RAS question
How many pillars does the Digital India programme have?
Correct answer: (D) 9.
The Digital India programme has nine pillars: Broadband Highways, Universal Access to Mobile Connectivity, Public Internet Access Programme, e-Governance, e-Kranti, Information for All, Electronics Manufacturing, IT for Jobs, and Early Harvest Programmes.
Explanation
Digital India is structured around nine pillars, not a loose set of unrelated schemes. The official Digital India pillars page is titled "9 Pillars of Digital India" and lists the programme under these heads: Broadband Highways, Universal Access to Mobile Connectivity, Public Internet Access Programme, e-Governance: Reforming Government through Technology, e-Kranti - Electronic Delivery of Services, Information for All, Electronics Manufacturing, IT for Jobs, and Early Harvest Programmes. The count matters because exam questions often test the framework rather than individual initiatives. Since the official source enumerates exactly nine headings, option D is the only answer that matches the programme's stated structure.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Twelve is too high because the official Digital India pillars page lists nine pillars, not twelve.
- (B) Seven leaves out part of the official framework, which enumerates nine separate Digital India pillars.
- (C) Five is too few because the programme's official structure includes nine named pillars.
Concept
This tests the government programmes part of Science and Technology, where RAS often asks for the official structure of flagship digital-governance initiatives. Digital India recurs because its pillars connect connectivity, e-governance, service delivery, manufacturing, skills, and early implementation measures.