News Excerpt:

The World Bank, along with the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (Meity), is working on developing a state-level Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) adoption index that will help boost the digital economy and support financial inclusion.

What is Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI):

• DPI is a digital network that enables countries to safely and efficiently deliver economic opportunities and social services to all residents. 
• It is a set of shared and interoperable digital systems built on open standards and specifications.
• DPI can be compared to roads, which form a physical network that connects people and provides access to a huge range of goods and services.  
• It allows people to open bank accounts and receive wages faster and more easily. 
• It also allows governments to support citizens more quickly and efficiently, especially during emergencies. 
• It enables entrepreneurs to reach customers far and wide.  

State-level DPI Index:

• The state-level DPI index will help analyse gaps to strengthen the digital economy, support financial inclusion, and increase public-private innovation.
• The Index would evaluate different states based on the level of adoption of DPIs.
• The main aim is to encourage states to increase the use of DPIs. It will be used by the Centre to identify the gaps in the current systems.
• The work will be done under the aegis and guidance of the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology.

India’s DPI:

• India's DPI, also known as India Stack, has been appreciated widely for improving financial inclusion and increasing formalisation in the economy.  
  • It consists of digital identity through Aadhaar, real-time payment through the UPI platform and other services like account aggregator. 
  • India's DPIs had led to the inclusion of half a billion people into the banking system and enabled the direct transfer of benefits to millions.
• Several foreign countries have also expressed interest in India's DPI.
  • It was showcased to the world during India's presidency of G20 last year.
  • Last year, the Centre signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with eight countries to offer them India Stack and DPI at no cost and with open-source access. 
    • These were Armenia, Sierra Leone, Suriname, Antigua, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Papua New Guinea, and Mauritius.
  • A global coalition, led by the Centre, would take India’s DPI model to 50 countries in the next five years.
    • This coalition included the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).