Revision ICT & Governance - Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Notes

Introduction

E-Governance in India has steadily evolved from computerization of Government Departments to initiatives that promote citizen centricity, service orientation and transparency.

The concepts in e-governance include,

• Management Information System (MIS) – refers to the processing of information through computers and other intelligent devices to manage and support managerial decisions within an organization
• Decision Support System (DSS) – for development, planning and responsive administration in governments which led to the genesis of present-day “e-Government” concept
• Bridging the Digital Divide
• Social and Financial Inclusion through ICT
• Reaching- the-Unreached

Government Schemes

• Many States/UTs have started various e-Governance projects. Though these e-Governance projects were citizen-centric, they could make lesser than the desired impact.
• A government of India launched the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) in 2006. 31 Mission Mode Projects covering various domains were initiated.
• Despite the successful implementation of many e-Governance projects across the country, e-Governance as a whole has not been able to make the desired impact and fulfill all its objectives.
• It has been felt that a lot more thrust is required to ensure e-Governance in the country promote inclusive growth that covers electronic services, products, devices and job opportunities. Moreover, electronic manufacturing in the country needs to be strenghtened

Digital India: In order to transform the entire ecosystem of public services through the use of information technology, the Government of India has launched the Digital India programme with the vision to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. ICTs can positively contribute to the growth of the economy, employment and productivity.

The Digital India programme is centered on three key vision areas:

• Digital Infrastructure
• Governance & Services
• Digital Empowerment of Citizens

Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation (PRAGATI) platform:

• Is a multi-purpose and multi-modal platform 
• The platform is aimed at addressing common man’s grievances, and simultaneously monitoring and reviewing important programmes and projects of the Government of India as well as projects flagged by State Governments.
• The PRAGATI platform uniquely bundles three latest technologies: Digital data management, video-conferencing and geo-spatial technology
• It is a three-tier system (PMO, Union Government Secretaries, and Chief Secretaries of the States)
• Prime Minister will hold a monthly programme where he will interact with the Government of India Secretaries, and Chief Secretaries through Video-conferencing enabled by data and geo-informatics visuals
• The system has been designed in-house by the PMO team with the help of National Informatics Center (NIC).

National Informatics Centre (NIC):
Has emerged as a “prime builder” of e-Government / e-Governance applications up to the grassroots level. The activities are

• Setting up of ICT Infrastructure
• Implementation of National and State Level e-Governance Projects
• Products and Services
• Consultancy to the government departments
• Research and Development
• Capacity Building

Has taken up various initiatives like Government eProcurement System(GePNIC), Office Management Software (eOffice), Hospital Management System (eHospital), Government Financial Accounting Information System (eLekha), etc.
NIC is supporting a majority of the mission mode e-Governance projects.

The National e-Governance Plan (NeGP)

NeGP was approved in 2006 to take a holistic view of e-governance initiatives across the country, integrating them into a collective vision.  As result,

• massive countrywide infrastructure reaching down to the remotest of villages is being developed
• large-scale digitization of records is taking place

NeGP comprises 31 mission mode projects (MMPs), which are further classified as a state, central or integrated projects. Each state government can also define five MMPs specific to its individual needs.

• Most of these projects have been made operational and have started providing services.
• However, e-governance as a whole has not been able to make the desired impact
• The availability of electronic government services to citizens was still low
• Lack of needs analysis, business process re-engineering, interoperability across MMPs, and coping with new technology trends (such as mobile interfaces, cloud computing) were some of the limitations 

e-Kranti / NeGP 2.0

e-Kranti was approved in 2015 with the vision of “Transforming e-Governance for Transforming Governance”. e-Kranti is an important pillar of the Digital India programme. The approach and methodology of e-Kranti are fully aligned with the Digital India programme.

There are 44 Mission Mode Projects under the e-Kranti programme. 

• A mission mode project (MMP) is an individual project within the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) that focuses on one aspect of electronic governance, such as banking, land records or commercial taxes etc.
• The projects have clearly defined objectives, scopes, and implementation timelines and milestones, as well as measurable outcomes and service levels.