JULY 2019 l PARlIAMENTARIAN 25which then can become a public good.
It recognizes the limitations of even
the largest data-collecting companies
like Amazon, Facebook and
Instagram. And there is a bold
suggestion that so vast is the data
about citizens collected by different
institutions and ministries which may
be of use to private companies, there
is a suggestion that government should
monetize the date and allow private
companies to access it. It is noted that
the data about citizens available with
the government is transparently
collected. It says, “Consistent with the
notion of data as public good, there is
no reason to preclude commercial use
of this data for profit. Undoubtedly, the
data revolution envisaged here is going
to cost funds. Although the social
benefits would far exceed the cost to
the government, at least a part of the
generated data should be monetized to
ease the pressure on governmental
finances. Given that the private sector
has the potential to reap massive
about data is that the government
realizes the importance of data and
how best it can be used in the targeted
delivery of public services.unclear vision
But what is not clear and what creates
suspicion is that the data can be
misused both by the government as
well as the private sector. The attempt
to keep the digital data free of human
interface is both interesting and
ominous. Data burglary or hacking
remains a potential danger in more
senses than one. By spelling out the
data dreams of the welfare state that
the Modi government is keen to run,
the Survey has done yeoman service
by putting it all out in black and white
as it were, an antiquated figure of
speech. Ideas, facts are all there in bits
and bytes and they are all embedded
in the mysterious cyberspace.
There is need to challenge the
government and other experts on the
field and the citizens cannot sit back
and allow the information about
themselves being thrown around for
various purposes. What is needed is
general awareness about data among
all the citizens. They should know that
they are all embedded in the matrix.
They cannot wriggle out of it, but at
the same time that they have to bend
their knee to the masters of big data,
whether it be the government or the
private firm.
Prime Minister Modi’s simplistic
thinking about the advantages of
technology should not stop others
from raising the moral, political,
economic and even philosophical
questions regarding data about
ourselves which is now a click away to
others. There is a possibility of utopia
in this data revolution, but one must
be aware of the dystopia that awaits us
if things were to go wrong.dividends from this data, it is only fair
to charge them for its use.”
An innocuous example is given of
the use of government-collected data
by the private sector: “Consider, for
example, allowing the private sector
access to data about students’ test
scores across districts (with all
personal information completely
obfuscated). Using test scores of
students, demographic characteristics
of each district and publicly available
data on the efficacy of public education
schemes, a private firm may be able to
uncover unmet needs in education and
cater to these needs by developing
innovative tutoring products to the
specific needs of the specific districts.”
This is of course convoluted
thinking at its best, and the writers of
the survey are grappling with
hypothetical issues that are embedded
in big data. There will be many false
steps on the way before the right path
emerges.
What lies behind all this thinkingwhaT creaTes suspicion is ThaT The daTa can
Be misused BoTh By The governmenT as well as
The privaTe secTor. daTa Burglary or hacking
remains a poTenTial danger