Digital India Initiative and E-Governance Programmes (MeghRaj, e-Kranti, BharatNet, Bharat QR)
Science & Technology › IT, Telecommunications and Computers · Topic 14.11
Digital India is a flagship programme launched by the Prime Minister on 1 July 2015 to turn India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. It rests on three vision areas, digital infrastructure as a core utility, governance and services on demand, and digital empowerment of citizens, and it covers nine pillars: broadband highways, universal access to mobile connectivity, public internet access, e-governance, e-Kranti, information for all, electronics manufacturing, IT for jobs and early harvest programmes. Key components include BharatNet for rural broadband, MeghRaj, the Government's cloud, e-Kranti for electronic delivery of services, and Bharat QR, a common quick response code for card and mobile payments launched in 2016.
5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Science & Technology · IT, Telecommunications and Computers
At a Glance
- Launched 1 July 2015
- Pillars Nine
- Cloud MeghRaj, GI Cloud
- E-service e-Kranti
- Payments Bharat QR, UPI
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Science & Technology: IT, Telecommunications and Computers
Where Does It Fit?
This topic follows the account of computer security tools. It brings together the main national programmes through which digital technology is used for governance, and links with the later topics on the National e-Governance Plan. Previous topic: Computer Security Tools: Firewalls, Hackers, VPN. Next topic: Net Neutrality.
What Are the Pillars and Programmes of Digital India?
| Pillar or programme | Content |
|---|---|
| Broadband Highways | Connecting gram panchayats by optical fibre under BharatNet, national information infrastructure and broadband in new urban buildings |
| Universal Access to Mobile Connectivity | Covering uncovered villages with mobile service under the Universal Service Obligation Fund |
| Public Internet Access Programme | Common Service Centres as service delivery points and post offices as multi-service centres |
| e-Governance | Reforming government through technology, with online applications, tracking and Aadhaar based services |
| e-Kranti | Electronic Delivery of Services, the National e-Governance Plan 2.0 approved in 2015 |
| Information for All | Open data platform and online hosting of documents, with MyGov for citizen engagement |
| Electronics Manufacturing | Target of net zero imports of electronics, supported by incentives and electronic manufacturing clusters |
Which Specific Initiatives Are Important?
- MeghRaj: the Government of India cloud, or GI Cloud, launched in 2014 to provide cloud computing for departments on a shared basis, with empanelled cloud service providers
- Bharat QR: a common QR code accepted across cards and wallets, launched in 2016 by NPCI with Visa and Mastercard
- UPI: Unified Payments Interface launched by NPCI in April 2016 for instant bank-to-bank payments by phone
- DigiLocker: launched in 2015 for storing and sharing documents in digital form, with legal validity
- UMANG: Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance, a single app for many government services
- Aadhaar and eKYC: digital identity used for authentication and benefit transfers
- India Stack: a set of open digital public goods: Aadhaar, UPI, DigiLocker and account aggregators
- ONDC: Open Network for Digital Commerce, an open network for e-commerce launched in 2022
What Else Should You Remember?
- Digital India Corporation: a company under MeitY that implements the programmes
- Common Service Centres: access points in villages for services, run by village level entrepreneurs, started under the National e-Governance Plan in 2006
- e-Kranti principles: transformation and not just translation, integrated services, government process re-engineering, cloud by default, mobile first
- National Knowledge Network: high-speed network linking educational and research institutions
- Digital literacy: Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (2017) aimed to make six crore rural households digitally literate
- JAM trinity: Jan Dhan accounts, Aadhaar and mobile numbers to deliver direct benefit transfers
- Smart cities and Gati Shakti: digital planning platforms for infrastructure
- Challenges: digital divide, last mile connectivity, cyber security, language barriers and the need for digital skills
- Data protection: the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 supports trust, as in Cyber Law in India
- Digital public infrastructure: India shares its stack with other countries, and the G20 recognised the concept in 2023
- Link with BharatNet: see National Optical Fibre Network and Spectrum Management
- Link with NeGP: see National e-Governance Plan
- Aarogya Setu and CoWIN: apps built during the pandemic: CoWIN handled vaccine registration and certificates for a very large number of people
- GeM: Government e-Marketplace, an online platform for public procurement launched in 2016
- e-Courts and e-Office: digital case management for courts and paperless file handling in departments
- Passport Seva and GST Network: examples of mission mode e-services built in the 2010s
- Digital India Bhashini: a language translation mission to make services available in Indian languages
- Account aggregators: consent based sharing of financial data, part of the India Stack
- Soil Health Card and eNAM: agriculture services such as the Soil Health Card portal and the electronic National Agriculture Market use digital platforms for farmers
- Skill India Digital: online platform for training and certificates
Why Does It Matter for the Exam?
