Regulating India’s nuclear estate , for IAS mains

For the country’s nuclear energy sector plans to be effective, the government should lift the veil of opaqueness surrounding its civilian programme. The first step would be to establish an autonomous, transparent and accountable regulatory institution

The 2014 Nuclear Materials Security Index prepared by the Washington-based Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) has ranked India 23rd out of 25 countries with weapons-usable nuclear materials. While the NTI ranking has been criticised for a variety of reasons including inadequacies in its methodology, it has rightly pointed out the absence of an independent nuclear regulatory mechanism in India with the mandate to ensure that high standards of safety and security are observed in India’s civilian nuclear facilities. Even though many Indian analysts and officials dismiss the NTI ranking as being uninformed, New Delhi needs to take such criticism seriously given its long-standing desire to mainstream itself into the global nuclear order including gaining membership to key international export control cartels such as the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). Given this context, there is a need to take a critical look at the proposed Nuclear Safety Regulatory Authority.

Background to the Bill

Currently, the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), established in 1983 through a gazette notification, is tasked with regulating the safety and security aspects of the country’s civilian nuclear facilities. However, it is not an autonomous body as it depends on the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) for all practical purposes. It has, as a result, been unable to perform its regulatory functions effectively. The demand for establishing a truly autonomous nuclear regulatory authority has been a long-standing one. In 1997, the Raja Ramanna Committee report had recommended that the Atomic Energy Act (1962) should be amended to enhance the effectiveness of the nuclear regulatory system in the country. Even though the Union government, in 2000, had directed the DAE to suggest the necessary amendments to the 1962 Act, nothing substantial happened for almost a decade. Finally, it was the Mayapuri radiation accident (New Delhi) in 2010 and the Fukushima disaster (Japan) of 2011 that served as a wake-up call for the DAE.

 “Since the NSRA Bill will now have to be reintroduced in Parliament, the Department of Atomic Energy should try and accommodate the eminently useful suggestions given by the standing committee and other independent experts” 

In 2011, the Nuclear Safety Regulatory Authority (NSRA) Bill was drafted by the DAE and submitted to the Union Cabinet for approval. The DAE note that sought approval from the Cabinet to introduce the Bill in Parliament had cited both the Mayapuri and the Fukushima accidents as the factors that contributed to the urgency to strengthen the country’s nuclear regulatory mechanism. However, even the NSRA, as currently envisioned by the DAE, does not propose the establishment of a truly autonomous regulatory authority. The Bill, first introduced in the Lok Sabha in 2011, has now lapsed and will have to be reintroduced in the new Lok Sabha. Before the NSRA Bill is reintroduced in Parliament, there is a need to strengthen the powers of the regulatory authority that it proposes to set up.

CAG and Committee reports

Even as the DAE was preparing to table the NSRA Bill in Parliament, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India had undertaken a “Performance Audit on Activities of Atomic Energy Regulatory Board.” The CAG report, tabled in Parliament in August 2012, concluded that “the legal status of AERB continues to be that of an authority subordinate to the Central Government, with powers delegated to it by the latter,” and recommended to the government to “ensure that the nuclear regulator is empowered and independent. For this purpose, it should be created in law and should be able to exercise necessary authority in the setting of regulations, verification of compliance with the regulations and enforcement of the same in the cases of non-compliance.”

Following the CAG report, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament also produced a report in 2013 entitled “Activities of Atomic Energy Regulatory Board” in which it agreed with the view taken by the CAG on the functioning of the AERB. The PAC also highlighted the observation made by the “Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment and Forests” in 2012 that the NSRA lacks autonomy. The PAC, in the light of the observations made by the standing committee and the CAG, was critical of the functioning of the AERB as well as the proposed NSRA Bill and stated in its report that the “DAE should seriously re-examine the provisions of the Bill and take necessary steps urgently so as to ensure that the nuclear regulator becomes an independent and credible body at par with similar regulators in other Countries.” In other words, the NSRA Bill, as it stands today, is far from satisfactory even though the DAE has made the assurance that the Standing Committee’s recommendations would be seriously considered.

