Parliament Question: Strengthening Digital Infrastructure

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2957 TO BE ANSWERED ON: 06.08.2025 STRENGTHENING DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE 2957. SHRI ZIA UR REHMAN: Will the Minister of ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government is aware of the growing concerns regarding the need for stronger digital infrastructure, improved cyber security measures, enhanced data privacy protections and the lack of adequate internet connectivity and digital services in rural and remote areas of the country; (b) if so, the details of the initiatives and policy measures proposed by the Government to strengthen digital infrastructure, improve cyber security frameworks, promote digital literacy, expand internet connectivity, encourage innovation in technology and implement robust data protection laws in the coming years; and (c) if not, the reasons therefor? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI JITIN PRASADA) (a) to (c): Government is aware and cognizant of the issues raised. The Government has undertaken several initiatives and policy measures to strengthen digital infrastructure, enhance cyber security and data privacy protections, increase internet connectivity, provide access to digital services and promote digital literacy in the rural and remote areas of the country with the objective of ensuring an open, safe, trusted, and accountable internet for all users. Some of the key measures are as follows: (i). To enhance digital infrastructure and access to digital services, Government has developed several digital platforms such as Aadhaar, Unified Payment Interface(UPI), DigiLocker, Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance (UMANG), e-Sign, e-Hospital, e- Sanjeevani, Myscheme, Aarogya Setu, MyGov, National Scholarship Portal(NSP), Common Services Centres (CSC) etc. (ii). The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) is designated as the national agency for responding to cyber security incidents under the provisions of section 70B of the Information Technology Act, 2000. CERT-In works with other agencies involved in ensuring cybersecurity including Telecom Security Operations Centre (TSOC), India Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), National Centre Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC), etc.(iii). The Government has established the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) for protection of critical information infrastructure in the country under the provisions of section 70A of the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000. (iv). CERT-In operates an automated cyber threat intelligence exchange platform for sharing tailored alerts with organisations across sectors for proactive threat mitigation. (v). Cyber security mock drills are conducted regularly to enable assessment of cyber security posture and preparedness of organisations in Government and critical sectors. (vi). Cyber Swachhta Kendra (CSK) is a citizen-centric service provided by CERT-In, which extends the vision of Swachh Bharat to the cyber space. Cyber Swachhta Kendra is the Botnet Cleaning and Malware Analysis Centre and helps to detect malicious programs and provides free tools to remove the same, and also provides cyber security tips and best practices for citizens and organisations. (vii). Regular training workshops are conducted for cybersecurity professionals, Chief Information Security Officers (CISO) and Government employees etc. (viii). Under the “Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA)” 6.39 crore individuals were trained across the country. (ix). For providing high bandwidth capacity internet/ broadband connectivity to all the Gram Panchayats (GPs) and villages in the country, Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is implementing BharatNet project in a phased manner. More than 2.14 lakh GPs have been made service ready under BharatNet project in the country. (x). India AI Mission: In line with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's vision, the Government is pioneering innovations in technology and making it accessible to all. The focus is on democratizing the development and use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for real-world problems, ultimately improving lives across various sectors. IndiaAI mission includes targeted interventions that, inter alia, ensure accountability, safety, fairness, and the protection of human rights and privacy. (xi). The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act) has been enacted on 11th August, 2023. It establishes a framework for processing digital personal data, balancing the rights of individuals to protect their data with the need for lawful data processing. (xii). In order to ensure data protection, the Information Technology (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal data or Information) Rules, 2011 (‘SPDI Rules’) mandates reasonable security practices and procedures for body corporate or any person on its behalf, handling sensitive personal data or information. *****