IIIT-Bangalore’s MOSIP Project Recognized as WSIS Champion in E-Government Category at WSIS Prizes 2024

Press Release
For Immediate Release

IIIT-Bangalore’s MOSIP Project Recognized as WSIS Champion in E-Government Category at WSIS Prizes 2024

Bangalore, June 7,2024: The International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIIT-Bangalore) announces that MOSIP (Modular Open-Source Identification Platform) has been recognized as a WSIS Champion in the e-government category at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prizes 2024.

The award is recognized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for its outstanding contribution towards strengthening the implementation of the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) Outcomes.

Mr. Nagarajan Santhanam, Chief Dissemination Officer, MOSIP recently received the award from Mr. Doreen Bogdan-Martin, ITU Secretary-General in Geneva.

The selection process for this prestigious award was rigorous, with 1,049 commendable projects assessed. During the online voting phase, 2 million votes were gathered across 18 categories, followed by a concluding jury selection to finalize the awardees. The MOSIP project garnered significant public support, leading to its recognition as one of the five WSIS Champions for 2024 in the e-governance category.

The WSIS is a unique, two-phase United Nations summit designed to address issues and concerns raised by Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). Its goal is to encourage a people-centric, inclusive and development-oriented Information Society where everyone can access, utilize and share information. The WSIS Prizes epitomize innovation and progress, showcasing projects aligned with WSIS Action Lines and contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Speaking about the achievement, Prof. Debabrata Das, Director, IIIT-Bangalore, said, "We are delighted to announce that MOSIP has been recognized as a WSIS Champion in the e-government category at the WSIS Prizes 2024. This accolade highlights the dedication and innovation of our team in creating inclusive and empowering ID systems. We are grateful for the global support and remain committed to encouraging collaboration and progress in digital identity. This recognition inspires us to continue empowering lives, one unique ID at a time. The technologists, policy experts, academics and advisors that make up the MOSIP team and its partners find common ground in their dedication to collaboration and innovation."

Prof. S. Rajagopalan, President – MOSIP, added, “We are honoured to receive this prestigious recognition in the e-governance category of the WSIS Prizes 2024. With 110+ million residents now registered on MOSIP-based systems across 20 countries, MOSIP has been dedicated to the targets of the WSIS Action Lines and SDG16.9 — ‘providing legal identity for all’ — since 2018. We thank the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) for their acknowledgment of MOSIP’s work and commitment to our shared goals, and look forward to a future where we continue to support the development of inclusive, innovative, and human-centric Digital Public Infrastructure.”

About IIIT-Bangalore

IIIT-Bangalore is a premier institute dedicated to undergraduate and postgraduate programs specializing in Computer Science and Engineering (CSE), Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE), Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DSAI), IT for Society, and broader fields of IT and research. Situated in the heart of Electronic City, Bangalore, it holds a prominent position in the academic landscape. IIIT-Bangalore is graded A+ by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC). In the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) for 2022, IIIT-B has secured 74th ranking. The institute was ranked number 1 among India's Best Technical Universities (Private) by India Today. IIIT-Bangalore contains state-of-the-art infrastructure, eminently qualified faculty, a vibrant alumni community, cutting-edge research facilities, and close industry collaborations.

The institute’s specially designed courses make the students’ cognizant of the current technologies. Experiential learning and practices followed in the institute equip them with the tools and knowledge to solve contemporary real problems. IIIT-Bangalore has consistently achieved excellent placement records every year since its establishment in 1998, thanks to the unwavering support of the industry and the expanding pool of highly skilled alumni.

For more details, log onto https://www.iiitb.ac.in

About MOSIP

MOSIP (Modular Open Source Identity Platform) was incubated at IIIT-Bangalore in 2018 as a core component of global Digital Public Infrastructure. The platform’s modular architecture, easy configuration, and customisation abilities enable countries the flexibility to build their foundational digital ID systems in a cost-effective manner.

MOSIP is built on a strong bedrock of principles for security and privacy. The use of open standards and open-source code ensures that MOSIP is agnostic to specific applications, programming languages, and platforms, and actively works towards avoiding vendor lock-in.

Funded by the Gates’ Foundation, NORAD, Pratiksha Trust, and Tata Trust, the platform is currently in various stages of adoption in 20 countries across Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America.