Governance2.Org

Passport In 3 Days Scheme Postponed

Dhirender — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 13:52:54 +0000

Your passport in three days, the ambitious Rs 1,100-crore Passport Seva Project (PSP) to be launched by the ministry of external affairs(MEA) on October 1 has been postponed – probably for another month.
TCS was expected to roll out the first pilot Passport Seva Kendra, (PSK) at Bangalore and Chandigarh which would be extended across the country subsequently. According to sources, just before the launch in testing the software, the Standardisation, Testing and Quality Certification (STQC) found about 600 bugs in the software that existed till after the third testing done recently.
The number of passports issued in the country has jumped from 35 lakh in 2005 to over 50 lakh in 2007. Due to accelerating demand, the ministry estimates that it will issue 10 million passports in 2011.
The project is one of the largest mission critical e-governance projects under the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) for streamlining the passport services. Under the ambitious project, the MEA in collaboration with TCS, was to issue new passports within three working days and a tatkal’ one the same day, after police verification. [Via]

Centre Of eGovernance Opens In Capital

Dhirender — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 19:57:54 +0000

A Centre of e-Governance (CeG) has come up in capital New Delhi to disseminate awareness about e-Governance initiatives in the country.
The CeG enhancement plan is a part of the “Awareness and Communication ” activity under NeGP and seeks to bring the achievements under NeGP under one umbrella for the information of citizens. The Centre will provide the visitor an opportunity to experience different e-services as well as digitally record his / her impressions of the CeG.
The CeG showcases applications, demonstrations and presentations that reflect the progress achieved in the implementation and usage of e-Governance. It covers successful and high impact e-Gov applications and content based on improved citizen service delivery, innovativeness, cost effectiveness and overall impact in fulfilling developmental objectives of the government. Also displayed are various social sector initiatives relating to health and education.
Aesthetically designed with hi-tech display systems and visitor- friendly functionality with kiosks that offer demonstration of e-services to the cognoscenti as well as the curious citizen, the Ce-G represents the promise of making technology relevant to the ‘common man’.
Of the projected outlay of Rs 20,175 Crore for the proposed 27 Mission Mode Projects (MMPs) under the National e-Governance Programme (NeGP), Rs 10,622 Crore has already been sanctioned for 16 MMPs. [Via]

Good Health Just A Click Away

Dhirender — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 22:16:28 +0000

The Centre for Development and Advanced Computing (C-DAC) has developed a software (called Cure@Home) which can be loaded on your personal computer and prescribe you remedy for diseases, besides guiding you on symptoms and lifestyle corrections you need to make to prevent future advents. Most importantly, the software is powered by the combined knowledge of allopathy, ayurveda, homoeopathy and yoga to give you maximum and best options to treat your ailment.
Most of them are household remedies for diseases and symptoms besides advice on diet and lifestyle according to constitution, diseases, seasons etc. The software can be loaded at public kiosks (citizens’ facilitation centres) and used at home and clinics. The C-DAC also plans to tie-up with schools and colleges to promote use among students.
The features also includes a multimedia gallery for easy perception and interactive applications like Body Mass Index (BMI) calculator, Waist Hip Ratio (WHR) calculator, Immunization Scheduler and also the Expected Date of delivery calculator.
In the second phase of the project, C-DAC plans to upload this tool on its website and will also expand it with specific data for specific regions.
They will also provide this tool in Marathi language. Besides, plans to introduce this tool on mobile is on cards. [Via]

Govt Set To Unveil e-Service Plan

Dhirender — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 21:10:29 +0000

The citizens’ dream of “anytime, anywhere” government services could be a reality by 2013 with the Centre deciding to pump in Rs 20,175 crore for as many as 27 projects for this purpose under its National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) in the next four years.
The plan, jointly formulated by the department of administrative reforms and public grievances and department of information technology, will cover almost all kind of services which can be provided to citizens online. While 16 projects worth Rs 10,622 crore have already got the Cabinet’s approval, the remaining ones will be unveiled in due course taking state governments on board.
“Though some of the services are currently available to citizens in big cities, the idea is to decentralise it down to the village-level across the country by 2012-13,” said a senior official.
Once fully implemented, the citizens will have all the services – land records, ration cards, immigration details, vehicle registration, public grievances, government certificates, traffic challans and registration of criminal cases – available on touch-screen computers or online on their own computers. [Via]

Model e-Court Launched

Dhirender — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 20:10:19 +0000

The first model e-court in the country that will make the judicial process more transparent and justice delivery system speedier, besides removing the bottlenecks was launched by the Gujarat High Court here on Sunday.
Chief Justice of India K.G. Balakrishnan inaugurated the first e-court, which started functioning on a pilot basis at the Ahmedabad City Civil and Sessions Court on Monday, providing tamperproof authentic audio-video recording of proceedings with multi-point video conferencing facilities linking the courtroom, central jail, the police commissioner’s office and the Forensic Science Laboratory.
The e-court project would save thousands of man hours the police lose in making security arrangements for bringing under-trials to court and nullify the chances of escape during transit operations.
Speaking on the occasion, Justice Balakrishnan said efforts would be made to open similar e-courts in Mumbai and in other parts of the country at the earliest.
For the judiciary, the advantage would be that the entire proceedings would be video-recorded and available for review in case of any doubt. [Via]

