PIB Summaries 03 July 2025

Content :

1. Ten Years of Digital Progress
2. Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI)

Ten Years of Digital Progress

Context :

• Digital India has transformed governance, service delivery, and citizen empowerment—bridging the digital divide across rural and urban India.
• In 10 years, India has built one of the world’s fastest-growing digital economies, backed by strong infrastructure, fintech inclusion, AI advancement, and public digital platforms.

Relevance : GS 2(Governance) , GS 3(Digital Economy)

Connectivity & Infrastructure

• Internet Connections grew from 25.15 Cr (2014) to 96.96 Cr (2024) — ~285% increase.
• 4.74 lakh 5G towers installed; coverage in 99.6% districts.
• BharatNet: Connected 2.18 lakh Gram Panchayats, laid 6.92 lakh km fibre.
• Tele-density rose from 75.23% (2014) to 84.49% (2024).

Digital Economy & Growth

• Digital economy’s GDP share: 11.74% (2022–23) → 13.42% (2024–25).
• India now ranks 3rd globally in digitalisation (ICRIER Report).
• By 2030, projected to contribute ~20% to GDP.

Affordable Internet Access

• Data cost: ₹308/GB (2014) → ₹9.34/GB (2022).
• 4G in ~96% villages; 5G scaled in 22 months, fastest globally.

Digital Public Platforms & Inclusion

• UPI: 1867.7 Cr transactions worth ₹24.77 lakh Cr (Apr 2025); used in 7+ countries.
• DigiLocker: 53.92 Cr users; started with 9.98 lakh (2015).
• UMANG App: 8.34 Cr users, 2300+ services in 23 languages.

e-Governance & Service Delivery

• DBT savings: ₹3.48 lakh Cr saved; ₹44 lakh Cr transferred.
• GeM (Govt e-Marketplace): ₹4.09 lakh Cr GMV in FY25 (first 10 months).
• ONDC: Over 7.64 lakh sellers, operating in 616+ cities.
• Karmayogi Bharat: 1.21 Cr officials trained; 3.24 Cr certificates issued.

Strategic Tech Push

IndiaAI Mission (₹10,371 Cr)

• Crossed 34,000 GPUs compute power.
• AI innovation, compute capacity, ethics, skills, and startups under one mission.
• AIKosh, IndiaAI FutureSkills, and Application Development rolled out.

India Semiconductor Mission (₹76,000 Cr)

• 6 projects worth ₹1.55 lakh Cr approved; 5 fabs under construction.
• HCL–Foxconn JV display unit near Jewar Airport, UP.
• SEMICON India 2025: Global chip supply chain partnership push.

Inclusivity & Language Access

• BHASHINI: Supports 35+ languages, integrated in IRCTC, NPCI IVRS, police records.
• 8.5 lakh+ downloads; 1600 AI models developed for multilingual access.

Additional Dimensions :

Global Digital Leadership

• UPI adopted in 7+ countries; Aadhaar model studied abroad.
  • 🇮🇳 projected as DPI leader during G20 Presidency 2023.
    Source: MEITY, NITI Aayog, G20 India Docs

Cybersecurity & Data Protection

• Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 enacted.
  • CERT-In, NCCC monitor threats.
    Source: MEITY, PIB

Environmental Sustainability

• Reduced carbon from digital governance, but data centres demand energy.
  • Green Data Centre Policy under consideration.
    Source: MoEFCC, MEITY

Start-up Ecosystem & MSMEs

• Over 1.25 lakh startups leverage DPI (Aadhaar, UPI, ONDC).
  • ONDC active in 600+ cities.
    Source: DPIIT, ONDC Portal

Digital Literacy & Skilling

• PMGDISHA trained ~6 Cr rural citizens.
  • IndiaAI FutureSkills, DIKSHA, SWAYAM expanding reach.
    Source: PMGDISHA, MoE, MEITY

Social Sector Integration

• eSanjeevani: 16+ Cr teleconsultations.
  • DIKSHA: Digital content in 35+ languages.
  • AgriStack for data-driven agriculture.
    Source: MoHFW, MoE, MoA

Legal & Regulatory Framework

• IT Rules 2021 regulate digital platforms.
  • Aadhaar upheld in Puttaswamy judgment (2017).
    Source: MIB, SC Judgments

Bridging Digital Divide

• Urban-rural internet gap; only 30% women access internet.
  Source: NFHS-5, IAMAI Reports

Pandemic Resilience

• CoWIN, Aarogya Setu, UPI ensured continuity of services.
  Source: MoHFW, MEITY

Challenges & Way Forward

• Digital divide, low-end device access, digital literacy gaps persist.
• Need to address deepfakes, AI regulation, algorithmic transparency.
• Focus on open-source, federated AI, inclusive design, and last-mile connectivity.

