Protocol (powers ONDC), MOSIP (Identity), and OCEN (Credit).
  4. [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: Do not memorize the license of every app. Instead, learn the Government's Policy: The 'National Digital Health Mission' and 'NDEAR' (Education) explicitly mandate 'Open Source, Open Standard, Interoperable'. If it's a National Platform, the default architecture is Open.
Concept hooks from this question
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 Open-source, open-standard digital public infrastructure
💡 The insight

Public digital infrastructure for sectors (e.g., agriculture) is being specified to be open source and based on open standards.

High-yield for UPSC because policy choices about open-source versus proprietary platforms affect interoperability, citizen access, and governance of digital services; links to e-governance and debates on public goods and platform design. Mastering this helps answer questions on digital infrastructure design, data portability, and public policy trade-offs.

📚 Reading List :
  • Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 15: Budget and Economic Survey > 1. Inclusive Development > p. 445
🔗 Anchor: "Is India's Aarogya Setu app built on top of an open-source digital platform?"
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 National Digital Health Blueprint / National Digital Health Mission
💡 The insight

A scheme to implement a National Digital Health Blueprint through a National Digital Health Mission is being undertaken.

Important for questions on health governance and digitalization of health services; understanding this concept enables analysis of architecture for health apps, data governance, and integration of health platforms with broader digital public infrastructure.

📚 Reading List :
  • Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 21: Sustainable Development and Climate Change > Part V: Government Reforms and Enablers > p. 622
🔗 Anchor: "Is India's Aarogya Setu app built on top of an open-source digital platform?"
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 Government digital platforms and portals (service portals, skill platforms, JAM Trinity)
💡 The insight

The government has created multiple digital portals and platforms (e.g., Stand-up India portal, unified Skill India digital platform) and leverages digital identity and financial/mobile penetration (JAM) as digital infrastructure pillars.

Crucial for UPSC because it ties e-governance initiatives to economic inclusion and service delivery; mastering this helps answer questions on digital governance models, platform delivery of schemes, and intersections of technology with social policy.

📚 Reading List :
  • Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 12: Indian Industry > STAND-UP INDIA > p. 401
  • Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 15: Budget and Economic Survey > 6. Youth power > p. 447
  • Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 15: Budget and Economic Survey > 15.2 Economic Survey 2022-23 > p. 450
🔗 Anchor: "Is India's Aarogya Setu app built on top of an open-source digital platform?"
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 Digital Public Infrastructure & Open‑Source Principles
💡 The insight

Public digital infrastructure can be designed as open‑source, open‑standard and interoperable to serve as a public good.

High‑yield for UPSC because questions often test government approaches to digital governance, public goods and technology policy; it links to e‑governance, interoperability and startup ecosystems; enables answering comparative questions on open vs proprietary platforms and policy implications during crises.

📚 Reading List :
  • Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 15: Budget and Economic Survey > 1. Inclusive Development > p. 445
🔗 Anchor: "Is India's CoWIN vaccination platform built on top of an open-source digital pla..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 National Digital Health Blueprint / National Digital Health Mission
💡 The insight

A national digital health framework (NDHB/NDHM) is a government initiative for building digital health infrastructure.

Important for health‑policy and governance questions: it connects digital infrastructure to public health delivery, pandemic response and data governance; mastering it helps answer questions on digitalisation of health services, privacy, and platform integration.

📚 Reading List :
  • Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 21: Sustainable Development and Climate Change > Part V: Government Reforms and Enablers > p. 622
🔗 Anchor: "Is India's CoWIN vaccination platform built on top of an open-source digital pla..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 Government Service Portals as Sectoral Digital Platforms
💡 The insight

Government schemes commonly use dedicated digital portals (e.g., Stand‑up India, DIKSHA) to deliver services and link stakeholders.

Useful across GS papers: shows how sectoral digital platforms operationalise policy, demonstrates interlinkages between technology and schemes (education, entrepreneurship, skilling); helps frame answers on scalability, targeting and tech choices for public service delivery.

📚 Reading List :
  • Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 12: Indian Industry > STAND-UP INDIA > p. 401
  • Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 21: Sustainable Development and Climate Change > Part V: Government Reforms and Enablers > p. 622
🔗 Anchor: "Is India's CoWIN vaccination platform built on top of an open-source digital pla..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S3
👉 DigiLocker as a government digital repository
💡 The insight

DigiLocker is the government's digital repository for citizen documents and part of the Digital India ecosystem.

High-yield: understanding DigiLocker clarifies e-governance mechanisms, digital identity/documentation, and links to initiatives such as e-KYC and UPI; this helps answer questions on digital public services and citizen-centric platforms.

📚 Reading List :
  • Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 15: Budget and Economic Survey > 15.2 Economic Survey 2022-23 > p. 450
  • 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
🔗 Anchor: "Is India's DigiLocker digital document locker built on top of an open-source dig..."
🌑 The Hidden Trap

Sunbird & MOSIP. DIKSHA is built on 'Sunbird' (an open-source building block). Many nations use 'MOSIP' (Modular Open Source Identity Platform) for their ID systems, developed by IIIT-B. Expect a question on these specific underlying platforms.

⚡ Elimination Cheat Code

The 'Ecosystem Consistency' Heuristic. All four options are flagship pillars of the Prime Minister's 'Digital India' narrative. It is logically inconsistent for the government to build three on open-source and keep one proprietary while pitching them all as 'Global Digital Public Goods'. If they belong to the same 'India Stack' family, they likely share the same 'Open' DNA. Go with All of the Above.

🔗 Mains Connection

GS-2 (International Relations): India uses these 'Open Source' platforms as Soft Power diplomacy (offering CoWIN/UPI to the Global South). Unlike Chinese proprietary tech, India offers 'Digital Public Goods' with no vendor lock-in.

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