Photo Courtesy by Press Release pib.gov.in
A virtual meeting of G20 Digital Economy Ministers hosted by Saudi Arabia, holding the presidency of G20, took place. Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology, represented India during this virtual meeting.
Ravi Shankar Prasad at G20 Digital Minister's Meetc said: “Digital platforms have to be responsive and accountable towards countries' sovereign concerns.”
In the wake of a global pandemic like COVDI19, Mr. Prasad strongly emphasized the need to build a resilient global supply chain and shared the vision of the Prime Minister of India to make India an attractive destination for investment tightly integrated with global supply chains.
India will put in place a robust personal data protection law that will address the data privacy-related concerns and ensure data availability for innovation.
The Union Minister also emphasized the need for building trustworthy Artificial Intelligence systems that can transform society.
Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology
Courtesy: Press Release – pib.gov.in
Shri Prasad told this global gathering about how India, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has managed the COVID19 crisis far better than many other countries. The prime Minister's bold decision to go for an early nationwide lockdown helped in the country in curbing the spread of the virus and preparing for the upcoming challenges adequately.
The Union Minister shared India's digital innovations that helped in the fight against COVID19. He spoke about initiatives like Aarogya Setu mobile app, a geo-fencing system for monitoring quarantined patients, and COVID19 Savdhan bulk messaging systems during this meeting. He also spoke about how digital technology helped India's government in providing relief to the economically weaker sections of society during this crisis. Using digital innovations of India like Direct Benefit Transfers and digital payments, even the lowest in the society was provided various financial relief during the lockdown.
Eloquently expressing India's commitment to leverage emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence for inclusive growth and development, especially in healthcare and education, Shri Prasad emphasized building trustworthy Artificial Intelligence systems that can transform society.
The Minister especially emphasized the data-related issues and sovereign rights of countries to protect its citizens' data privacy and security. He mentioned that India is soon going to put in place a robust personal data protection law that will not only address the data privacy-related concerns of citizens but also ensure the availability of data for innovation and economic development.
Given these concerns, digital platforms having a presence in many countries must become trustworthy, safe, and secure. He told the digital Ministers of the G20 nations that it is time to acknowledge that digital platforms anywhere in the world have to be responsive and accountable towards the sovereign concerns of countries, including defense, privacy, and security of citizens.
Source: Press Release ID: 1640482 Date: July 22, 2020 PIB Delhi