As PM Modi Talks About 'Data Divide' During G20 Meet, Here's Everything You Need To Know About How It Affects India

Addressing the G20 Development Ministers’ Meeting, PM Modi said it is a collective responsibility to promote data for discourse, data for development, and data for delivery in developing countries.

PM Modi said that the democratisation of technology is a crucial tool to help bridge the data divide.

Source : Getty

While addressing the G20 Development Ministers’ Meeting in Varanasi on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the democratisation of technology is an important tool to help bridge the data divide. While addressing the event via video conferencing, he also stated that digitalisation has brought about a revolutionary change in India. While speaking at the event, the prime minister said he strongly believes that it is a collective responsibility not to let the sustainable development goals fall behind. He added that it is imperative to have an action plan to achieve this objective.

PM Modi said, "I hope that your discussions will result in tangible action to promote data for discourse, data for development and data for delivery in developing countries.”

VIDEO | "I hope that your discussions will result in tangible action to promote data for discourse, data for development and data for delivery in developing countries," says PM Modi. pic.twitter.com/dCrSN8F4Xc

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 12, 2023

But what is the data divide, why is it important, and where does India stand on this? Let's find out.

What Is Data Divide?

Data Divide is a term used to describe the gap between those who have the resources to access and use open government data, and effectively leverage them with emerging technologies, and those who do have the same resources, ability, and access to utilise them in order to achieve their goals.

In simple terms, it is a widespread disparity and divides between people and countries who can use data and who can not.

How Does It Affect Us?

The Data Divide disproportionately affects different communities, smaller organisations, and even countries. It limits their ability to compete, innovate, create, progress, develop and ultimately use the data in order to achieve the desired objectives.

It is no secret that data is considered gold in today's age and time of rapidly advancing technology. And data is so crucial for any small-scale and large-scale organisation to operate effectively. This is very true for even individuals. However, not everyone has equal access to all the required tools and resources to enjoy the benefits of the power of data.

Data Divide Vs Digital Divide

Data Divide emerged from the effects of the Digital Divide, which is a concept that was popularised in the 1990s. Digital Divide talks about the chasm between those who have access to the internet, and modern tools such as computers and phones, and also the skills to use and enjoy all the advantages of digital services and those who don’t have the same access.

Notably, the world has seen a ten-fold increase in the amount of data used since 2013. According to a Forbes report, this number is only bound to see an uptick by double the current amount by 2025.

Data Divide: Barriers

According to Forbes, there are multiple challenges and barriers that are further widening the divide Data Divide.

Access: Equal access to data is the first and the most important challenge when it comes to tackling Data Divide in India and across the world. Not everyone has access to high-speed data at the same quantity as others.

Capability: This is the second most pressing challenge, where there is a widespread dearth of financial resources, knowledge, skill and technical talent to use the available data and the power of data.

Data For Short-Term Gain: In almost all sectors, industry leaders and organisations only prioritise resources towards short-term gain rather than using data for long-term gains and results.

Data Divide: Risks

There are several risks of Data Divide. For instance, many businesses have put billions of dollars into data-related work and projects, but different governments have not been able to do so. This has resulted in a belief that only private players can eliminate the Data Divide.

Moreover, the ability to work with data and land a good job in private industry is also facing its own challenges, as per Forbes. No proper knowledge to use the data is fuelling the divide at all levels including countries, organisations and at the individual level.

Developing countries still lag behind when it comes to using technological tools, resources and skills to use data. 

What Does The Modi Government Think Of Data?

The push to eliminate the Data Divide is gaining momentum amid the Ongoing G20 meetings under the presidency of India.

Just last week on Monday (June 5), during a keynote address titled "Digital Health Innovations and Solutions to Aid Universal Health Coverage and Improve Healthcare Service Delivery,” Dr VK Paul, a member of India's Niti Aayog responsible for health, affirmed India's commitment to reducing the digital health divide by promoting digital solutions and innovation to achieve universal health coverage.

Speaking at an event related to the 3rd Health Working Group of G20 India, Dr Paul emphasised that India's digital goods are intended for the world, and the country's digital infrastructure and capabilities contribute to global economic growth and human development.

He quoted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a digital India with accessible quality healthcare even in the remotest regions, powered by e-healthcare.

Moreover, Minister of State for IT and Electronics Rajeev Chandrashekhar also said earlier that the upcoming Digital Personal Data Protection Bill will drive "deep behavioural changes" among those platforms in India that have for long exploited or misused personal data.

In the recent past, he has also said, in a presentation on India's digitisation progress over the past nine years under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar announced that the government would implement regulations to safeguard "digital citizens" from potential harm caused by Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Chandrasekhar expressed concerns about the increasing toxicity and criminality prevalent on the internet and affirmed the government's commitment to thwarting attempts to harm online users.

With an estimated 85 crore Indians currently using the internet, the number is expected to rise to 120 crore by 2025, the minister acknowledged the need for stringent measures against crimes like doxing, which involves maliciously disclosing private and identifying information without consent.