By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, SEPT 14, 2014: IN the first 100 days of Modi Sarkar on telecom front, Mr Ravi Shankar Prasad says that the vision framework of Digital India is in place and he believes that it is going to be a Game Changer for the Indian economy as well the society at large from the perspective of delivery of pro-citizen good governance.

Digital India Programme has identified the following three key areas:

(i) Digital infrastructure as a Utility to Every Citizen :

Ø High speed internet as a core utility

Ø Cradle to grave digital identity - unique, lifelong, online, authenticable

Ø Mobile phone & Bank account enabling participation in digital & financial space

Ø Easy access to a Common Service Centre

Ø Shareable private space on a public cloud

Ø Safe and secure Cyber-space

(ii) Governance and Services on Demand

Ø Seamlessly integrated across departments or jurisdictions

Ø Services available in real time from online &mobile platform

Ø All citizen documents to be available on the cloud – citizen not required to provide copies etc.

Ø Services digitally transformed for improving Ease of Doing Business

Ø Making financial transactions electronic & cashless

Ø Leveraging GIS for decision support systems & development

(iii) Digital Empowerment of Citizens :

Ø Universal Digital Literacy

Ø Universally accessible digital resources

Ø All documents/ certificates to be available on cloud

Ø Availability of digital resources / services in Indian languages

Ø Collaborative digital platforms for participative governance

Ø Portability of all entitlements through cloud

This programme aims to provide the required thrust to the following nine pillars of growth viz. Broadband Highways; Universal Access to Mobile Connectivity;  Public Internet Access Programme;  E-Governance: Reforming Government through Technology;  eKranti - Electronic Delivery of Services;   Information for All; Electronics Manufacturing: Target Net Zero Imports;  IT for Jobs  and Early Harvest Programmes. In this context, a Conference of IT Ministers of States/UTs was organized on 26 th August 2014, to sensitize the State Governments about the Vision of Digital India and secure their involvement in its implementation.

Taking Broadband Highway to Rural areas

(i) Laying National Optical Fibre  Network (NOFN) in all 2.5 Lakh Gram Panchayats  in the country in a phased manner: NOFN project is planned to connect all Gram panchayats (approx. 2.5 Lakh) in the country through optical fibre utilizing existing fibers of PSUs viz. BSNL, RailTel and Power Grid and laying incremental fiber wherever necessary to bridge the connectivity gap between Gram Panchayats and Blocks.  The new Government has decided that this project will be completed in the coming 3 years at a total estimated cost of Rs.20,100 crore.

(ii) Government User Network (GUN) overlay over NOFN for delivery of e- Governance services to Panchayats: NOFN infrastructure connectivity is proposed to be supplemented by the Government User Network (GUN) as an overlay on NOFN. This project will  be an IT layer atop the telecom layer from district HQ to all Gram Panchayats.  The Project objective is to ensure “Broadband for all”.  The estimated cost of the project is Rs.4900 crore as Capex and Rs.2500 crore per annum as Opex for a period of 10 years. 

Covering uncovered villages through Mobile connectivity

There are a total of around 44,000 villages uncovered in the country today. Government is taking steps to ensure that all villages are covered by mobile connectivity by 2018.

(i) To provide mobile services in areas affected by Left Wing Extremism (LWE) :  On 20.8.2014, the Cabinet  decided  to install 1836 mobile towers  to connect the unconnected areas with mobile communication network in the States affected by Left Wing Extremism (LWE) at a project cost of Rs. 3567.58 Crore to be met from USOF .

(ii) Comprehensive Telecom Development Plan for North-Eastern Region: The new Government has taken the initiative to give a push to connect unconnected villages of North Eastern Region in the mobile communication network. The project proposal entails mobile coverage in uncovered areas and along National Highways; and strengthening of transmission network in the North-Eastern Region at an estimated cost of Rs. 5336.18 Crores.  The project would be funded by Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) and shall be put up for approval shortly.

EARLY HARVEST PROGRAMMES:

As a component of Digital India Programme, several Early Harvest Programmes, including the following are under various phases of implementation: 

(i) Aadhaar Enabled Biometric Attendance System : This system is under implementation in all Central Government offices located at Delhi. This system would enable an employee, with an Aadhaar Number, to register his/her attendance (arrival/departure) in the Office through biometric authentication. A web based application software system will enable online recording of attendance and its viewing by the concerned stakeholders. Meanwhile, the Department of Electronics and IT has already commissioned this system at Electronics Niketan Complex on Pilot Basis.

(ii) IT platform for Messages (Sampark):    The contact details of a large number of elected representatives and government employees have been compiled in the Sampark database. Independence Day greeting mailer from Hon'ble Prime Minister was sent on 15 th August, 2014 to over 3 2 lakh persons in English and the local language of that particular State.  Since 15 th August this year, mailers have been sent to over 48 lakh users on 8 different occasions using Sampark.

(iii) Government Greetings to be e-Greetings: This platform was launched by Hon'ble Minister of Communications and IT on 14 th August, 2014, as part of Government's initiative to develop and deploy eco friendly methods of sending greetings in the country.  The portal has a collection of designs made by the citizens of the country through crowd sourcing. The first greeting was sent by Hon'ble PM on 15 th August to over 32 lakh users.  Subsequent to its launch, about 26000 Greetings have been sent using the portal. Greeting Card designs for all gazetted holidays and other national days are in the pipeline. 

(iv) Secure Email within Government: A system of secured email is being established, to increase its usage within the Government system, by March, 2015

(v) Standardise Government e-mail design: Standardised templates along with header/footer are under preparation and are targeted to be ready by October 2014, for use within the Government.

(vi) National Portal for Lost and Found Children: The National Portal for Missing Children is accessed by various stakeholders such as MWCD, MHA, police, child care institutions, child welfare committee etc. The existing Portal is being upgraded to include mobile application for reporting a missing child or searching a missing child, with a provision for Email and SMS alerts and registration of volunteers/ NGOs in helping the authorities in tracking the missing children.

(vii) Setting up of BPOs in NE Region:   A Scheme, envisaging incentives for setting up of BPOs in N.E. Region is under consideration, which is targeted to be notified by October, 2014.  This aims to attract BPO companies to set up its operations in N.E. Region, thereby generating employment opportunities for youth in particular and also encouraging the growth of IT-ITES Industry in the Region.

Besides, other Early Harvest Programmes viz. Wi-fi in all Universities, Public Wi-fi Hotspots, Schools Books to be e-Books and SMS based Weather Information & Disaster alerts will be implemented by the other Central Ministries concerned, in the coming months.

In addition to the above, the Department is contemplating to significantly upscale the use of GIS in the decision making process, with the cooperation of the State Governments .