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IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 30th September, 2015

NATIONAL

• The Digital India initiative seeks to lay emphasis on e-governance and transform India into a digitally empowered society.
• The Department of Electronics and Information Technology (deitY) anticipates that this program will have a huge impact on the Ministry of Communication and IT
• It is to ensure that government services are available to citizens electronically.
• It will focus on providing high speedinternet services to its citizens and make services available in real time for both online and mobile platform.
• Digital India also aims to transform ease of doing business in the country.

Vision of Digital India initiative:

1. Infrastructure:The Digital India initiative has a vision to provide high speed internet services to its citizens in all gram panchayats. Bank accounts will be given priority at individual level. People will be provided with safe and secure cyber space in the country.
2. Governance and services:Government services will be available online where citizens will be ensured easy access to it. Transactions will be made easy through electronic medium.
3. Digital empowerment of citizens:This is one of the most important factors of the Digital India initiative to provide universal digital literacy and make digital sources easily accessible. The services are also provided in Indian languages for active participation.

Major projects under the initiative:

1. Manufacturing of electronics:The government is focusing on zero imports of electronics. In order to achieve this, the government aims to put up smart energy meters, micro ATMs, mobile, consumer and medical electronics.
2. Provide public access to internet: The government aims to provide internet services to 2.5 lakh villages which comprises of one in every panchayat by March 2017 and 1.5 lakh post offices in the next two years. These post offices will become Multi-Service centres for the people.
3. Highways to have broadband services:Government aims to lay national optical fibre network in all 2.5 lakh gram panchayats. Broadband for the rural will be laid by December 2016 and broadband for all urban will mandate communication infrastructure in new urban development and buildings. By March 2017, the government aims to provide nationwide information infrastructure.
4. Easy access to mobile connectivity: The government is taking steps to ensure that by 2018 all villages are covered through mobile connectivity. The aim is to increase network penetration and cover gaps in all 44,000 villages.
5. e-Governance:The government aims to improve processes and delivery of services through e-Governance with UIDAI, payment gateway, EDI and mobile platforms. School certificates, voter ID cards will be provided online. This aims for a faster examination of data.
6. IT Training for Jobs: The government aims to train around 1 crore students from small towns and villages for IT sector by 2020. Setting up of BPO sectors in North eastern states is also part of the agenda.
7. e-Kranti: This service aims to deliver electronic services to people which deals with health, education, farmers, justice, security and financial inclusion.
8. Global Information:Hosting data online and engaging social media platforms for governance is the aim of the government. Information is also easily available for the citizens. MyGov.in is a website launched by the government for a 2-way communication between citizens and the government. People can send in their suggestions and comment on various issues raised by the government, like net neutrality.
9. Early harvest programs:Government plans to set up Wi-fi facilities in all universities across the country. Email will be made the primary mode of communication. Aadhar Enabled Biometric Attendance System will be deployed in all central government offices where recording of attendance will be made online.

Connecting the dots:

• What is the vision of Digital India? How will this initiative help in transforming India?
• Will Digital India reduce the gap regarding access of information in rural and urban India? Will this make service delivery system accountable and transparent?

Corporation IT services poor, says CAG report

An Information Technology audit of Chennai Corporation reveals

• Poor delivery of services to residents,
• Incomplete e-governance system and
• Loss of revenue.

According to the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (Local Bodies) for the year ended March 31, 2014, at least 39 per cent of the complaints registered in the public grievance redressal system were treated as ‘completed’ though no action was taken.

Most of the complaints were assigned ‘completed’ status even though the Corporation failed to take action. A number of lower level officers reportedly assigned ‘completed’ status on complaints relating to civic issues made online.

The audit observed that “lack of input control caused the application software to allow the user to choose ‘completed’ without recording the redressal details.”

Following the audit observation, the Corporation has planned to take action against officials who closed the complaints without taking action.

How to increase customer satisfaction?

1. By bringing in more transparency in the system
2. By making system and state bodies more responsible and accountable
3. By setting up grievance redressal mechanism
4. By setting up time bound mechanism for the disposal of the grievance
5. By strengthening IT services and using user friendly software.

About CAG:

• CAG auditsall receipts and expenditure of the Government of India and the state governments, including those of bodies and authorities substantially financed by the government.
• The CAG is also theexternal auditor of Government-owned corporations and conducts supplementary audit of government companies, i.e., any non-banking/ non-insurance company in which the state and Union governments have an equity share of at least 51 per cent or subsidiary companies of existing government companies.
• The reports of the CAG are taken into consideration by thePublic Accounts Committees (PACs) and Committees on Public Undertakings (COPUs), which are special committees in the Parliament of India and the state legislatures.
• The CAG is also the head of the Indian Audit and Accounts Department, the affairs of which are managed by officers ofIndian Audit and Accounts Service.

Term of CAG:

Appointed for 6 years or 65 years of age, whichever is earlier.

Connecting the dots:

• Digital India can help in bringing transparency and accountability in the system? Critically comment.
• What are the reasons for not ensuring time bound and effective service delivery to customer? What steps can be taken to ensure effective service delivery mechanism?