Parliament Question: Promotion of Digital Literacy in Budaun

† O.I.H. GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 774 TO BE ANSWERED ON: 04.02.2026 PROMOTION OF DIGITAL LITERACY IN BUDAUN †774. SHRI ADITYA YADAV: Will the Minister of ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government is considering the challenges related to digital literacy, the use of online platforms and cybersecurity awareness in Budaun district of Uttar Pradesh particularly among rural households, students and senior citizens; (b) if so, the details of the initiatives taken by the Government to promote digital literacy, raise awareness about cybersecurity practices, strengthen user support systems and encourage the safe and effective use of digital services in the district; and (c) if not, the reasons therefor? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI JITIN PRASADA) (a) to (c): The Digital India programme was launched by the Government of India in line with Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision to democratize technology and empower citizens. Major initiatives of the Government to promote digital literacy, use of digital platforms for skilling, raise awareness about cybersecurity practices, strengthen user support systems and, encourage the safe and effective use of digital services are as under: i. Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA) was launched with an emphasis on basic digital literacy. • The Scheme was one of the world’s largest digital literacy initiatives. • Over 6.39 Crore persons trained nationwide (against the target of 6 Crore). • In Budaun district of Uttar Pradesh, a total of 3,46,625 candidates were registered, out of which a total of 3,20,699 candidates were trained under the scheme. • The scheme concluded on 31st March, 2024. ii. National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT): • NIELIT provides digital literacy courses such as Awareness in Computer Concept (ACC), Course on Computer Concepts (CCC) etc. • NIELIT has trained 43 lakh+ candidates under various courses, including digital literacy and cyber security awareness. • Training is delivered through a wide network of 56 NIELIT Centres and 9000+ Accredited Training Partners/Facilitation Centres.• In Budaun District, NIELIT operates through 42 Facilitation Centres for digital literacy training. • 10,000+ candidates have applied for NIELIT’s digital literacy courses in the district since April 2024. iii. Information Security Education and Awareness (ISEA): ISEA is an initiative for building human resources in Information Security and to spread cyber hygiene awareness among citizens. • So far, 9500+ candidates and 900+ Government officials have been enrolled for training in the State of Uttar Pradesh. • 4,125 workshops have been conducted, reaching over 9.25 lakh+ participants. • Out of these, 401 awareness workshops have been organized in Uttar Pradesh, covering 68,388 participants, including 2 workshops in the Budaun district. iv. National Cyber Security Awareness Activities: The Government organizes events and activities for citizens as well as the technical cyber community across the country. Some of these include: • National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) in October every year • Safer Internet Day on the first Tuesday of February • Swachhta Pakhwada (1st–15th February), and • Cyber Jagrookta Diwas (CJD) on the first Wednesday of every month. v. Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In): CERT-In conducts cybersecurity training programs in collaboration with Industry partners to upskill the cybersecurity workforce in Government, public and private organizations. CERT-In also regularly shares awareness material through its official websites and social media handles to sensitize internet users on cybersecurity attacks, frauds and prevention measures. vi. NIELIT Digital University (NDU) Platform: • NIELIT Digital University (NDU) Platform has been launched by NIELIT. • The platform delivers online and blended skill-based industry-aligned courses in emerging technologies, including Cybersecurity. • The platform includes built-in virtual labs for hands-on learning in Cybersecurity, Cyber Forensics etc. • Learners get anytime-anywhere access to National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF)- aligned courses. ******