The 18th National Conference on e-Governance was inaugurated by Chief Minister of Gujarat, Anandiben Patel in Gandhinagar, Gujarat today. The two-day Conference held on January 30th & 31st, 2015 is being organized by the Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances (DARPG), and Department of Electronics & Information Technology (DeitY), Government of India in collaboration with the Department of Science & Technology, Government of Gujarat. During the occasion, the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi gave his message on Twitter. While expressing his confidence that this conference will become a focal point of several innovational ideas that will help our Nation in the year to come, the Prime Minister urged the participants to explore ways to provide as many services as possible through mobile phones to bring the world into our mobile. He reiterated his commitment to realize the dream of a Digital India - with a vision to make India a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy.
While inaugurating the Conference, Smt. Anandiben Patel, Chief Minister Gujarat thanked Government of India for selecting Gujarat to host the Conference and observed that the theme of the Conference – ‘Digital Governance-New Frontier’ is very relevant. She mentioned that Gujarat has been pioneering several innovative e-Governance Applications like SWAGAT, Public Distribution System, Mutation linked with Registration, e-Nagar, e-Mamta, etc. This has not only helped Government to improve the service delivery but also facilitated the citizens to access services in their own taluka or village. Welcoming the delegates, Shri D. J. Pandian, Chief Secretary of Gujarat informed the gathering about the e-Governance policy of Gujarat towards institutionalizing the State e-Governance Model of ‘Digital Gujarat’ to extend the reach and scope of transparent, affordable and efficient Public Services on the principle of ‘Minimum Government, Maximum Governance’.
Alok Rawat, Secretary DARPG, Government of India in his address stated that IT is only a tool and re-engineering the system and processes with the use of this tool is significant. He informed about various e-governance initiatives which have won the National e-Governance Awards for 2014-15 and stated that the Department is disseminating the best practices in the form of publications, case studies, documentary films etc. for adaptation, replication & further innovation of these practices. He stated that the ensuing Conference will provide a unique opportunity for all States to ponder as to what we have so far achieved in the field of e-Governance and what further can be achieved in future. He mentioned that the Central Govt. has introduced “Jeevan Pramaan” for pensioners, under which the Central pensioners can use biometric verification and Aadhaar number avoiding physical presence for annual verification. Another Software called as Bhavishya online has also been introduced for submitting pension forms online through which Central pensioners can track the progress of their pension sanction process, incorporation of additional DA installment etc.
R. S. Sharma, Secretary, DeitY, Government of India in his address mentioned that India has been at the forefront of ICT in terms of writing software for the world; however, we have not been able to implement the same software and systems in our governance. He mentioned that three numbers are going to represent Indian citizen in future; they are Aadhar for identity, Mobile No. for public service delivery and bank account No. for financial inclusion. These numbers are for empowerment through which every citizen should participate in digital world. R.Chandrashekhar, Chairman NASSCOM stated that there is a need for Government and industry to work in integrated manner for improving the service delivery mechanism.
During the inaugural Session, the National Awards on e-Governance for the year 2014-15 were presented by the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Smt. Anandiben Patel. These awards were given in twelve different categories concerning various aspects of e-Governance. These Awards distinguish some of the best Government to Government (G2G), Government to Citizen (G2C), Government to Business (G2B) initiatives by various government departments and public sector units. Exhibition of various initiatives of Central and State Government, and Industry was also organised.The objective of conferring these awards is to recognize and promote excellence in implementation of e-Governance initiatives. These awards recognize achievements in the area of e-Governance; disseminate knowledge on effective methods of designing and implementing sustainable e-Governance initiatives; encourage horizontal transfer of successful e-Governance solutions; promote and exchange experiences in solving problems, mitigating risks, resolving issues and planning for success.
The inaugural session was followed by a session on “Digital India” and plenary session on “Digital Governance-New Frontier”. During the two day Conference other interactive sessions would be held on several relevant issues such as “e-Governance Leaders as Change Agents”; “Accountable Governance through Social Media and Citizen Engagement”; and “Integrated Service Delivery-Standards and Interoperability”; “Use of Mobile Platform for rapidly expanding access”; “Skill Development and Employability”; Partnership with Industry – New Business Model and Service Delivery”; and “Citizen Services in a Smart City – New Paradigm”. The Conference with the theme “Digital Governance-New Frontier” also aims to explore the benefits of the use of ICT, how e-Governance leaders can act as the agents of change, integrated service delivery and use of mobile platform for expanding access rapidly. Focus sector of this year is “Skill Development and Employability”.