Issue of authority

The Council of Nuclear Safety to be established by the NSRA Bill — with the Prime Minister as the Chair and mostly government representatives as members — will be a very powerful body with the power to appoint the chairperson and members of the new regulatory body. This will diminish the powers of the regulator since it will be subordinate to the Council chaired by the Prime Minister. We will, as a result, end up having a government-controlled regulator all over again. The NSRA Bill is explicit on the ability of the government to control the regulator: “the Central Government may, by notification, supersede the Authority for such period, not exceeding six months, as may be specified in the notification.”

The NSRA also does not say which facilities would be put under the new authority — currently, the AERB can only oversee the civilian facilities. The Bill states that “the Central Government may, for the purposes of national defence and security, exempt any nuclear material, radioactive material, facilities, premises and activities; the premises, assets and areas associated with material and activities from the jurisdiction of the Authority.” So, the question is this: who will oversee the safety and security of the strategic facilities and programmes for which there is currently no regulatory authority? The Bill mentions that new regulatory bodies can be created to regulate the strategic programmes. The Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee had recommended the creation of other bodies to do so. However, there has not been any movement so far on that front. Another issue is the exclusion of the NSRA from the purview of RTI Act, thereby reducing the requirement for the regulator to be transparent.

This is not to say that the NSRA Bill is not an improvement from the existing AERB. Clearly, there are significant differences between the two. For one, while the AERB was set up by a government order, the new regulator will be established by an Act of Parliament, thereby making it more powerful. More so, while the AERB reported to the AEC, the new authority will not report to the AEC but will submit its report to Parliament.

Way ahead

It is unknown how many of the amendments suggested by the standing committee have been incorporated by the DAE. Since the Bill will now have to be reintroduced in Parliament, the DAE should try and accommodate the eminently useful suggestions given by the standing committee and other independent experts. The new government should encourage the DAE to carry out at least the following three amendments: one, the new regulatory body should be given complete financial, administrative and institutional autonomy from the Central government and made accountable to Parliament; two, the new regulatory body should also include persons from outside government such as scientists, civilian auditors, environmentalists and independent experts; three, given the crucial role that the NSRA will play in the years to come, the selection of its members should be done by a body comprising the Leader of the Opposition and the Speaker of the Lok Sabha.

If India’s plans to drastically expand its nuclear energy sector have to be effective, and acceptable to the people at large, it should bring the country’s civilian nuclear establishment out of the thick layers of secrecy and opaqueness within which it has traditionally operated. The first step in that direction will be to establish a genuinely autonomous, transparent and accountable institution that is capable of regulating the country’s “nuclear estate.”

The words of Professor Kiyoshi Kurokawa, who chaired the Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Commission are eminently appropriate in the Indian context as well: “What must be admitted — very painfully — is that this was a disaster ‘Made in Japan.’ Its fundamental causes are to be found in the ingrained conventions of Japanese culture: our reflexive obedience; our reluctance to question authority; our devotion to ‘sticking with the program’; our groupism; and our insularity … nuclear power became an unstoppable force, immune to scrutiny by civil society. Its regulation was entrusted to the same government bureaucracy responsible for its promotion.”

Needed, a Growth Commission for IAS-2014 MAINS

An organisation to look at the basic issues confronting the economy, and to prepare a broad framework on how long-term issues can be resolved, is still a necessity

There is a need to evaluate and restructure every organisation as circumstances change and the Planning Commission is no exception. Restructuring an organisation can be of two types. One approach takes the functions of the organisation as a given and proceeds to restructure it to make it more effective to fulfil those functions. The second approach is more fundamental. It questions the very basis of the organisation and focusses on the relevance of the basic functions it has been performing. It is the second type of restructuring that we are talking about in relation to the Planning Commission.

