Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad represents India at G-7 Digital & Technology Ministerial Meeting

Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister of Electronics & Information Technology represented India at the G-7 Digital and Technology Ministerial Meeting (Group of 7), which was held virtually on April 28, 2021. India attended the event as a Guest.

• The meeting was chaired by Oliver Downden, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, UK.
• Theme of the meeting – ‘Building Back Better’.
• The G-7 countries (UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, US) including European Union signed a Joint Ministerial Declaration at the end of the summit.

Key Points

• The Ministers highlighted their agenda on how technology can be used to facilitate recovery in the Post-COVID-19 era & agreed to collaborate in key areas of digital economy.
• The Joint Declaration highlighted the agenda of member countries for digital and technology and includes online safety, developing collaborative regulatory approach, and promoting free flow of data across borders.
• The 47th G7 Leaders’ Summit (Annual Summit) 2021 will be hosted by the UK from June 11-13 in Carbis Bay, UK.  India has been invited to the meeting by UK PM Boris Johnson.

Excerpts from India’s Address

• Ravi Shankar Prasad highlighted steps taken by India to bring digital inclusion and empower ordinary citizens under the Digital India Programme.
• He also shared India’s views on ensuring trust in the digital ecosystem, securing data privacy and creating a safe cyberspace during the meeting.

Group of Seven

• It is an intergovernmental organisation formed in 1975. Based on 2019 estimates, they hold 30.7% of Global GDP.
• It acts as an informal forum for discussing pressing world issues.
• G-7 countries consist of the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Canada, and Japan. European Union (EU) is a permanent invitee to the meetings of G7.

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i.May, 2020, The US joined an international panel of Group of Seven (G7) for setting up ethical guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence (AI).

About G7 (Group of Seven)

Members – 7, Founded in 1975
2021 Presidency – United Kingdom