The government is planning to assign former President and renowned scientist APJ Abdul Kalam as the brand ambassador for its Digital India programme.
In this regard, a meeting has been scheduled to be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, wherein a comprehensive plan for “Digital India Week” will be finalised. The event is likely to be held in July where various ministries will launch a number of online services for the masses.
A senior government officials said, “We need to have iconic people personifying modern technology to spread awareness about Digital India. We have reached out to former President A P J Abdul Kalam to be the brand ambassador. He is positive.”
On March 25 this year, an informal group of ministers discussed the services and products to be launched online during the Digital India Week. These involved a number of portals for loans, rural e-commerce, national scholarships, lost and found children, e-hospital, tele-medicine and e-bag (online study material for students). The meeting of the ministers called by Union IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and attended by Piyush Goyal, Minister of State with Independent Charge for Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy; Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Minister of State Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (Independent Charge) and Parliamentary Affairs and Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of State(Independent Charge) Petroleum & Natural Gas.
Prasad said that an incentive system may be put in place ensuring participation of a large number of people. As per Goyal, a new service will be launched every day during the Digital India Week. Further, waiving off the permissions required from government departments, wi-fi zones may be set up in various public locations, he added.
Rudy said that his ministry would operate the skill inventory portal in sync with the Digital India programme. Apart from that, Pradhan suggested to launch those services on an immediate basis which would be useful to people having mobile Internet connections.
