SCO Members Adopt Proposal on Digital Public Infrastructure

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in news?
• Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)
• What is Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)?
• What are the benefits of DPI?
• India and DPI
• What are the Challenges faced by DPI?
• News Summary: SCO members unanimously adopt proposal on Digital Public Infra
• Key highlights of the SCO meeting

 

Why in news?

• Inter-governmental body Shanghai Cooperation Organization members have unanimously adopted India's proposal for developing Digital Public Infrastructure.
• The proposal includes platforms such as Aadhaar, United Payments Interface (UPI), and DigiLocker.
• This was done during a recently held meeting of Digital Ministers of SCO member. The meeting was chaired by India.

 

Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)

What is Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)?

• DPI refers to platforms such as identification (ID), payment and data exchange systems that help countries deliver vital services to their people.
• Put simply, DPIs mediate the flow of people, money and information. 
• In this context, the following three sets become the foundation for developing an effective DPI ecosystem:
  • First, the flow of people through a digital ID System. 
  • Second, the flow of money through a real-time fast payment system. 
  • And third, the flow of personal information through a consent-based data sharing system to actualise the benefits of DPIs and to empower the citizen with a real ability to control data.

 

What are the benefits of DPI?

• Promotion of economic activities and support to inclusive growth
  • Countries are using DPI to implement widespread adoption of digital payments, data-sharing infrastructures, and growing their e-commerce sector.
  • It has the potential to transform economies and support inclusive growth.
    • E.g., Aadhar, UPI, and Jan Dhan were instrumental in promoting financial inclusion in India.
• To address common challenges as outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals
  • DPI can drive forward global efforts to address our common challenges as outlined in the 17 Sustainable Development Goals — everything from advancing gender equality to restoring our natural world.
  • E.g., Data in Climate Resilient Agriculture, or DiCRA, program in India. 
    • It makes climate data accessible — providing instant information on where, when, and what to plant, thereby boosting livelihoods and enhancing food security.
• Efficient service delivery
  • Like health, education, or social protection systems or even public parks and libraries, societies need infrastructure to function. 
  • That is also true for DPI. Citizens can access public services 24 hours a day at their fingertips.
• Support during COVID-19 crisis
  • Countries that used digital databases to extend social assistance programs such as cash transfers during the COVID-19 pandemic were able to reach more than half of their populations on average.
  • E.g., India was able to vaccinate one billion people within a matter of months due to an existing digital vaccination registration system known as CoWIN.

 

India and DPI

• The concept of digital public infrastructure has been pioneered by India and is a current global leader in developing DPI.
• India, through India Stack (India Stack is the moniker for a set of open APIs and digital public goods), became the first country to develop all three foundational DPIs: 
  • digital identity (Aadhar); real-time fast payment (UPI) and a platform to safely share personal data without compromising privacy (Account Aggregator built on the Data Empowerment Protection Architecture or DEPA).
    • DEPA is a joint public-private effort for an improved data governance approach.
    • It creates a digital framework that allows users to share their data on their own terms through a third-party entity, Consent Mangers.
• Other components of Indian DPI include:
  • DigiYatra - a Biometric Enabled Seamless Travel (BEST) experience based on a Facial Recognition System (FRS).
  • DigiLocker - a platform used for storing document and verifying credentials.
  • Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) - An alternative e-commerce platform promoting open networks for exchange of goods and services.

 

What are the Challenges faced by DPI?

• Data Colonisation
  • There is a disturbing trend of the weaponisation of data and technology. This is resulting in a loss of agency, sovereignty and privacy.
• Financing models for developing DPI
  • To develop sustainable financing models for developing DPI for the world is a major challenge.
• Global standards for the development of DPI
  • Currently, there is no uniform standard across the world for the development of DPIs.

 

News Summary: SCO members unanimously adopt proposal on Digital Public Infra

• Member nations of the SCO supported the adoption of Indian digital public infrastructure such as Aadhaar, Unified Payments Interface, DigiLocker and CoWin.
• The adoption of India’s proposal by the SCO marks a significant step towards a more digitally connected and inclusive future for the region. 

 

Key highlights of the SCO meeting

• India shared its plan 
  • India shared its plans to invest: 
    • $3 billion to provide mobile connectivity to villages in remote areas and 
    • $5 billion to bring broadband connectivity to all 250,000gram panchayats, or village councils. 
  • Additionally, India will chair the Annual Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) summit in December.
• Highlights India’s growing leadership in the digital realm
  • This development highlights India’s growing leadership in its efforts to bridge the digital divide and promote connectivity among its neighbours.

 

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Q1) What is Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)?

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a regional intergovernmental organization established in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The organization's main goals are to promote economic, political, and security cooperation among its member states. The SCO has two main bodies: the SCO Summit, which is the highest decision-making body and meets annually, and the SCO Secretariat, which is based in Beijing and coordinates the organization's activities. 

 

Q2) What is DigiLocker?

DigiLocker is a digital platform developed by the Government of India as part of its Digital India initiative. It is an online storage space that allows Indian citizens to store and share digital copies of important documents and certificates, such as driving licenses, vehicle registration certificates, academic certificates, and other government-issued documents.

 

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Source: SCO members adopt India’s proposal for digital public infra | World Bank | ORF | IMF