The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) recently adopted India’s proposal regarding the development and adoption of the country’s digital public infrastructure (DPI). This event underlines India’s digital realm leadership and emphasises its dedication to eliminating the digital divide within the region.
Exploring India’s DPI Proposal
India’s DPI proposal focuses on aiding the development and acceptance of India’s DPI by SCO member states. It proposes platforms such as Aadhaar, United Payments Interface (UPI), and DigiLocker, which are founded on open and interoperable application programming interfaces (APIs). These platforms intend to foster digital inclusion, innovation, and social empowerment, providing a robust and secure framework for various services. Additionally, the proposal suggests collaboration with SCO members on several aspects like design, development, implementation, evaluation, and governance of digital public infrastructure.
The Potential Benefits to SCO Members
Offering a model to SCO members for creating their DPI based on open and interoperable APIs is one way India’s DPI proposal benefits them. The proposal has the potential to help SCO members achieve common goals like enhancing connectivity, trade, tourism, education, healthcare, and security in the region. Moreover, it can assist them in addressing common challenges such as the digital divide, cyber threats, data protection, and privacy in the digital era.
Understanding the Concept of DPI
DPI refers to blocks or platforms like digital identification, payment infrastructure, and data exchange solutions that assist countries in delivering essential services to their citizens. It empowers individuals and improves lives by facilitating digital inclusion. Under India Stack, India was the first country to develop all three foundational DPIs: Digital identity (Aadhar), Real-time fast payment (UPI), and Account Aggregator built on the Data Empowerment Protection Architecture (DEPA).
Background and Structure of SCO
The SCO is a regional intergovernmental organisation fostering cooperation among its member states in security, economy, and cultural aspects. The organization originated as the Shanghai Five, which included Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan. After Uzbekistan joined the group in 2001, the name changed to SCO. India and Pakistan became members in 2017. Iran and Belarus are observer states, with Iran expected to become an official member in 2023 under India’s chairmanship.
The main bodies of SCO include the Heads of State Council, which manages internal functioning and interactions with other states and international organisations; Heads of Government Council, which approves the budget and decides upon economic interaction issues within SCO; Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, which handles day-to-day activities; and Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS), established to combat terrorism, separatism, and extremism. The official working languages of the SCO Secretariat are Russian and Chinese.
Previous UPSC Civil Services Examination Questions on the Topic
In the 2018 Prelims, a question was asked regarding the Aadhaar card usage as proof of citizenship or domicile and whether the Aadhaar number can be deactivated or omitted by the Issuing Authority. The correct answer was that neither of the statements were correct. Furthermore, the 2021 Mains examination contained a question asking candidates to critically examine the aims and objectives of SCO and determine its significance for India.
Last Modified: February 20, 2024