- Why in news
- On 8 March 2026, PIB published a explainer on how the Digital India programme (2015) is bridging the digital divide, with updated figures on connectivity, DPI, skilling and computing.
- What it is
- Digital India, launched in 2015, aims to make digital infrastructure a core utility, deliver services on demand and empower citizens digitally. It rests on three pillars: universal connectivity, Digital Public Infrastructure and computing capacity. Schemes such as BharatNet, CSCs, PMGDISHA and PM-WANI serve its aims.
- Three pillars
- The digital backbone has three linked pillars: connectivity, Digital Public Infrastructure and computing capacity.
- National Supercomputing Mission
- Jointly led by MeitY and the Department of Science & Technology; 38 supercomputers with 44 Petaflops deployed.
- CSCs
- Assisted digital access points run by Village Level Entrepreneurs (over 6.5 lakh).
Don’t confuse with NDLM/DISHA vs PMGDISHA: NDLM (DISHA) ran 2014-16 and was a general literacy drive; PMGDISHA (2017) targets rural households, one person each.
Don’t confuse with DIKSHA vs SWAYAM: DIKSHA serves school education and teacher training; SWAYAM offers higher-education courses.
Schemes: 52 Prelims questions since 2013, 10 in Prelims 2026 alone. They test features, the period and who funds it. In Mains, 33 news-triggered questions, mostly GS3.
Why it matters
- Connectivity, DPI and skilling together help extend welfare, payments and education to rural and marginal groups.
- Affordable data and platforms such as UPI and Aadhaar support financial inclusion.
Problems
- Access does not guarantee use: device cost, digital literacy and quality of connectivity still limit participation.
- Gaps by gender, income and region persist, and the release gives mostly supply-side, self-reported figures.
Way forward
- Pair infrastructure with last-mile support, local-language content and digital literacy.
- Track outcomes such as actual use and quality of service, not only coverage.
Put in your answer
UPI scale: UPI handled about ₹28.33 lakh crore in January 2026 across 21.7 billion transactions.
Aadhaar: Over 143 crore Aadhaar IDs issued as of February 2026, enabling DBT.
- 2015Mains GS3 · Q4How can Digital India help farmers improve productivity and income, and what steps taken?
- 2023Mains GS3 · Q2Status of digitalisation in Indian economy; problems and improvements?
- 2021Mains GS2 · Q16Has rural digital illiteracy and ICT inaccessibility hindered socio-economic development?
- 2016Prelims Q84Which statements about DigiLocker, a Digital India offering, are correct?
- 2018Prelims Q36Which are aims of the Digital India Plan?
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Explainer on a lasting scheme (Digital India, 2015). Schemes are 16% of news-linked Prelims questions, but this explainer has few fresh facts to build a statement on.
Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.