Budget 2017: 15 Tech initiatives announced to boost Digital India drive
- The Union Budget 2017 showed a lot of encouragement to going digital.
- Digital payments clearly stood out in the announcements made.
Follow- Encouraging e-tickets, Jaitley has announced that tickets booked via IRCTC will not have any service tax charged.
- A new initiative dubbed Digigaon will offer tele-medicine, education and skills through digital technology.
- On the flip side, mobile phones could become more expensive with customs duty on populated printed circuit boards that are used to manufacture mobile phones could be increased to 2 percent. This move is reportedly aimed at offering protection to domestic industry, in order to benefit local manufacturers of PCBs.
- A computer emergency response team will be established for the financial sector. Needless to say, small Fintech companies have been the target of malicious cyber criminals.
- BHIM app that was announced to push for a cashless society has been adopted by 125 lakh users, said Jaitley.
- The government plans two new schemes to further promote the use of BHIM. The aim is to ensure twenty lakh Aadhaar based swipe machines by 2020.
- Aadhaar Pay enabled payments system will be launched soon for the merchants. You can read more on that here.
- Banks have targeted to introduce 10 lakh new POS terminals by March 2017.
- The infrastructure deployed to handle digital payments and the grievance handling system will be strengthened.
- Jaitley has also announced Aadhaar smart cards for senior citizens. This move is aimed at offering simplified heathcare facilities. It will begin as a pilot program in 15 districts.
- SWAYAM, a new platform will be launched for students. It will offer free of cost digital learning access to over 1500 courses, and the government will also team up with DTH channels. Jaitley has also promised 100 international skill centers in 2017-18.
- Jaitley has also proposed to rope in companies like TCS and Infosys to sell core banking software, in order to support cooperative banks.
- A web-based digital pension distribution system will be established for retired defence personnel.
- For defense forces, a centralised defense travel system for soldiers has been announced. This means they don’t have to stand in a queue.
- Aiming at clean and conserving energy, around 7000 stations are proposed to come with solar power facility. The beginning has already been made with 300 stations.
Last Updated Mar 31, 2018, 6:40 PM IST