Subsidised Broadband Connections Start Rolling

Dhirender — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 19:10:38 +0000

Backed by the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) of the Department of Telecommunications, Government owned Telecom company BSNLhas started rolling out wire-line broadband connectivity to rural & remote areas. DOT has signed an agreement with BSNL to provide 8,61,459 connections to individual users and government Institutions through rural and remote exchanges over a period of 5-years, i.e., by 2014.
This USOF Scheme has an estimated subsidy flow of Rs. 1500 Crore. The subsidy disbursement is for (i) broadband connections, Customer Premises Equipment (CPE), Computer/Computing devices (ii) setting up of Kiosks for public access to broadband services. The financial assistance is to ensure broadband connections at substantially reduced rates to the end customers both in terms of connectivity cost, customer premises equipment cost and computer/computing devices.
This Rural Broadband Scheme has been undertaken on BOO model, i.e. build, operate & own basis. The speed of each of the broadband connections shall be at least 512 kbps always on, with the capability to deliver data, voice and video services in the fixed mode. [Via]

Poor Response To Online Birth/Death Registration

Dhirender — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 23:33:39 +0000

Dismayed over the poor response to the facility for online registration of birth and death in its limits, the Coimbatore Corporation is looking at ways to popularise the system.
Establishing a network between the Corporation and private hospitals and reaching out to the public through the media are some of the options that the civic body is working on.
The Corporation gets only two to three online applications a month after spending huge sums on e-governance, which includes birth and death registration.
Assistant City Health Officer R. Sumathi says this poor response continues despite the figures of 45-55 births and 19 to 22 deaths a day in the city. “The response should be at least 50 registrations. But, we expect at least 15 to 20 a day (both birth and death),” she says.
The system works this way: people can fill up online the form that is available on the Corporation’s website and the certificate is sent home by value payable post within three days.
The applicants have to pay Rs.64 for two copies. They have to approach the Corporation offices only if extra copies are needed.
Birth and death registration has been computerised since 1996. Manual records from 1986 to 1996 have been computerised at Rs.5 lakh. [Via]

E-governance To Improve Efficiency Of GUVNL

Dhirender — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 17:26:44 +0000

Propelling itself into an era of e-Governance, the Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (GUVNL) is fast implementing the IT solutions software, the e-Urja project. This software will not only increase GUVNL’s operational efficiency, but also improve its customer service.
An integrated solution and aims to share a centralized database with all users, The e-Urja project is expected to make the organisation’s functioning more transparent, organised, integrated and efficient.
Human resources, payrolls, e-procurement, accounting, budget, and other departments will be served by the same database through a single entry point. The software will also help the GUVNL in reducing errors and save time and labour.
Rajesh Shah, the Deputy General Manager (IT), GUVNL, said, “The 23 modules in the e-Urja project are at different stages of implementation. All the relevant modules have been taken up by the subsidiary companies of GUVNL and by February 2010 all the services will be online.”
Shah said though the cost-benefit analysis of the project is yet to be carried out, this project will definitely help in diverting time and resources to innovation, problem solving and direct service to the customer.
One of the major benefits of e-Urja project being envisaged is improvement in consumer grievances mechanism. Since every complaint will be uploaded at the time of filing and will be centrally monitored, the authorities will be able to check delays in rectification, said officials. [Via]

Now, MCD Councillors Want Men To Operate Laptops

Dhirender — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 17:18:54 +0000

Given laptops as part of the civic body’s e-governance programme, councillors now want an extra Rs 5,000 a month so that they can hire a man to operate the computer.
The e-governance programme — according to the municipality’s Standing Committee chairman Vijendra Gupta — is aimed at making the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) a “paper-free office”. Not only have councillors got laptops and printers, there is demand from some to upload minutes of all Standing Committee meetings on the Net.
The irony is that very few councillors are comfortable working on the machine. In most cases, either these are being used by family members or are stacked on the shelf. A councillor said: “I don’t know how to use a laptop. If the MCD has given us one, it should also give us operators to do the work. The operators can also teach us how to use a laptop.” [Via]
Just how much of a joke can this get?

Rohtak University Goes Wi-Fi

Dhirender — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 15:50:30 +0000

Haryana’s Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) Tuesday became a completely Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity) campus with the commencement of an integrated telephony and internet system – the largest wi-fi campus in Haryana.
Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda inaugurated the facility on the university campus here.
HCL Info-systems has executed the wide area networking project.
The new integrated system provides for high-speed, high-bandwidth and optic fibre connectivity to all offices and departments of the university. Users will be able to access high internet speed, MDU officials said. [Via]