Cybersecurity & Technology: Key to National Strength - Prasada

Lucknow, May 23 (PTI) The strength of a nation will soon be determined by the robustness of its cybersecurity and deployment of powerful technologies, Union Minister Jitin Prasada said on Friday.

Addressing the second Digital Uttar Pradesh Conclave, the minister of state for Electronics & IT and Commerce & Industry said, "The might of a country will very soon be determined by the robustness of its cybersecurity and deployment of powerful technologies".

Today, a digital conclave is happening in Uttar Pradesh, he added.

"This in itself is a testimony of the transformation of the state," Prasada said.


The minister also highlighted how the evolution of technologies and the onset of AI are transforming the future of work.

"A similar change we witnessed when computers came in. However, it only empowered people to work better and opened a plethora of opportunities. A similar transformation we will see with emerging technologies as well, as they will make our workforce upskill and drive more intellectual and creative tasks," Prasada said.

Showcasing India's strong stand in enabling digital payments across the country, he highlighted UPI as a key example.

"The sheer number of digital payments that take place on a daily basis in India is an outstanding achievement and positions us as a leader in the digital payment space," he added.

Speaking on the occasion, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said, "India has excelled in the digital technologies space. Today, a beneficiary residing in a rural village gets a direct benefit transfer (DBT) in his or her bank account under the government schemes".

"We have over 400 STPIs registered. We have produced software programmes worth over Rs 75,000 crore. Besides IT, we are also taking leaps in other industrial sectors as well."

The Deputy CM asked people not to fear AI but to use it for their benefit.

"This technology holds huge potential to empower us and transform lives. Students should leverage AI for better learning and upskilling. However, teachers need to be vigilant to ensure ethical usage. Similarly, in areas of medical research and application, AI can pose a boon for the industry. Defence is another major sector where AI can be leveraged in a big way," he said.

Anurag Yadav, Principal Secretary, IT and Electronics Department, Government of Uttar Pradesh, said, "We have recently gone through a critical phase considering the activities in the border areas with Pakistan. Advances in technology and IT played a key role in strengthening India's defence. An exemplary scenario was when our drones led a successful feat in not only weakening the enemy army but proving the strength and promptness of India's defence forces".

Referring to the Jan Dhan accounts, Yadav said, "In UP, around 10 crore Jan Dhan accounts were opened and a majority of these were citizens, who had never used banking services. A major reason behind this was higher costs. With IT integration and online transactions, the cost was brought down to Rs 50 from Rs 1,500. As a result, more people were able to leverage banking services in the state".