DPI Brief — June 21, 2026

Maharashtra Integrates Mahasarathi Family ID with DigiLocker [L3 — Documents]

Maharashtra has integrated its Mahasarathi (Family ID) — the state’s foundational household identifier — with DigiLocker, enabling nearly 14 crore residents to securely access, store, and share their Family ID digitally. The integration supports two-way functionality: citizens can fetch existing Family IDs into their DigiLocker accounts, and eligible residents can apply for a new Family ID through DigiLocker with consent. This move promotes paperless governance and simplifies access to welfare schemes and citizen services. It is a significant step toward interoperable state-level identifiers plugging into the national digital document infrastructure.

Source: News On AIR

Census 2027 Self-Enumeration Gains Momentum in Kerala [L1 — Identity / L6 — Governance]

India’s first fully digital census is underway, and the self-enumeration portal at se.census.gov.in is seeing strong early adoption. In Ernakulam district (Kerala) alone, over 32,100 residents initiated self-enumeration within five days of the portal going live (June 16–20), with 27,872 already completing the process. Citizens respond to 33 questions online and receive an 11-digit self-enumeration ID via SMS. Enumerators will visit households that cannot access online facilities. The Census 2027 — the world’s largest digital administrative exercise — is being conducted in phases: self-enumeration followed by house-listing and housing census operations. This represents a landmark in India’s identity and governance infrastructure, moving the census fully into the digital stack.

Source: The Hindu

Government Exempts Self-Driving Tech from Licensing; V2X Framework Incoming [L7 — Trust / TRAI]

The Government of India has scrapped licensing requirements for on-board units and short-range automotive radar systems operating in the 5.9 GHz and 77.81 GHz bands, aligning with American and European standards. This paves the way for affordable ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) and crash-avoidance technology in Indian vehicles. Simultaneously, India’s telecom regulator is developing a regulatory framework for vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications, covering both on-board and roadside units. The twin moves signal a serious regulatory push toward connected and autonomous mobility infrastructure in India.

Source: Team-BHP

India Temporarily Blocks Telegram Over NEET Exam Fraud [L7 — Trust / MeitY]

The Government of India imposed a nationwide temporary ban on Telegram until June 22, citing the platform’s use by organised cheating rackets to defraud NEET-UG 2026 re-examination candidates. The restriction, issued under Section 69A of the IT Act (in the interest of sovereignty and integrity of India), comes ahead of the NEET re-test scheduled for June 21. India is Telegram’s largest market by downloads, making this one of the most significant platform-level restrictions in recent DPI governance history. The action underscores the government’s willingness to deploy broad internet controls in response to exam integrity concerns.

Source: Reuters, TechCrunch

Jio Platforms Evaluates Low-Orbit Satellite Rollout; Viasat-WiSig Launch 5G Satellite IoT Chipset [L7 — Trust / Telecom Infrastructure]

Jio Platforms announced it is evaluating the rollout of low-orbit satellite communications in India, partnering with “leading global constellation providers” to lease satellite capacity for quick deployment. This comes as Starlink awaits final clearance — the Ministry of Home Affairs has raised national security concerns over signal spillage in border areas from foreign satellite operators. Separately, Viasat and Indian deep-tech firm WiSig Networks launched global testing of a Made-in-India 5G satellite IoT chipset, announced at the Bharat Innovates 2026 showcase in France. The chipset communicates directly with Viasat’s L-band geostationary satellites and is designed for ultra-low power consumption in connected field devices. Both developments point to an accelerating satellite connectivity ecosystem for India, with both indigenous and global players positioning for regulatory clearance.

Source: CNBC, Developing Telecoms

Coverage spans L1 (Identity/Census), L3 (Documents/DigiLocker), L6 (Governance), and L7 (Trust/Regulation/Telecom) layers of India’s Digital Public Infrastructure.