Digital India - an ultimate solution for better Tomorrow...

Source - Indiblogger

You don't know how to apply for a passport? And you claim yourself as an Engineer! Take a paper pencil and note the things I dictate. There is an office  named "Shasthri Bhavan," also called passport office, which issues passport. You should visit the office with address, identity proofs and all other documents. Ask for a form, fill it up and attach the photocopies of the documents along with the form, which should be submitted in the counter. Then you should wait in a long queue for your turn and complete the verification process. You should probable go there early in the morning. I went there by 4 am for my process, 5 years ago.

This was the conversation between a young guy and his uncle. The young guy was paying complete attention to each and every word uttered by his uncle, without even knowing that there is another way, far more easier one.

This is the state of our nation, where people claims to know everything but actually knows nothing. IGNORANCE, as I would call it! Ignorance grows along with your knowledge, it means both are directly proportional in life.

From the above example, I can state two things. One is from the listener's end and other is from speaker's end. Listener is a young engineer, just passed out from college. He wasn't aware of an online application process of the same thing that he was listening so far. What's the problem? He is young, energetic and also educated, then why he isn't aware of this simple thing. IGNORANCE!

Speaker is yet another learned middle-aged man. He sounds like he know everything. He explained the process for applying a passport, actually he was right. But there is another way for the same, which consumes less energy, time and money. That is through e-application. Again he is learned, experienced and also educated, then why he isn't aware of this simple thing. IGNORANCE!

Alright, let us come to the topic. Nope, it is not about ignorance, but about "Digital India."

Source - Intel India

What is Digital India?

Digital India is a novel project to transform India into an empowered society. It is transformational in nature and would ensure the citizens of our nation with all the Government services, thereby bringing about a public accountability (Source - Vikaspedia).

For example, citizens of our nation should be informed about the matters discussed in the parliament and other government forums. The information should be relevant to the citizens as well, like railway budget, union budget, etc. 

Why Digital India?

Digital India paves way for three most important things, i.e. Transparency, Convenience and Empowerment.

When the necessary information are shared with all the citizens of our nation, like financial transaction, policy decisions and related things, it instills in them a kind of strong belief towards the government. Everyone will trust the government and also contribute effectively towards the well-being of the nation. This in turn will result in the good governance thereby strong nation building.

Next important thing is convenience. Taking the above example into consideration, when a person knows how to apply for a passport online, he can save time, money and also energy. He can invest all those either in his personal or professional life or even both to proceed further. This leads to a unified development.

When a person is informed about all the necessary things happening in the government, he gets knowledge as well as awareness. With all these information and knowledge, he attained through digital resources, he is empowered. And when he is empowered, people around him is empowered. And when the people around him is empowered, the whole nation is empowered. That is the ultimate aim of this initiative 'Digital India.'

What can be done?

We have a platform, we have a medium, for transparency, convenience and also empowerment. But is everyone getting benefited out of it? That is the ultimate question now? Considering the fact that everyone pretends to know everything but actually knows nothing, we should first try to reach this medium to the people. 

We should train and empower the first level service providers, initially, through whom we can reach the 'unreached.' 

"Unreached" is referred to the people who has all the amenities but doesn't know who to contact, where to contact and how to utilise it to the perfection. There comes the role of 'First Level Service' providers. 

First level service providers may be,

• Village Administrative Office
• Panchayat Office
• Rural Development Office
• Self Help Group
• Cooperative Societies
• Youth Associations
• NGO's working for the development and empowerment
• Communities and societies working for development and empowerment
• Government and Private School Teachers
• Professors, Lecturers and Research Scholars
• Computer Centres 

These are the people who have direct contact with the people, be it rural or urban. And hence, empowering them means empowering the whole nation.

There are three types of people in our nation. 

1. One who knows everything and acts accordingly.
2. One who knows nothing and accepts it.
3. One who knows nothing but pretends to know everything.

It is easy to train and empower the first two categories of people but is very difficult to train the third one. Unfortunately, most of the Urban Indians belong to this category. The only thing we can do now is to train the First Level Service providers, who has an ability, necessary resource, and knowledge to solve this problem. 

  

We have already stunned the whole world with our talent and resource in Information Technology (IT). Let us use IT, harness IT and empower IT for better Tomorrow. 

I am sure Intel (http://www.intel.in/), with all its expertise in Information Technology, is committed towards our Government's vision of #DigitalIndia.

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