Recent Current Affairs related to Digital India

The 10th edition of the India Mobile Congress (IMC), the largest digital technology forum in Asia, has been held at the Yashobhoomi India Convention & Expo Centre (IICC) in Dwarka, New Delhi.

The event was organised by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) under the theme “Scale Without Boundaries”. During the conference, PM Narendra Modi stated that the cost of one gigabyte (GB) of mobile data has declined from ₹268 in 2014 to ₹8 in 2026.

The event was structured around 4 key pillars: Srishti (Building the Future), Samvardhan (Fueling Growth), Sashakt (Expanding Opportunities), and Suraksha (Strengthening Trust), covering 9 major technology sectors.

The IMC announced the launch of the 1st edition of “Viksit Tech 47 (VT47)”, a special platform for technology brands to compete in the global market. The conference also featured the release of the inaugural edition of the VT47 flagship report titled “Building India’s Global Brands in Gadgets, Devices, Appliances and Connected Cards”.

Union Minister of State Dr Jitendra Singh has launched the redeveloped websites of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoS&T) to enhance the accessibility of scientific information and research opportunities for citizens.

The updated portals support 22 languages through the BHASHINI (BHASHa INterface for India) integration. Additionally, these websites comply with the Digital Brand Identity Manual (DBIM) 3.0 and the Guidelines for Indian Government Websites and Apps (GIGW) 3.0.

The Digital India BHASHINI (BHASHINI) Division has signed an MoU with the Manipur government to advance multilingual AI and language technology.

The agreement was signed during the BHASHINI Rajyam Workshop held in Imphal, Manipur. The collaboration aims to improve language resources and explore solutions for multilingual digital services across the state.

ReNew Wind Energy Pvt Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ReNew Energy Global PLC (ReNew), has signed an MoU with the Maharashtra government to establish an integrated green data centre park in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) with an investment of ₹70,000 crore.

Prasar Bharati and In-Dot Sports Pvt Ltd have launched the Kisan Cricket League (KCL) in New Delhi.

The league aims to identify cricketing and singing talent from rural and semi-urban parts of the country through digital auditions, AI-enabled screening, and on-ground trials. The inaugural season of the league is scheduled to be held in February 2027.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has launched the MeitY-IndiaAI Centre of Excellence in AI, known as the Centre for AI in Keralam (CAIK), in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, under the IndiaAI Mission.

Digital University Kerala will serve as the implementing agency for the initiative, with Innovation Incubator Advisory Pvt Ltd acting as the industry partner. The centre has also announced its first cohort comprising 15 AI startups.

Bank of India (BOI), a Public Sector Bank (PSB), has launched a User-Level Programmable Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) with auto-issuance capability.

The system allows users to automate recurring Digital Rupee (e₹) payments and specify the purpose for which the funds can be used. It is to be noted that the technical functionality for this programmable CBDC solution was developed by Montran India.

Tata Communications Ltd (TCL) has established a Centre of Excellence (CoE) at the Shanmugha Arts, Science, Technology & Research Academy (SASTRA) Deemed University in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu.

The facility is dedicated to the domains of cybersecurity and digital forensics to advance research and technical proficiency in these sectors.

Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh has launched the ‘Livestock Insurance Portal’ (Pashudhan Bima Portal) in New Delhi.

The portal, developed under the Livestock Insurance activity of the National Livestock Mission (NLM), provides a unified digital interface for stakeholders including farmers, insurers, and implementing agencies. To ensure comprehensive reach across diverse farming communities, the portal is accessible in 11 regional languages.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has launched the Digital Connectivity Rating (DCR) Platform, which serves as an integrated system for viewing and comparing the connectivity ratings of various properties.

The platform enables end-to-end rating as per the “Rating of Properties for Digital Connectivity Regulations, 2024” (amended in May 2026) and the “Rating Manual” published in June 2026. TRAI has also introduced a mobile application to facilitate the testing and assessment of digital connectivity at specific properties.

Samvriddhi Inclusive Growth Network Pvt Ltd (SIGN), a subsidiary of MOS Utility Ltd, has received in-principle authorisation from the RBI to operate as an Online Payment Aggregator (PA-Online).

The Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology (IIEST) in West Bengal has signed an MoU with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to establish a state-of-the-art CoE in AI on the campus of the former.

The centre aims to facilitate advanced research and collaborative development in the field of AI.

The Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD), in collaboration with the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), has launched “CAG-BHASHINI Anuvaad”, an AI-enabled document translation solution.

The platform, developed by BHASHINI, is specifically designed to facilitate the translation of official documents and audit-related reports of the CAG.

Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has signed an agreement for the implementation of the Amended BharatNet Program (ABP) in Maharashtra under a State-led model.

The agreement was formalized through a collaboration between the Maharashtra government, MahaNet Digital Infrastructure Ltd (MDIL), Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL), and Maharashtra Information Technology Corporation Ltd (MahaIT).

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has unveiled 5 new digital identity initiatives to improve service accessibility, secure authentication, and governance during the Aadhaar Samvaad stakeholders conference held in Kolkata, marking the 17th Aadhaar Day.

These initiatives include Face Authentication for the electronic Public Distribution System (ePDS), developed in collaboration with the Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD) and the National Informatics Centre (NIC) as a contactless verification tool.

The newly introduced initiatives also comprise the SWIK Portal 2.0, the Sub-AUA/Sub-KUA (LITE) Framework, and a New Token Management System. Additionally, the revamped website and Career Portal of UIDAI was launched, featuring journey-based navigation powered by BHASHINI for multilingual support.

The Ministry of Tourism has partnered with the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) to develop the ‘National Digital Tourism Stack’.

Union Minister Gajendra Shekhawat launched the project at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi to mark World Tourism Day on September 27. The initiative aims to bring 23,000 tourism experiences and homestays on board to make them discoverable, trustable, and bookable by the end of 2028, with the support of the International Centre for DPI Innovation and Advancement (ICDIA).

The PM Vishwakarma Scheme has completed 3 years of implementation and reached a milestone of 30 lakh registrations. The scheme provides end-to-end support to traditional artisans and craftspeople in 18 identified trades through skill development, modern tools, and market access.

Beneficiaries are eligible for a collateral-free Enterprise Development Loan (EDL) of up to ₹3 lakh, which is disbursed in two separate tranches to provide affordable credit support.

The Registration of Births and Deaths (RBD) Amendment Act, 2026 will come into force on October 1, 2026. It strengthens Section 13(3) of the RBD Act, 1969.

Under the act, reporting births or deaths after 1 year but within 2 years requires approval from the District Magistrate (DM), Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), or an authorized Executive Magistrate, subject to verification and fee. For registrations delayed by more than 2 years, an order from the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) is mandatory to ensure judicial scrutiny.

The National Institute of Electronics & Information Technology (NIELIT) has partnered with the USA-based Saylor University to integrate the digital learning resources of the latter into the NIELIT Digital University (NDU) platform to enhance educational offerings.

The Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has signed an agreement with the Chhattisgarh government, Chhattisgarh State BharatNet Infrastructure Ltd (CSBIL), BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd), and Chhattisgarh Infotech Promotion Society (CHiPS) to implement the 'Amended BharatNet Program' in Chhattisgarh.

A financial support of Rs 3,942 crore has been approved for the rollout of the program in the state.