GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES INITIATIVE TO PREPARE E-READINESS REPORT
OF STATES, UTs & CENTRAL GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS ANNUALLY
NEW COMMITTEE
TO BE SET UP TO FORMULATE GUIDELINES FOR PREPARATION OF REPORT
NEXT WEEK : SHRI MAHAJAN
FIRST
E-READINESS REPORT TO BE RELEASED BY JANUARY, 2003
ELITEX-2002
INAUGURATED, TWELVE NEW INNOVATIVE IT PRODUCTS LAUNCHED
Union Minister for Parliamentary
Affairs, Communications and IT, Shri Pramod Mahajan, today announced
that a Committee under the Department of Information Technology,
Ministry of Communications and IT, would be set up by next week
to draft the guidelines and formulate the framework for preparing
India’s ‘First E-Readiness Report’. Based on internationally
accepted indices, the Report would profile the E-Readiness of
all States, UTs and Central Government Departments. The objective
of undertaking such an exercise is to present the index of development
as far as e-Readiness parameters in different States and regions
across the country. Shri Mahajan said that he hoped this exercise
would facilitate the speedy development of e-Readiness tools in
strategic sectors, departments and regions across the country.
The First Report, the Minister said, would be expected around
January, 2003. Regarding the formulation of the proposed Committee,
the Minister said it would comprise of representatives from key
Government Departments as well as leading Corporates. It was expected
that the formulation of such a Committee would identify key deliverables
in the effort to spread the prolific use of e-Readiness tools.
This was announced by Shri Pramod Mahajan while delivering the
Inaugural Address at the Inaugural ceremony of Elitex-2002 here
today.
Elaborating further, the Minister
said the two-day Conference-cum-Exhibition was extremely timely
in the context of policy initiatives undertaken by the Department
in recent years. Today, Digital Language was an important strategic
linkage not only between people, it was a key catalyst in enhancing
productivity as well as providing employment opportunities. For
a developing country like India, e-Readiness not only ensured
affordable connectivity, it was a pro-active tool for taking IT
to every doorstep in the country. Highlighting some of the crucial
decisions taken recently, Shri Mahajan said the private sector
had to play a more pro-active role in utilising the opportunities
that had come their way as a result of some recent landmark initiatives.
The Minister specifically mentioned the e-Commerce sector where
the Government had laid down all the necessary guidelines and
infrastructure to facilitate the use of e-Commerce tools. It was
now upto the industry to re-orient the business strategies to
utilise the opportunities that had come their way. Modern business
strategies in the era of the ongoing knowledge economy needed
to be transparent. Hence, the need of the hour, Shri Mahajan said
was to use e-Commerce tools prolifically and at the same time,
re-invent business strategies and opportunities towards greater
business accounting and transparency.
One of the key focus points addressed
by the Minister related to the IT policy of the country. It was
imperative to link the framework of the policy to international
standards and a truly global perspective. One should not focus
the policy to one particular country or region. Developments in
a particular region or country should not be a matter of concern
to the basic contours of our policy, the Minister said. On the
subject of international indices of studying E-Readiness across
the globe, the Minister added that ranking of different indices
and countries was not absolute. What ranking provided was a comparison.
Ranking also reflected the state of developments within a country.
Hence, the strong need to have a domestic profile of E-Readiness
within the country. Once this was achieved, international ranking
would follow favourably. The Minister also spoke of the need to
promote the culture of electronic leadership within the country
to promote the use of E-Readiness as a concept as well as a fact
of life. It was important for Departments to promote innovative
strategies for E-Readiness concept by popularising use of less
paper work, video-conferencing and promoting greater transparency.
Earlier, Secretary, Information Technology, Shri R.R. Shah gave
an overall picture of the level of E-Readiness across the globe
and highlighted the preparations that had been going on within
the Department to promote E-Readiness.
A key highlight of Elitex-2002 was
the launch of 12 innovative products by the Hon’ble Minister.
Some of the key products launched included: Chitrankan– the Optical
Character Recognition Software for Devnagri language developed
by C-DAC; the Compilation of Data on important IT Standards by
STQC; Cable Modem – For Penetration of IT and Internet which provides
access of TV and Internet on same cable developed by ERDC; Lekhika
– Platform Independent Word Processor; Collab CAD – An Advanced
CAD Software developed by NIC; Multi-Media CDs related to Cyberlaws
and related laws including IPR; CD containing Database on Open
Domain S/W Products in the area of Computer Networking and Databases;
Neuron – A Low Cost PC Thin Client/Technology for PC Systems;
Software for the Samadhan Kendra Pilot Project which includes
Decision support system for Crop Management, Pest Management and
the 1.2 MICRON CMOS Design Kit for India Chip Programme.
The two-day event will focus exclusively
on technologies, infrastructure, products, applications and innovations
related to e-Readiness in India. The two-day exposition will cover
a variety of themes such as e-Infrastructure, e-Governance/citizen,
e-Commerce and enhancing productivity through e-Initiatives. Emphasis
will be given on strategies for bridging the ‘Digital Divide’
and the use of IT for Masses. One of the key objectives of organising
the two-day Meet is to provide a platform for interaction and
deliberation between technology users and developers.
Department of Information Technology
has been funding Research Design and Development Projects in the
areas of Electronics and Information Technology at various institutions
and industry. To disseminate information about indigenous R&D
among potential users and the industry, and also to promote interaction
between industry and R&D institutions, Elitex (Electronics&IT
Exposition) is being organised since 1999.
