e-Governance

Story hook

It is 1 July 2015 at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, New Delhi. The Prime Minister unveils Digital India before a crowd of CEOs, ministers, and bureaucrats. Mukesh Ambani announces a ₹2.5 lakh crore investment by Reliance Jio. Sundar Pichai (Google), Satya Nadella (Microsoft), Cyrus Mistry (Tata) line up to endorse. The promise: turn India into a "digitally empowered society and knowledge economy".

Behind the spectacle sits a quieter inheritance. 2006 — National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) approved by the Cabinet on 18 May, with 31 Mission Mode Projects spanning Aadhaar, e-Courts, MCA21, Income Tax. 2009 — Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) under Nandan Nilekani issues the first Aadhaar number on 29 September 2010 to Ranjana Sonawane of Tembhli village, Maharashtra. 2013 — Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) launched in 43 districts.

Digital India repackaged these into nine pillars: BharatNet, universal mobile access, e-governance, eKranti, information for all, electronics manufacturing, IT for jobs, early harvest, public internet access. By 2024, DBT cumulative savings cross ₹3.48 lakh crore, UMANG hosts 2,000+ services, DigiLocker has 35 crore users, and e-Courts delivers 27 crore case records online.

For UPSC, this unit is the most operationally heavy in GS-II Governance — facts, figures, and policy critique all in play.

Why this matters for UPSC

• Prelims: 2-3 factual questions per year — NeGP year, DBT savings, Aadhaar Act sections, BharatNet phases.
• Mains GS-II: Recurring question on "e-Governance for citizen-centric service delivery" (2018, 2020).
• Interview: Aadhaar privacy, DBT leakage, digital divide.