Facts Sheet :

• Internet users: 96.96 Cr (2024) | Growth: +285% since 2014
• UPI (April 2025): 1867.7 Cr transactions, worth ₹24.77 lakh Cr
• DigiLocker: 53.92 Cr users | UMANG: 2,300 services in 23 languages
• Digital economy contribution: 11.74% (2022–23) → projected 13.42% (2024–25)
• Data cost: ₹308/GB (2014) → ₹9.34/GB (2022)
• BharatNet: 2.18 lakh GPs connected, 6.92 lakh km fibre laid
• DBT savings: ₹3.48 lakh Cr | Transfers: ₹44 lakh Cr

Schemes Sheet:

• Digital India Mission (2015): Umbrella programme for digital transformation
• BharatNet: Rural broadband infrastructure
• IndiaAI Mission (2024): ₹10,371 Cr initiative for AI ecosystem
• India Semiconductor Mission (ISM): ₹76,000 Cr for chip ecosystem
• DigiLocker & UMANG: E-governance tools for citizen services
• BHASHINI: Multilingual digital access using AI
• Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT): Welfare leakage plug
• Government e-Marketplace (GeM): Transparent govt procurement
• Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC): Democratizing e-commerce
• Mission Karmayogi + iGOT: Civil services capacity building

Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI)

 Context & Significance

• Landmark step in preventing cyber-enabled financial frauds via real-time telecom–banking integration.
• FRI integration advisory (30 June 2025) by RBI is a major inter-agency move towards digital financial security under Digital India.

Relevance : GS 2(Governance ) ,GS 3(Cyber Security)

 What is FRI?

• Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI): A risk-based metric classifying mobile numbers into Medium, High, or Very High fraud risk.
• Developed by DoT’s Digital Intelligence Unit (DIU); launched in May 2025.
• Based on inputs from:
  • I4C’s Cybercrime Portal (NCRP)
  • Chakshu Platform
  • Banks’ internal fraud alerts
  • Mobile Number Revocation List (MNRL) by DIU

 How It Helps Banks Prevent Cyber Frauds

• Real-time API integration with DoT systems allows:
  • Declining suspicious transactions
  • Alerting customers proactively
  • Delaying high-risk transactions for verification
• Banks like HDFC, PNB, ICICI, Paytm, PhonePe, IPPB are already using FRI.
• Enables risk scoring of phone numbers linked to fraud attempts.

 Relevance for UPI & Digital Payments

• Crucial for safeguarding UPI ecosystem (India’s most used payment system).
• Enhances user confidence in digital payments and supports financial inclusion by reducing fraud vulnerability.

 Relevant Schemes & Frameworks

• Digital India Mission
• National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP)
• Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C)
• DIP (Digital Intelligence Platform) – DoT’s fraud intelligence backbone
• RBI’s Cyber Security Framework (2016+)

Syllabus Interlinkages:

GS Paper II – Governance

• Government policies for transparency and accountability
• Inter-ministerial coordination (DoT + RBI + I4C)
• Role of institutions in securing citizens’ rights (cybersecurity as a citizen service)

GS Paper III – Internal Security & Technology

• Challenges to internal security through communication networks
• Cybersecurity and digital fraud prevention
• Role of technology in financial fraud detection
• Use of ICT in governance and public service delivery

Additional Relevant Data

Challenges & Criticism

Privacy Concerns

• Real-time data sharing may raise surveillance fears.
• No clear rules on user consent or redressal if wrongly flagged.

Wrong Flags = Service Denial

• Genuine users may face blocked transactions due to errors (e.g., SIM misuse).
• No transparent system to challenge or fix false alerts.

Data Reliability Issues

• FRI depends on timely, accurate inputs from portals like NCRP and Chakshu.
• Underreporting of fraud weakens its accuracy.

Risk of Exclusion

• Low-tech users may be unfairly blocked or unable to appeal decisions.
• Could deepen the digital divide.

Uneven Adoption

• Not all banks or fintechs may implement it equally.
• Non-RBI players are not yet covered.

Turf Clashes Possible

• Overlap in roles may between DoT and RBI delay quick action.