Budget

Published: Feb 3, 2023
Updated: Feb 3, 2023

India's Union Budget: Pushing for Digital Transformation

The Union Budget 2023, presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, highlighted the government's efforts to drive digital transformation in India. The budget proposal covered a wide range of initiatives, including digital public infrastructure for agriculture, a national digital library for children and adolescents, centers of excellence for artificial intelligence, and more.

Boosting Agriculture with Digital Solutions

The government plans to launch a digital public infrastructure for agriculture, which will be an open source and interoperable platform for inclusive, farmer-centric solutions. The platform will provide access to relevant information services, credit, and insurance, market intelligence, and support for the growth of agri-tech start-ups.

Encouraging Reading Culture with National Digital Library

The National Digital Library for Children and Adolescents will be established to make quality books in different languages and genres readily available to students. The government aims to promote a culture of reading by collaborating with NGOs, providing age-appropriate reading material, and utilizing the resources of the National Book Trust and Children's Book Trust.

Advancing Artificial Intelligence Research

Three Centers of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence will be set up in top educational institutions, in partnership with industry leaders. These centers will conduct interdisciplinary research, develop cutting-edge applications, and find scalable solutions for problems in the areas of agriculture, health, and sustainable cities.

National Data Governance Policy

The government will create a data governance policy that enables access to anonymized data for innovation and research by start-ups and academia. This will help unlock the potential of big data and drive digital innovation.

Building 5G Services

A hundred labs will be established in engineering institutions to develop 5G applications, unlocking new business opportunities and employment potential.

E-Courts Project to Efficiently Administer Justice

The government will roll out phase three of the E-Courts project, ensuring efficient administration of justice through digital technologies.

Preserving Ancient Heritage with Bharat SHRI

A digital epigraphy museum called Bharat SHRI will be established, starting with digitizing one lakh ancient inscriptions. This will help preserve India's rich cultural heritage and make it accessible to all.

Unified Skill India Digital Platform

The digital ecosystem for skilling will be further strengthened with the launch of the Skill India Digital Platform, which will enable demand-based formal skilling and link employers, including MSMEs, with entrepreneurs.

Conclusion

The Union Budget 2023 marks a significant step in the government's efforts to digitize India, from promoting reading culture and preserving ancient heritage to advancing research in artificial intelligence and enabling efficient administration of justice. These initiatives will help drive digital transformation, boost economic growth, and improve the quality of life for citizens.