Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah said on Thursday that it is necessary for the world to come together on one platform to strengthen cyber security. This should be our common goal. Together, we have to secure the digital world.
Shah was addressing the inaugural session of the G-20 Conference on Aspects of 'Crime and Security in the Age of NFTs, AI, and the Metaverse' in Gurugram, Haryana, on Thursday. He said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we are rapidly adopting new technology. Today, 840 million Indians are on the Internet. In such a situation, we have to be alert. We are also ahead in digital transactions. In this regard, we have to secure the digital world at all costs.
Shah said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, India has been at the forefront of adopting emerging technologies at the grassroots level. We aim to make modern technology more accessible and affordable to all sections of society.
Today, 840 million Indians have an online presence, and by 2025, another 400 million Indians will enter the digital world. Internet connections have increased by 250 percent in nine years. The cost per GB of data has been reduced by 96 percent.
Shah said that under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, we have opened 500 million new bank accounts and distributed 330 million debit cards. India is the leader in global digital payments, with 90 million transactions. An amount of Rs 300 million was directly transferred to bank accounts. DigiLocker stores around 6 billion documents. In such a situation, we have to make the digital world completely secure. Similar laws should be made around the world regarding cyber security.
He said that no country or organisation can fight cyber threats alone, but a united front is needed to deal with them. Our future has given us an opportunity to “use technology with sensitivity” and remain steadfast in our commitment to “ensuring public safety”. However, this task cannot be handled by the government alone. We aim to create a cyber-success world, not a cyber-failure world. Together, we can harness the potential of these technologies while ensuring a 'secure and prosperous digital future' for all.
It is noteworthy that during the programme, Shah flagged off the cyber volunteer squads of seven major educational institutions in the country. This squad will make people aware of cyber security. Shah also released an exhibition on cyber security during the event.