Relevance now

The Planning Commission has a distinguished past. Many eminent men and women have adorned the position of Deputy Chairman and Member. The question that is posed now is about its relevance in the current circumstances. The Planning Commission now performs three types of functions. First and foremost, it draws a blueprint for the country’s economic development over a five-year period. It also outlines a detailed strategy for achieving the goals and objectives enshrined in the blueprint which we call the Plan. The plan exercise outlines not only how the broad macroeconomic parameters are expected to move, but also a sector wise analysis of what needs to be done. After approval of the Five Year Plan, the Planning Commission in consultation with the Finance Ministry also determines the annual plan. The determination of the “size” of the annual plan of each State is a major exercise and has been a cause of much irritation.

 “Through a broad range of discussions, the commission should prepare a road map which will be acceptable to both the Centre and the States” 

Second, flowing from its function of determining the size of plans for States, the Planning Commission allocates funds to States, the distribution of which has again been a contentious issue.

Third, the Planning Commission has a key role in the formulation of various policies and programmes. It critically assesses the individual programmes of Ministries. Major projects are also assessed and approved by it. It is this function which resulted in a parallel unit corresponding to every Ministry being established in the Planning Commission. It would be useful to analyse which of these functions remain relevant and which of them can be discarded or transferred to other authorities within the government.

Ushering in faster growth

Planning was perceived in the 1950s as the most appropriate tool for ushering in faster economic growth. The strategy for achieving this was discussed at great length, particularly at the time of the formulation of the Second Five Year Plan. This was consistent with the thinking at that time that the state must have control over the “commanding heights.”

Times have changed. In the post-liberalisation period, the concept of planning itself has undergone a change. We have moved, at best, to an era of indicative planning. The blend of public and private investment has tilted in favour of the private sector. While planning of the type we had in the first five decades after Independence has no relevance, an organisation to look at the basic issues confronting the economy, and preparing a broad framework on how long-term issues can be resolved, is still a necessity. If there is an acceptable framework on what the critical issues are and how they should be tackled, it will provide a suitable basis for policy formulation.

While the state may play a diminishing role, it still plays a critical role in the economy. In the infrastructure sector, it still has a dominant role. If the Centre and States agree on a broad framework through discussions, it would facilitate the adoption of better policies. Such an organisation will be something more than a think tank. Through a broad range of discussions, it should prepare a road map which will be acceptable to both the Centre and the States. Thus, the task of preparing a blueprint for the country over a certain period is essential and should continue to be performed. Also, there are issues which cut across Ministries, such as energy, transport, water or environment. In terms of policy formulation, this commission can take a holistic view and offer advice.

The second function of allocating resources among States is somewhat debatable. There is a strong view that the Finance Commission is the appropriate constitutional authority for allocating resources. Of course, the Planning Commission has also been following a formula for allotting funds among States but the quantum of transfer of funds through this mechanism has been diminishing. Much larger funds from the Centre flowed through the centrally sponsored schemes and this was performance-based. Given the States’ aversion, it may be best that this function is fully entrusted to the Finance Commission.

The third function of evaluating projects and giving approval has also raised many controversies. The Ministries regard the implementation of projects as their prime responsibility and very often consider the Planning Commission as a hindrance.

While having a ‘second look’ is always an advantage, leaving this task entirely to the Ministry seems appropriate. The Planning Commission has been looking at restructuring itself. In fact, the Committee on Public Expenditure Management, of which I was the Chairman, had made the point that the distinction between plan expenditure and non-plan expenditure should go, and the Planning Commission should take a comprehensive look at public expenditure in the key sectors. The result of making a distinction between plan and non-plan expenditures has been that we have had situations of hospitals without doctors and schools without teachers because one is treated as plan and the other as non-plan. In fact, within the present structure of the Planning Commission, the federal element could have been enhanced, if, besides Central Ministers, some Chief Ministers were also included as members. This would have given it a national character.

The current practice of “approval” by the National Development Council has also not been satisfactory. Even when some Chief Ministers differed on the strategy, very few changes were made. At the end of a long day of discussions, the plan is taken as approved.

