Arithmetic of Digital India

I was Brilliant at study in the school but weak in mathematics but As  a Gujju I know the Mathematics of the Money very well . Hope Your mind also get bogged when you hear the Lakh crores figures in scams and Investment , cause many of us are not aware about the Simple logic behind the Tax and subsidy/welfare . Here is small effort :-

 

You all know  (-5) + 5 = 0 . On the same bases (Equal amount of Tax + Equal amount of Subsidy/welfare ) = 0 . The role of Govt. is just to decide the priority and Today Govt. Make the Digital India in Priority. 

Firstly We Need to Understand that , Today Internet is not luxury , it’s the necessity. As Example , In Our Gujarat , all Engineering admission and All Govt Jobs process done through the Internet only ( Mandatory). I saw many students travelling 50 kms in bus daily after the result to near town related to the online application for 7-10 days continuousily. ( PM modi frequently talk about the Digital divide) 

Govt. Provide Road , Water , Street light for free ( Form Taxation money) then why not the internet? As The Internet  also have the Equal importance to road,  In fact  the digital India’s  1^st objective reflected the same which say to create “Broadband Highways”.  

Instead of Providing free internet, Govt. charging Thrice from citizen – One directly form tariff and two other  Indirectly . How ? Read all following step carefully one by one.  

1. Spectrum auction and Tariff :-

The Main focus of the Digital India is the Internet service on mobile  ( Objective 2 – eKranti) . The Tariff of the internet charges direct depend upon the spectrum price. Recently News of Spectrum auction made the headlines about the bumper revenue income to Govt. And Govt. Takes the political mileage of the revenue income By criticizing previous  govt. Scams.

Spectrum is the Public property ( As SC said ) as same as the coal. In case of Coal , Govt Adopted the reverse Auction process , In which Coal block Given to the Private company which ready to Provide the Cheapest electricity to People and Govt Leave off the Income form the Coal auction. This is the best method as It remove the process where Govt firstly Get revenue of Coal ( Tax) , then Spend it in infrastructure to provide electricity to people ( Subsidy). 

If Govt can adopt this process in coal where is Huge Case of the Corruption and Regulation ( There is no coal Regulator yet) , Then why not in telecom ?  Where We Have one of the best regulator TRAI in World.

To understand : What is the Reverse auction ?

2. Spectrum Auction Hurdle to the Spread of the Expansion of the Internet to Rural India :-

“The higher spectrum price create hurdle to achieve the Goal of the digital India” . Seems Something Odd in Statement ? No ! High Spectrum price make the Pockets of telcos empty and They have less money to Spend in infra development of internet in rural Area. TRAI , a Regulator of telecom also e rise fear of Much hike of Price of tariff in Delhi and Mumbai circle.

The Better Mechanism is to Provide the Cheap/Free Spectrum to the  Telcos on the Condition of the some fix X% of the Accrual Expansion.

3.Govt. Aim for the Internet connectivity in Rural :-  

 Govt. Plan to Extend the internet connection to the Villages through optical fiber . It’s Not clear till today that Will Govt Solely  do this OR Allow the Private companies ? Factors like - Big Business man on stage , Lack of Capital in hand of Govt  and Speedy implementation etc. suggest that Private companies going to play big role in this. As Gujju I read the word “Private Investment” = “Profit” And All know that. If someone Investment money only when there is profit . 

This is just staring of the Game, Aage Aage Dekhiye hota hai kya …. As Per my instinct , Govt going the give huge  Tax concession to telecoms for the helping Govt. to Expand the Internet facilitates to End the digital divide in Benefits of the Rural Indian people ( Revenue forgone statement which is already 4.5 lakh crore per annum)

And even if 1% chance that Govt. Herself Do the Work of the Expanding optical fiber across the country then also it’s the contradiction to Govt. Policy as PM frequently said that “It’s Not Govt business to do business” ( To Support the disinvestment of PSU)

Digital India is to Make the Governance “Smart” and By Looking the model it seems the “Smart” . The Model is the Perfect Jugaad to Give concession to corporate and Also Increase the vote bank at same time. I don’t know any such Model that any state or center Govt had Previously.  It’s Really Smart !!

In Summary , People Have to loss in these three manner :-

1.     High Tariff due to high spectrum auction

2.     Less Rural Expansion of internet Due to High Spectrum price

3.  Revenue forgone ( Likely to Happen) , Which money can use in the expansion on internet.

In short , Though this Article , I Like to  be part of Digital India campaign and Like to make Suggestion on “Internet platform” to PM That : “Provide the Free Spectrum to Telcom companies on Condition to Provide internet service in Rural India on the prices decided by Govt"

The Other Important issue of the Data Security , Data Colonism , Big data , Privacy also not addressed well  in Policy of Digital India.