Digital India Talk Show at Panjab University Connects Students with Key Digital Public Platforms

Chandigarh, 14 August 2026: The Centre for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (CSDE) at Panjab University (PU), Chandigarh with the University Institute of Engineering and Technology (UIET), hosted a Digital India Talk Show. The programme was an initiative of the National e-Governance Division (NeGD) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, held in collaboration with the Department of Information Technology, Chandigarh Administration.
Started as a talk show and interactive session, it brought students, faculty and researchers into direct exchange with experts associated with the Ministry.
PU Vice Chancellor Prof. Meenakshi Goyal, graced the programme as Chief Guest. PCS, Director-IT, Chandigarh Administration, Avikesh Gupta  attended as Special Guest and delivered the keynote address. Honorary Director, CSDE, Prof. Suveera Gill welcomed the dignitaries, experts, and participants, underscoring the value of curiosity, informed participation, and meaningful engagement with the digital systems that increasingly shape learning, work, and public life.
Head, State e-Mission Team (SeMT), Chandigarh Administration, Sh. Gauravdeep Singh introduced the workshop and its objectives. Director, UIET, Prof. Sukhwinder Singh presented an overview of Digital India initiatives and their relevance for students and higher education institutions.
In her presidential address, Prof. Meenakshi Goyal highlighted the responsibility of universities to prepare students not merely to use digital technologies, but also to understand them, question them and contribute to their responsible development. She emphasised the importance of digital capability, safety and ethical awareness in enabling young people to participate confidently in India’s evolving digital ecosystem.
Avikesh Gupta spoke on the expanding reach of digital governance and the importance of citizen-centric, accessible and secure public services. He encouraged students to engage actively with public digital platforms and to view technology as an instrument for inclusion, efficiency and accountable governance.
The expert sessions highlighted major Digital India initiatives into practical knowledge. DigiLocker and Entity Locker showed how documents can be issued, stored and verified securely. UMANG and myScheme demonstrated how a single platform can simplify access to government services and surface the schemes most relevant to a citizen. The Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) and APAAR pointed to portable academic records and smoother learner mobility across the education system.
A session on cybersecurity and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 drew attention to safer online practices, the responsible handling of personal data and sustained digital vigilance.
The presentations were followed by interaction with the participants, who raised questions on access, privacy, security and the everyday use of public digital platforms. A Digital India Quiz was held and prizes were presented to the winners.
The initiative reflected PU's commitment to strengthening digital awareness and enabling its academic community to engage with India’s digital transformation in an informed, secure and purposeful manner.