- Launch and pillars: 1 July 2015, nine pillars
- Programmes: MeghRaj, e-Kranti, Bharat QR
- Platforms: UPI, DigiLocker, UMANG
- Current affairs link: UPI abroad and ONDC
- Common errors: confusing Bharat QR with UPI or MeghRaj with BharatNet
As an analytical point, India has built shared public digital platforms that serve millions at low cost. Gaps in connectivity, skills and data protection must be closed so that digital services reach all citizens.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Pillars Nine
- Platforms UPI, DigiLocker
- Cloud MeghRaj
What Came Next?
The next topic covers net neutrality. Next topic: Net Neutrality.
Key People and Terms
- MeghRaj GI Cloud
- e-Kranti Electronic delivery of services
- Bharat QR Common payment QR
- UPI Unified Payments Interface
- DigiLocker Digital document locker
- DPI Digital public infrastructure
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Digital India launched: 1 July 2015.
- Nine pillars.
- UPI: April 2016, by NPCI.
- e-Kranti approved: 2015.
- Bharat QR: 2016.
Do Not Confuse With
- MeghRaj and BharatNet Cloud platform versus fibre network
- Bharat QR and UPI Common QR code versus instant payment system
- e-Kranti and NeGP Version 2.0 versus original plan
Memory Hook
July fifteen launched Digital India: nine pillars, cloud called MeghRaj, QR for Bharat, UPI to pay.
Mains Angle
Questions ask for dates, pillars and platforms. These points help.
- Platforms Public digital goods
- Impact Services and payments
- Gaps Divide and security
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Evaluate the achievements and challenges of the Digital India programme in delivering e-governance and financial inclusion.”
How to Answer
- Aims Three vision areas.
- Tools MeghRaj, UPI.
- Impact Services, payments.
- Gaps Skills, access.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Digital India launched?
The Digital India programme was launched by the Prime Minister on 1 July 2015. It aims to make government services available electronically, improve online infrastructure and internet connectivity, and empower citizens digitally. It has nine pillars, including broadband highways, universal mobile access, e-governance, e-Kranti and electronics manufacturing.
What is MeghRaj?
MeghRaj is the Government of India's cloud computing initiative, also called the GI Cloud, launched in 2014. It aims to speed up delivery of e-services by using a shared cloud infrastructure for central and state departments, with cloud service providers empanelled after assessment by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
What is e-Kranti?
e-Kranti, or Electronic Delivery of Services, is the National e-Governance Plan 2.0, approved by the Cabinet in 2015 as an essential pillar of Digital India. It focuses on integrated and mobile-first services, cloud by default, and re-engineering of government processes, with many mission mode projects covering sectors such as health, education and agriculture.
What is Bharat QR?
Bharat QR is a common quick response code for card and mobile payments, launched in 2016 by the National Payments Corporation of India with Visa and Mastercard. A shop prints one code that customers can scan with different apps and cards, which makes digital payment simple for small merchants.
What is DigiLocker?
DigiLocker is a government platform launched in 2015 that lets citizens store and share official documents in digital form, such as driving licences, marksheets and Aadhaar. The documents issued through it are treated as legally valid as the original under the Information Technology rules, which reduces paperwork.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 Digital India was launched on 1 July 2015.
With nine pillars.
2 MeghRaj is the optical fibre network for gram panchayats.
That is BharatNet; MeghRaj is the cloud.
3 UPI was launched by the National Payments Corporation of India in 2016.
For instant payments.
4 DigiLocker is used for storing documents in digital form.
With legal validity.
Past Mains Questions on This Topic
This topic comes under IT, Telecommunications and Computers. UPSC Mains questions asked on the matching syllabus topic, year-wise with marks:
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