A task that must continue

As we move ahead, there are critical problems facing the economy. Ensuring a faster rate of economic growth with equity is not an easy task. Environmental considerations have emerged as a serious concern. Therefore, an integrated look at the problems faced by the country over a five-year period is very much required. Thus, the need for an organisation for formulating ideas on how to shape the economy over a certain time frame will be helpful. This was the task which the Planning Commission was performing with some success and this must continue.

If the word “planning” is reminiscent of an earlier period, it may be substituted by “development” or “growth.” The other two functions performed by the Planning Commission now can be delegated to other authorities in the government. The allocation function can go to the Finance Commission and project evaluation can be taken care of by strengthening the Ministries. Thus, a National Development Commission or Growth Commission, which is charged with a mandate to prepare a blueprint with goals and objectives to be achieved over a defined period, may still be the need of the hour. This document can then be discussed by the National Development Council, a political body.

75 per cent of world's extremely poor people live in rural areas: Icrisat

John Kerin AM, chair of the Crawford Fund and former Australian national Minister for Primary Industries and Energy, has been appointed 'International Ambassador of Goodwill' for the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (Icrisat).

This is a role that recognizes that 75% of the world's extremely poor people live in the rural areas and are dependent on agriculture, and so the best way to overcome poverty is to make farming profitable. The recognition was conferred to him by the ICRISAT director-general Dr William Dar at the annual Crawford Fund Parliamentary Conference on food security.

As an ICRISAT Ambassador of Goodwill, Mr Kerin has agreed to champion the need for science-based solutions for farming in the fight against poverty, hunger, malnutrition and environmental degradation.

"I'm very pleased to take on the role as an ICRISAT Ambassador of Goodwill, to help support their important work. I well-remember my visit to ICRISAT in India some years back. Not only does their research improve the lives of the poor, it is also helping farmers in Australia," said Mr Kerin.

"We cannot be any prouder of all our Ambassadors of Goodwill, who include Mr Bill Gates and Prof MS Swaminathan," said Dr Dar.

"The drylands are also the producers of the new Smart Foods - foods that are not only good for you but also good for the environment because of their low usage of water and other inputs, as well as being lifesavers for the rural poor who have few other options. Crops like millets are less known but are hailed to be the next quinoa and the new Smart Food," Dr Dar continued.

"Through our Ambassadors, we can further spread the word on crops like millets and legumes that have triple benefits of being highly nutritious, good for the planet, and play an important role in overcoming poverty and malnutrition in poor areas," he added.

John Kerin is the Chair of the Crawford Fund, a non-profit non-government organization that works to raise awareness of the benefits to Australia and to developing countries from international agricultural research. He has been the national Minister for Primary Industries (1983-1987), Minister for Primary Industries and Energy (1987-1991), Minister for Transport and Communications (1991), Minister for Trade and Overseas Development (1991-1993), and Treasurer (1991).

The ICRISAT Ambassadors of Goodwill program was launched in May 2013 with the acceptance of Mr Bill Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to become the first Ambassador during his visit to the ICRISAT global headquarters.

Mr Bill Gates has since been joined by Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, renowned scientist and 11th President of India; Rt. Hon. James Bolger, former Prime Minister of New Zealand; Dr Akinwumi Adesina, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Nigeria; Dr Nigel Poole, former Chair, ICRISAT Governing Board; Professor MS Swaminathan, renowned agricultural scientist and Father of India's Green Revolution; and Ms Saina Nehwal, Olympic medalist, ace badminton player and youth icon of India, as ICRISAT Ambassadors.

Dr Dar is an invited speaker at this year's Crawford Fund conference, an annual event which holds a key place in the development and food security calendar in Australia. This year's theme "Ethics, Efficiency and Food Security: Feeding The 9 Billion, Well" focused on a range of vital issues facing the developing world and Australia in efforts to produce more food in an ethical and efficient way.

