Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the fifth Global Conference on Cyber Space (GCCS) in New Delhi on Thursday. He reiterated several of his Government's technology-driven programme.
"We all know how cyberspace has transformed the world in the last two decades. The seniors would recall the bulky mainframe computers of the seventies. E-mails and Personal Computers brought a new revolution in the nineties. Change continues perhaps in a faster phase now.Cyberspace has transformed the world in the last few decades. Expressions like IOT and AI have now become common," Modi said.
The two-day GCCS is the world's largest conference on cyberspace and is being attended by delegates from nearly 120 countries. The theme of this conference is 'Cyber4All: A Secure and Inclusive Cyberspace for Sustainable Development.'
Mr. Modi spoke about an emergence of technology in India, which paid a vital role in developing the country, and is able to compete with developed countries. He also recounted many of his initiatives like Jan Dhan Yojana, Aadhaar-based services, and mobile connectivity or M-Power which are part of the Digital India programme.
"Digital technology has led to efficient service delivery, governance, improving access from education to health. The government is committed to empowerment through digital access. Digital India is the world's largest technology-led programme. The JAM [Jan Dhan accounts, Aadhaar, Mobile-enabled services] trinity has greatly helped reduce corruption and increase transparency. India has saved $10 billion in subsidies by removing middlemen."
Prime Minister launched a mobile app called UMANG, which will provide over a hundred citizen-centric services, today during the conference. This app will help the citizens in availing services from different departments of the Union and as well as State Governments.
He also emphasized on the security of the cyberspace, "Nations must also take the responsibility to ensure that the digital space does not become a playground for the dark forces of terrorism and radicalization. Information sharing and coordination among security agencies are essential to counter the ever-changing threat landscape.
"We can walk the fine balance between privacy and openness on one hand, and national security on the other. Together, we can overcome the differences between global and open systems on one hand, and nation-specific legal requirements on the other."