In a very encouraging endorsement of the success of Digital India programme initiated by the Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Patricia Scotland has expressed her appreciation for this initiative and has called it as a new hope for other developing and aspiring countries of the Commonwealth.
Scotland, in an interaction with a private news channel, recently said that the way India has tried to address the aspirations of the people with innovation and opportunities by offering affordable digital services is commendable.
She further said, “If you look at our poorer countries, our smaller, our developing countries, many of them look to the developed nations and they fear that they cannot aspire to do or replicate what the developed countries have done because of the cost. But when they look at India and fact that India is developing these things at scale and at a cost which looks accessible to so many. That brings hope.”
She also mentioned about her visit to India during January 2020 where she interacted with the Ministers in Government of India and technology experts. During these interactions, she got to understand that India was really focusing on helping the small, the vulnerable and the developing. “I very much welcome that,” she added further.
Conveying her appreciation for the contributions made by Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister for Electronics and IT in the success of Digital India, Scotland further added that the Minister has been in the forefront of these developments. Talking about Ravi Shankar Prasad she remarked, “He has electrified the other members of our Commonwealth family.”