The Union Cabinet has approved the expansion of the Digital India programme with a total outlay of Rs 149.03 billion. Cybersecurity has been kept as a major focus of the expansion, which includes enhancing the capabilities of the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In). A portion of the overall outlay will also be used to fund 1,200 start-ups in tier 2 and 3 cities. An awareness programme for cybersecurity will be initiated, with 120 million people being given a certificate for having undergone the programme.
The government’s DigiLocker platform, which allows access to digital versions of various documents including drivers’ licences, and vehicle registration certificates, will be expanded to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) as a standalone app, using which these entities can get their documents digitally verified.
Under the expansion, 525,000 IT professionals will undergo upskilling while 265,000 people will be trained in cybersecurity. The mobile-based Umang application will get 540 more services, up from the current 1,700. As part of the National Supercomputing Mission, nine new supercomputers will be added, over the 18 supercomputers that are currently deployed. Moreover, three centres of excellence will also be set up for research around the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare, agriculture and sustainable living.
