The presentation of the first budget of the new Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government on July 10 reflects a mix of hopes and challenges for Digital India. Despite a political transition from the Congress party that governed India for the past decade, the new government seems to have retained the policy and programme continuity in the IT and digital space. In continuity, the new government has allocated USD 211 million (Rs. 1275 crore) for this sector, including USD 78.5 million (Rs. 475 crore) for electronic governance (e-governance) promotion. It has earmarked USD 49.7 million (Rs. 300 crore) for National Knowledge Network (NKN) expansion. The change component is discernible through new focus on countrywide Digital India with a USD 83 million (Rs. 500 crore) allocation that includes a National Rural Internet and Technology Mission. Certainly, this continuity will strengthen existing IT and e-governance initiatives and ensure there is neither duplication of effort nor cost. Crafting a budget in this sector is especially challenging, as new announcements must meet current needs and expectations. The wider challenge is to learn from the past mistakes and fill in gaps that are fundamental to digitally empower India.Read More
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