Modi to innaugurate cyber space global conference on Nov 23

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New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the global conference on cyber space (GCSS), to held for the first time in India, on November 23, IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said today.

"We are hosting global conference on cyber space in 2017 in India. This will be inaugurated by Prime Minister of India," Prasad told reporters here.

"We hope to have over 2,000 delegates from 100 countries and there will be about 50 ministerial level delegations. We also expect some heads of states as well," the minister said.

Prasad said that he is in contact with Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Infosys co-founders Nandan Nilekani and N Narayanmurthy, along with global digital companies for participation in the conference.

The UK had hosted the first GCCS in 2011 followed by Budapest in 2012. South Korea hosted the event in 2013 and the Netherlands in 2015.

"The theme of this conference in a way reflect the changing architecture of India in the digital space," Prasad said.

He said that the government will soon launch a new programme for digital literacy of 6 crore people.

"Digital India is designed to empower ordinary Indians. Digital Inclusion is our big effort. In the theme of this conference we have included cyber for all as part of our digital inclusion agenda," Prasad said.

He said the conference will also focus on making cyber space more secure and bringing in digital democracy.

The minister said that the government will also set up an exhibition of digital firms.

"We have proposed multi-stakeholder model for Internet governance. Same model we also want to reflect in this international conference," Prasad said.

The overall goal of GCCS 2017 is to promote an inclusive cyber space with focus on policies and frameworks for inclusivity, sustainability and development among others, the Ministry of Electronics and IT said in a release.