Manipal: Prakash Javadekar, Minister for Human Resource Development, on Sunday urged the students of Manipal University to be a part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s campaign to transform India from a cash society to a less cash society.

Making a power-point presentation on ‘Digital literacy campaign’ here, he explained the advantages of use of less cash and urged them to ensure that the change takes soon. Details of the campaign were present on the Ministry website. “From cash to plastic to digital, India is progressing very well and it is the youth of the country who can adapt to the changes fast,” he said.

Nearly 2.3 lakh students had registered for the campaign. Explaining digital transaction, he said, “Money is medium of exchange, trade, and facilitates day-to-day transactions. Paper money, plastic money and now it is digital money. You exchange money with a tap of your finger on your mobile telephones.”

After demonetisation, digital transactions at petrol pumps, which were just 20 per cent, had gone up to 70 per cent from December 2, 2016, to December 20, 2016. Vegetable vendors, tea vendors, paan-wallahs, were going digital. People were using the only PoS machine available to facilitate digital transactions in small markets. Even autorickshaw and taxi drivers were using e-wallets with QR code in their vehicles. This was happening because there was determination to do it. After demonetisation, the digital transactions at toll plazas were up from five per cent to 30 per cent, he said.

“The real problem however is the mindset. A change in mindset is very important for this transformation of India to a less cash society. You are witnessing a great change in India. It is not a routine change,” he said. He urged the students to register on the ministry website and volunteer to become agents of change. They would get a personal reply from him, Mr. Javadekar said.

H.S. Ballal, Pro-Chancellor of Manipal University; and H. Vinod Bhat, Vice-Chancellor, were present.

Mr. Javadekar inaugurated two state-of-the-art facilities at Manipal College of Dental Sciences. The facilities are Centre for Full Mouth Implant Rehabilitation with Dental Implants and the other is a cone beam computed tomography.