National Blockchain Strategy

• The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology recently released a “National strategy on blockchain”.
• It has a multi – institutional approach which identifies 44 potential areas of using the technology .
• It also lays out broad contours of how the technology can be leveraged across different sectors.

About National Blockchain strategy:

• It will see the formation of regional nodal zones (north, south, east, and west), in which blockchain infrastructure can be built.
• In these nodes, dedicated ledgers for specific use-cases will be created.
• Aim- to ensure that the use-specific ledgers can work seamlessly with the intended smart contract functionality, the national blockchain application program interface ('API'), and existing government services, such as DigiLocker and e-Sign.

Characteristics:

• 3 types of participants- confident user of technology (application developers), provider or operator of technology (infrastructure and services, Blockchain as a service), and complete technology stack builder (IP creator).
• A multi-institutional model for architecting the NBF.
• Sectors having applications in blockchain models- education, governance, finance & banking, healthcare, logistics, cyber security, media, legal, power sector, etc.
• It will also explore the possibility of use of technology for medical supplies and vaccines.
• Involvement of innovative startups and industry to improve efficiency.
• MeitY will work with various Government organizations and other stakeholders in implementing this strategy and realizing the various advantages of the Blockchain technology in terms of enhanced security, trust and its ability to ensure tamper-evident transactions.
• A dedicated team will be identified to hand-hold the implementers at various central / state government applications.
• Existing services offered by MeitY and other government organisations would also be onboarded onto the trusted digital platform.

Multi-Institutional Centre of Excellence:

• It is intended to be set up to handle dynamics of NLBF.
• It will function as an umbrella entity for:
• National E-Governance Division;
• State governments
• National Informatics Centre
• Centre for Development of Advanced Computing
• Standardisation Testing and Quality Certification Directorate
• Premier academic institutions
• MeitY and other relevant ministries
• Industry players and start-ups.

Challenges:

• Performance-based issues including storage and processing speed; skill-based challenges,
• Lack of trained experts .
• Privacy-based challenges - reconciliation of the right to be forgotten with the perpetual nature of a blockchain
• Legal challenges - data localisation and the legality of cryptocurrencies.
• Adoption of the technology,
• Regulatory compliance,
• Identification of suitable use cases,
• Finding the right data format

Why Blockchain?

• An immutable public digital ledger, which means when a transaction is recorded, it cannot be modified
• Blockchain is always secure due to encryption
• The transactions are done instantly and transparently.
• A decentralized system, no intermediary fee required.
• Authenticity of a transaction is verified and confirmed by participants