Universal Health Assurance to galvanise Health Care sector

Dr Harsh Vardhan tells CII to prepare for “next revolution”

Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Health Minister, has stated that India’s health care sector is set for unprecedented growth as Shri Narendra Modi government’s Universal Health Assurance (UHA) programme will cause an explosion of demand by making medical treatment affordable for the millions who have been excluded for the past seven decades by prohibitive costs. UHA is in the process of being finalised and will be presented to the nation within the current financial year, the Minister disclosed at the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)’s 8th Health Insurance Summit, here today. “I have set up committees comprising the best possible academic, administrative and technical experts on public health, institutional strengths and weaknesses and, above all, health insurance. Their interim reports are with me and I can disclose at this stage that the future indeed looks good,” he added. The health care sector of India is already growing at a CAGR of about 15 percent since 2011 and is today worth about $ 80-85 billion. Independent projections have put the turn-of-decade size in the region of $ 150 billion. But this could have been under-estimation as UHA was not factored in, he said. “For instance, I am talking about 50 free essential drugs for all, which means demand on an unimaginable scale. What does this mean for India’s pharmaceutical companies? Will they be able to cope given their present, limited capacity utilisation? I ask them to tighten their belts if they want a share of the coming boom because the government will not compromise on quality standards and transparency,” the Minister said. Apart from free drugs, there will be government paid-up health insurance cover for the poor and competitively premiumed health insurance for all. The private sector hospitals and clinics will benefit from far larger volumes than at present, thereby leading to massive spinoffs in terms of business and employment, the Minister stated. Already private hospitals and nursing homes are welcoming patients covered by the Rashtriya Swastha Bima Yojana (RSBY) because government backed insurance is translating into higher footfalls. Once UHA kicks in, the implications will be much more salutary, the Health Minister said. Dr Harsh Vardhan said, “I believe that India’s health sector will see the same revolution as the one witnessed in mobile telephony in the early 2000s. Back then it was Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee government’s bold decision to make incoming calls free which kick-started it. Industry contributed by introducing the pre-paid system for small subscribers. Now it will be Shri Narendra Modi’s UHA which will transform the health sector resulting in wide social and economic benefits. I invite you all to come aboard.” The Health Minister said that just as millions of new jobs were thrown open by the mobile telephone revolution, the health care boom will stimulate a huge downstream. The MSME sector will be given special advantages because government will become the biggest marketplace for buying and selling of health care goods and services, he said. He cautioned the private sector of the high benchmarks for transparency, quality and consumer protection in the evolving UHA. At the same time, the government is aware of its own responsibilities, he said. “The Information Technology component in UHA will be so strong and tamper-proof that corruption and sleaze will be absolutely impossible. The consumer, i.e. the patient, will be treated as king. Anti-competitive practices and consumer rights violation will be dealt with through a regulatory body,” he stated. One of the biggest challenges, Dr Harsh Vardhan observed, would be to keep up the supply of doctors and technical personnel. The present doctor to population ratio -1:1700- needs to be improved. A great number of technical personnel in diagnostics, radiology, etc. are also necessary, he said. “The expansion of the health sector will be felt in Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) as well. The 21st century belongs to holistic medicine and I intend making AYUSH a way of life because most of the ailments with which people report to doctors can easily be treated by these forms of therapy. I have already formed a committee to suggest steps for expansion of holistic health care through development of protocols,” Dr Harsh Vardhan said. The Minister disclosed that the government has already firmed up plans to give medical education a fillip. As far as possible existing district hospitals all over India would be provided with funds to add medical colleges to their campuses, he said. “Please be patient and prepare for the coming explosion of business and jobs,” was Dr Harsh Vardhan’s advice. “We cannot hope to have Health for All without a social movement at its core. Let government and private sector pool synergies and make making people healthy good business.” He said that Shri Narendra Modi government was swept to power because the people believed it could come out with out-of-the-box solutions for India’s problems. The health care sector is poised to be the stage of the inter-play of government-people-corporate interests, all motivated by the urge to make India a healthy nation, he said. “In January 2014, we were declared a polio free country. When I first tried the pulse polio project in the early 1990s, many thought I was overreaching myself considering the logistics of that era. This time I am attempting something which is more possible than eradicating polio,” Dr Harsh Vardhan added.

