MeitY and C-DAC launched ‘Blockchain India Challenge’ to encourage Indian startups to pitch & pilot cutting-edge Blockchain-based digital governance solutions.

• Blockchain is a decentralized, distributed ledger technology that ensures tamper-proof, transparent, and auditable record-keeping.
  • It operates on principles of immutability, consensus, and cryptographic security, making data manipulation virtually impossible.

Role of Blockchain in Governance

• Certificates and Document: To address fraudulent documents and delays, NIC developed ‘Certificate Chain’ for secure storage and retrieval of records.
• Logistics: E.g. Karnataka’s Aushada system tracks medicine movement from manufacturer to hospitals, including quality checks. 
  • Patients can verify manufacturer, expiry, and quality, reducing spurious drugs and increasing transparency.
• Judiciary: E.g. Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) integrates criminal justice ecosystem on a unified digital platform for case records, evidence, and documents.
• Property: E.g. ‘Blockchain-powered Property Management System’ records all property transactions verifying ownership, rights, and liabilities, reducing litigation and speeding dispute resolution.
• Other: Additional Proof of Concepts are being developed for Remote Voting, GST monitoring, Blood Banks, and the Public Distribution System (PDS).