Editorial 1: Internet from a sachet: PMWANI, it can be a game changer in digital connectivity.
Context:
- The Digital India programme has three main vision areas:
- Digital connectivity,
- software and services on demand and
- digital empowerment of citizens.
- Digital connectivity is a sine qua non for everything digital in today’s world.
- Fortunately, the connectivity landscape has been transformed in the last seven years due to multiple factors like the boom in mobile telephony 4G coverage, a significant reduction in tariffs) and increased smartphone penetration.
Rapid rise in Digital transaction and challenges related to it:
- Enabling policies like Net Neutrality and the country’s focus on building Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) particularly digital ID and UPI have further contributed to the increase in digital transactions across domains.
- However, this growth has been accompanied by a huge surge in data demand.
- As, India’s per capita data consumption is a whopping 19.5 GB per month and the total data volume transported by mobile networks of India is more than the mobile networks of the US and China combined.
- This means that today, even a child requires five to six gigabytes of data for online classes and other educational requirements.
- Thus, the gap between demand and affordable supply remains wide, especially for poor households and rural India
PM-WANI can be game changer for digital connectivity:
- The creation of inter-operable public wi-fi hotspots was one such idea proposed by the Telecom Regulator of India (TRAI) in 2017
- In order to implement it, Union Cabinet approved PM-WANI Schemes in December of 2020 for inter-operable public wi-fi hotspots
- The Cabinet’s approval was truly transformational. As noo licence or permit was needed for operators to start operations.
- Several start-ups who had participated in the initial pilot began the work. Then Covid-19 struck, and work came to a grinding halt. Now, the operators, PDO Aggregators (PDOAs), have resumed working.
PM WANI is poised to become a unique digital public infrastructure
- By introducing various entities such as PDO, PDOA, app providers, and a central registry, a open and scalable framework has been created.
- Like UPI transformed the financial space in India, something similar has started to happen in the internet connectivity space
- For e.g. In the last year more than 1.5 lakh wi-fi hotspots have been installed by PDOAs and more than a million people are getting unlimited Internet daily by paying just Rs 5 to 10
PM-WANI provides cost-effective and reliable solution for digital connectivity:
- Although infrastructure laid out by major companies like RailTel and GAIL already exists, it is currently underutilised. And large Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are hesitant to enter underserved areas.
- This situation presents a golden opportunity for the PM-WANI framework to flourish.
- By offering a cost-effective and reliable solution, it represents a beacon of hope for people in underserved areas.
- It also benefits Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and Telcos as they end up selling more bandwidth by making their end customers retailers.
PM-WANI can also nurture the growth of local nano entrepreneurs throughout the country.
- AS, the last-mile providers (PDOs) can be found in small shops, local establishments, and even households.
- They establish wi-fi hotspots and offer internet access to other users, enabling them to augment their monthly earnings while promoting internet usage through affordable sachet plans.
- The flexibility of this framework empowers aggregators (PDOAs) to capitalise on the internet distribution space, without the burden of additional licencing fees.
- Their primary role involves providing authorisation and accounting services to PDOs, ensuring a seamless and secure user experience.
Way forward:
- This PM-WANI framework offers a compelling business opportunity for aggregators as it allows unbundling of internet distribution at the last mile, eliminating the need for additional licencing fees.
- This proposition is particularly exciting as it provides a robust foundation for delivering affordable internet access to a significant portion of society.
- Currently, India’s home broadband penetration stands at one of the lowest in the world, hovering at around 10 per cent.
- Therefore, PM-WANI presents a golden opportunity to accelerate high-speed unlimited internet penetration, bridging the digital divide and empowering communities.
Conclusion:
- PM-WANI needs to be promoted by all stakeholders governments, civil society, and startups.
- This Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) is uniquely Indian in its approach to interoperability, openness, and scalability. It will hopefully accelerate like UPI or other DPIs.
Editorial 2: Failure of Commission
Recent Context:
- Women’s commissions in India were set up with a lot of fanfare and high expectations. However, a review of their working and responses to the issues of women is long over-due.
- Recently, the cases of molestation and rape of women in Manipur have brought them into focus.
- As, the incident of Manipur is one of cruel disregard and contempt for human dignity and human rights.
National women commission and its functions
- NWC was Established in 1992, as per the National Commission for Women Act 1990.
- The commission is expected to take up the concerns of women at the national level. Each state also has its own commission.
- They are expected to consist of “persons of ability, integrity and standing who have had experience in law or legislation, trade unionism… committed to increasing the employment potential of women, administration, economic development, health, education or social welfare.
- The Manipur State Commission for Women (MSCW) was constituted in September 2006 as a statutory body as per the Manipur State Commission for Women Act, 2006.
- It is mandated to safeguard the interests of women with a wide mandate that covers all aspects of women’s development. Protection from sexual assault, I am sure, is covered under it.
Functions and power of commission:
- The commissions are expected to “investigate and examine all matters relating to the safeguards provided for women under the Constitution and other laws.”
- They are also mandated to look into complaints and take suo motu notice of matters relating to
- “Deprivation of women’s rights,
- non-implementation of laws enacted to provide protection to women”.
Concern over functioning of women commission and steps need to be taken to bring reform:
- A serious issue that has bothered many of us is whether women’s commissions at the national and state levels have become toothless tigers, merely pushing papers around.
- Members and staff in different commissions of the country seem busy more in paper work, failing to prioritise field visits over files.
- Therefore, Members of human rights’ and women’s commissions need to get a sense of reality in order to empathise with the suffering of citizens.
- Another grave issue is the political appointments in the commissions.
- Since they are nominated by the political party in power, most of the commissions are wary of even minor criticism of the government.
- And they are sometimes over-enthusiastic in taking up states ruled by the Opposition. Irrespective of the party in power, this has become the culture of the nation.
- Therefore, Individuals who are genuinely interested and capable would then be selected by a committee. Members of the Opposition, judges from the Supreme Court, civil society organisations and the ruling party can form the selection committee.
- There is need for social audit of the performance of different commissions
- A social audit of the performance of different commissions by competent external agencies on a regular basis would give citizens an idea of their actual working.
- As a taxpayer has a right to find out whether the money she is paying is being used properly or half-heartedly or being squandered altogether
Conclusion:
- Therefore, It is time for members of women’s commissions to priorities field works and along with it political neutral person should be appointment at the post of chairman and members in order to maintain impartiality and accountability.
- While considering these factors, there is need for regular social audit of the performance of different commissions to enhance the efficiency and functioning of commission in true sense.