Bangalore, June 14, 2024: Digital public infrastructure (DPI) is garnering global attention for its transformative potential in enhancing public service accessibility and efficiency. In response to its growing significance, IIIT-Bangalore organized a comprehensive DPI Conclave, a week-long event concluding on June 14, 2024. The conclave aimed to promote and raise awareness about DPI systems, highlighting their capacity to boost transparency, streamline administrative processes, and foster inclusive growth. Through a series of workshops, seminars, and collaborative initiatives, IIIT-Bangalore is at the forefront of advocating for the widespread adoption and understanding of this critical technological advancement.
Web Science for Development (WS4D 2024)
The Web Science for Development (WS4D 2024) workshop is an integral part of the Web Science research initiative at IIIT Bangalore. Launched in 2019, WS4D gathers professionals from various fields to address thematic concerns related to web and mobile technologies in development efforts. This year’s workshop centered on Digital Public Infrastructures, forming a key component of the DPI Conclave.
Prof. Srinath Srinivasa, Head of the Web Science Lab and Dean (R&D) at IIIT Bangalore, praised the workshop’s success: “We successfully conducted the Workshop on Web Science for Development (WS4D) 2024, focusing on the crucial theme of Digital Public Infrastructures. This event, a cornerstone of our Web Science research initiative, encouraged collaboration and innovation in leveraging web technologies for societal development. It provided a platform for engaging with experts and thought leaders, exploring how digital infrastructures can drive inclusive and sustainable growth.”
The workshop featured invited talks by researchers from the Centre of Data for Public Good, IISc Bangalore, among other distinguished guests from across India. It also included a DPI thinking poster presentation competition.
Dr. Jyotirmoy Dutta of CDPG, IISc, commented on the evolving landscape of DPI: “Following the ‘Identity’ and ‘Financial Inclusion’ strides through Aadhar and Unified Payment Interfaces (UPI), the third pillar of India’s DPI stack—Electronic Data Exchanges (DX)—is set to revolutionize the development of innovative applications using data. Platforms like the India Urban Data Exchange (IUDX) and Agriculture Data Exchange (ADeX) enable seamless, secure, consent-based, and interoperable access to datasets, fostering new innovations.”
Dr. Raghuram Krishnapuram of CDPG, IISc, emphasized the critical role of DPI: “The importance of digital public infrastructure in enabling an ecosystem of technologists, policymakers, and application developers cannot be underestimated.”
Workshop and Faculty Development Programme on DPI in the Age of AI
From June 11-13, IIIT-Bangalore hosted a Workshop and Faculty Development Programme on Digital Public Infrastructures in the Age of AI. This program aimed to raise awareness about DPIs, discussing their socio-technical requirements, current methodologies, and the cutting-edge research challenges faced by developers and researchers in the fields of social science, computer science, and AI.
Prof. Sujit Chakrabarti, Convener of the program, stated, “As Digital Public Infrastructures (DPIs) evolve rapidly, the associated challenges become increasingly complex. This workshop is crucial for exploring these socio-technical requirements and advancements in AI. It brings together stakeholders from academia, industry, and government to discuss these issues and explore opportunities for collaborative research.”
DPI Dialogues
IIIT-B’s open-source initiative, MOSIP, focuses on enabling digital ID solutions, particularly in developing countries. The Centre for Open Societal Systems (COSS) at IIIT-Bangalore, in collaboration with the EkStep Foundation, has been actively developing and implementing open-source digital infrastructure solutions to address social challenges at scale.
From June 3 to June 14, a delegation from the Brazilian Government participated in the DPI Dialogues as part of the India DPI Immersion Program at IIIT-Bangalore. The program, offered by COSS and EkStep Foundation, provided the Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services and its partners with an in-depth understanding of India’s DPI initiatives.
For more details, visit https://www.iiitb.ac.in
