Modi inaugurates 5th Global Conference on Cyber Space
PM Narendra Modi today inaugurated the fifth edition of the Global Conference on Cyber Space (GCCS), its largest ever, which India is hosting for the first time. "I believe it's a recognition of India's emerging role as a cyber power, accelerated by 'Digital India', which has acquired international acknowledgment," said IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. The two-day conference is being held in New Delhi.
10,000 delegates in person, virtual participation from 2,800 locations
The GCCS started in London in 2011. It was subsequently held in Budapest (2012), Seoul (2013) and Netherlands (2015). This year's conference has been themed on 'Cyber4All: A Secure and Inclusive Cyberspace for Sustainable Development'. According to Prasad, there will be over 10,000 delegates and 33 ministers from 124 countries at the event. Stakeholders in 2,800 locations will participate virtually.
Modi talks JAM, Digital India, UMANG app
At the event, Modi spoke of his government's efforts to boost Digital India. "We give primacy to the human face of technology and are using it to improve 'ease of living'." He said the JAM trinity (Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, Mobile) "helped in plugging leakages in subsidies transfer worth $10bn". He also launched the UMANG app, a platform for integration with customer-centric services like Aadhaar.
"Unprecedented response" at the 40 run-up events around the world
According to Prasad, there have been over 40 run-up events around the world since March 2017 leading to the main conference. There was "unprecedented response". Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj will deliver the keynote address at the valedictory function.
