Panel Discussion on
Digital Public Infrastructure and public service delivery
Digital public infrastructure (DPI) holds the potential to improve the efficiency of social welfare programs, and India has been a pioneer in delivering welfare to an unprecedented number of people through DPI. At the same time, as more benefits are delivered through DPI, there are growing concerns of exclusion without sufficient mechanisms for redress. While some of these issues arise out of governance challenges that existed prior to DPI, some new issues have manifested due to the use of the technology itself.
The objective of the panel discussion is to explore the dynamics of how central/state governments engage with the people through digital public infrastructure and vice versa, and how this engagement impacts the effectiveness of public services and social programs undertaken by the governments.
This is an in-person event in Pune. It will also broadcasted on Zoom for those who wish to join online.
Please click here to register, if you wish to join online on Zoom.
More about the panellists
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Rakshita Swamy
Rakshita's work focuses on conceptualizing and institutionalizing mechanisms for proactive information disclosure, time-bound grievance redress and robust social audits in the delivery of public schemes. She has worked with the Ministry of Rural Development and the Comptroller and Auditor General of India to support state institutions in implementing social audits. She is closely associated with the Right to Information and Right to Work campaigns. |
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Vijay Sai Pratap
Gram Vaani champions participatory, community-centred models for sustainable socio-ecological development, working with diverse communities and over 250 partners across agriculture, climate, gender, health and governance. The organisation built and managed hundreds of inclusive voice-based digital conversation spaces, anchored by 2,000+ community changemakers, to aid collective citizen action and bottom-up policy narratives, reaching more than 5 million people in the process. |
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Apar Gupta Founder Director, Internet Freedom Foundation
Apar Gupta is a lawyer, writer on democracy and technology, and Founder Director of the Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF). He has served as counsel in landmark constitutional cases on free speech and privacy. Apar co-founded SaveTheInternet.in, mobilizing over a million Indians to secure net neutrality, and leads IFF's campaigns, policy advocacy, and litigation on digital access and coercion. He drafted three Private Members’ Bills, deposed before Parliamentary IT and Science Committees on net neutrality, shutdowns, obscenity, and DNA tech, and earned recognition as an Ashoka Fellow (2019) and ROW100 Changemaker. Cited globally by Wired, MIT Tech Review, FT, and The Guardian, he speaks widely on law, tech, and governance. |
About the Girish Sant Memorial Annual Event
Girish Sant was a noted Indian energy analyst and policy commentator, who unfortunately passed away in 2012. Throughout his professional career, Girish made immense contributions to the energy sector, primarily to serve the interests of the poor, prevent gross inefficiencies and improve infrastructure sector governance. His work, humility and eagerness to engage with challenging issues earned him respect and friendship from across the spectrum. He also motivated and mentored a large number of young researchers and activists to work in energy policy and governance issues. He co-founded the Pune-based non-governmental organisation, Prayas, working in the areas of energy and health.
An annual event in memory of Girish Sant has been organised since 2013, where committed professionals provide a public interest perspective on critical issues in the development space. More details available here: https://prayaspune.org/girish-sant/memorial This is the 14th event in the series.