#dnaEdit: Digital dream

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is fond of floating big ideas and dreaming big dreams. Ever since taking over the reins of the government last May, Modi has rolled out many mega-plan projects starting with Swachh Bharat, Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana, Clean Ganga, Smart Cities. The latest to join this high-profile list is the ambitious Digital India project, which, the Prime Minister has launched this Wednesday. 

The captains of industry have jumped onto the digital bandwagon with surprising, and perhaps not so surprising, alacrity. Mukesh Ambani of Reliance has committed himself to invest Rs2.5 lakh crore, for laying broadband cable network across the country in order to transform Digital India into a reality. Sunil Mittal of Bharti Airtel has announced an investment of Rs1 lakh crore. The total investment committed by private sector leaders stands at Rs4.5 lakh crore. The truth of course is that neither Ambani nor Mittal have actually announced any fresh investments, in response to the Prime Minister’s Digital India plan. Their future investment plans for this sector are already in place. 

Interestingly, contrary to expectations, the private sector — so far — has been indifferent, or at best lukewarm, to the other big plans of the Modi government. This is the first time that the Prime Minister has evoked such an enthusiastic response from big industrialists, who seem to perceive in Modi’s Digital India, lucrative business prospects which also align with their own existing telecom sector plans, including the newly launched 4G services.    
The phrase Digital India has the resonance of a futurist, tech-savvy India of the 2020s. But there is need for caution here. What Modi wants to do is make the government-citizen connect fully cyber. Like many other politicians, he too, seems to feel that e-governance will not only do away with red tapism but also make administration transparent, besides eliminating systemic corruption altogether. This sounds naïve and idealist. But the idea may not be one that needs to be dismissed out of hand. Surely, it will not usher in cyber-utopia. But, sooner than later, government work will go the digital way. It is a good thing that the government is keen to implement this project in a time-bound manner.

At the same time, it is useful to remember that even if Digital India becomes a reality, it will not solve some of the more important and basic problems confronting the majority of people. For instance, in the absence of qualified doctors and paramedical staff with adequate supplies of medicines at the primary health centres (PHCs) or at the district civil hospitals, cyber-connectivity will be redundant in villages and towns. Just like in the absence of proper schools and colleges with qualified teachers and proper facilities like libraries, laboratories, classrooms and playgrounds at the district level, broadband connectivity will not empower the people, socially and economically. 

This does not imply that the government or the private sector should jettison their plans for Digital India. It only means that both the government and the private sector will have to accept the fact that telecom infrastructure in itself will not help India to clean up its systems, or refurbish it’s neglected health and education sectors. Broadband connectivity is just a means and not an end in itself. Digital India presupposes an educated, not just a barely literate, India. Ambani and Mittal would be justified in arguing that they are in the business of making money, and they are not obliged to worry about educational and health infrastructure. It is the politicians and leaders of society who will have to think of using cyber-power to enable people to acquire skills and knowledge, and to provide basic health and education services to the vast majority of people.