High-Level African Delegation and UNDP Engage with Department of Land Resources on India’s Digital Public Infrastructure in Land Governance

Key Highlights:

• A high-level African delegation and UNDP visited India's Department of Land Resources (DoLR) to study its Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) in land governance.
• India showcased its Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme (DILRMP), Unique Land Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN / Bhu-Aadhaar), National Generic Document Registration System (NGDRS), and NAKSHA initiative.
• India offered to share its digital land administration architecture, including the Bharat Land Stack, with African nations to accelerate DPI-led inclusive growth.
• Over 40.58 Crore land parcels have been assigned the 14-digit alphanumeric Bhu-Aadhaar (ULPIN).

Detailed Insights:

• The visit aimed to provide an exposure to India's pioneering digital transformation in land administration.
• Secretary, DoLR, highlighted Bhu-Aadhaar as the next transformative leap after Aadhaar for geospatial land identity.
• The vision is to unlock formal credit and mortgages for citizens by creating a digital trust architecture through the Bharat Land Stack.
• DILRMP has achieved 99.90% computerization of Records of Rights and 97.43% digitization of cadastral maps.
• 98.96% of Sub-Registrar Offices (SROs) are computerized, with 17 States/UTs adopting the centralized NGDRS platform.
• The Bharat Land Stack is an integrated, GIS-based federated architecture layering various land data for a single digital source of truth.
• The NAKSHA pilot program uses high-precision surveying technologies like drones and LiDAR to issue Urban Property (UrPro) Cards.
• The delegation commended India's scale and technical rigor, emphasizing the relevance of India's model for African economies.
• The engagement concluded with a commitment to deepen technical knowledge exchanges and South-South cooperation.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI): Foundational digital systems enabling public and private service delivery.
• Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme (DILRMP): A flagship program to modernize and digitize land records in India.
• Unique Land Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN) / Bhu-Aadhaar: A 14-digit alphanumeric identification number for every land parcel.
• National Generic Document Registration System (NGDRS): A centralized, online platform for property registration across states.
• Bharat Land Stack: An integrated, GIS-based federated architecture for comprehensive land data management.