Prime Minister to Launch Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana Tomorrow: To Dedicate Mobile Banking Facility on Basic Mobile Phones to the Nation

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi will launch the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) tomorrow at a function in the national capital. On this occasion, an exhibition on Technology and Financial Literacy will be organized. The Prime Minister will visit this exhibition. A film on ‘Financial Inclusion’ will also be screened. The Prime Minister will unveil a Logo and a Mission Document on Financial Inclusion.  He will also distribute awards to the winners of the Logo contest and the ‘account opening kit’ to five beneficiaries on this occasion. He will dedicate the mobile banking facility on the basic mobile phone (USSD) to the nation.                     The Union Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley, Minister of State for Finance, Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Cabinet Secretary and Governor, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will be present on this occasion among other dignitaries. Under PMJDY, Comprehensive Financial Inclusion based is proposed be achieved under the six pillars as under: Phase I (15th August ,2014-14th August,2015)- v     Universal access to banking facilities v     Providing Basic Banking Accounts with overdraft facility of Rs.5000 after six months and RuPay Debit card with inbuilt accident insurance cover of Rs. 1 lakh and RuPay Kisan Card v      Financial Literacy Programme Phase II (15th August 2015-15th August,2018)- v     Creation of Credit  Guarantee Fund   for coverage of defaults in overdraft  A/Cs v     Micro Insurance v     Unorganized sector Pension schemes like  Swavlamban In addition, in this phase, coverage of households in hilly, tribal and difficult areas would be carried out. Moreover, this phase would focus on coverage of remaining adults in the households and students. ·        All the rural & semi urban areas of the country is proposed to be mapped into Sub Service Area (SSA) comprising 1000-1500 households with an average 3-4 villages with relaxation in NE/ Hilly states. ·        It is also proposed that looking to the viability of each centre around 74000 villages with population more than 2000 which were covered by Business Correspondents under Swabhiman Campaign will be considered for conversion into full fledged Brick & Mortar branches with staff strength of 1+1/1+2 in the next three years. ·        All the 6 lakh villages across the entire country are to be mapped according to the Service Area of each Bank to have at least one fixed point Banking outlet catering to 1000 to 1500 households, called as Sub Service Area (SSA). It is proposed that SSAs shall be covered through a combination of banking outlets i.e branch banking and branch less banking. Branch banking means traditional Brick & Mortar branches.Branchless banking comprises of fixed point Business Correspondents agents, who act as representative of Bank to provide basic banking services. ·        The implementation strategy of the plan is to utilize the existing banking infrastructure as well as expand the same to cover all households. While the existing banking network would be fully geared up to open bank accounts of the uncovered households in both rural and urban areas, the banking sector would also be expanding itself to set up an additional 50,000 Business correspondents (BCs), more than 7000 branches and more than 20000 new ATMs in the first phase . ·        The comprehensive plan is necessary considering the learnings from the past where a large number of accounts opened remained dormant, resulting in costs incurred for banks and no benefits to the beneficiaries. v     The plan, therefore, proposes to channel all Government benefits (from Centre/State/Local body) to the beneficiaries to such accounts and pushing the Direct Benefits Transfer (DBT) scheme of the Union Government including restarting the DBT in LPG scheme. MGNREGS sponsored by Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD, GoI) is also likely to be included in Direct Benefit Transfer scheme. ·        Keeping the stiff targets in mind, in the first phase, the plan would focus on first three pillars in the first year starting from 15th August, 2014. ·        The target for setting up additional 50,000 BCs is quite challenging given the constraints of telecom connectivity. ·         In order to achieve this plan, phase wise and State wise targets for Banks have been set up for Banks for the period 15th August, 2014 to 14th August, 2015.  ·        In order to achieve a “demand” side pull effect, it would be essential that there is Branding  and awareness of Business Correspondent model for providing basic banking services, Banking Products available at BC outlets and RuPay Cards. A media plan for the same is being worked out in consultation with banks. ·        A Project Management Consultant/Group would be engaged to help the Department implement the plan. ·        It is proposed to launch the programme simultaneously at National level in Delhi, at every State capital and all district headquarters. ·        A web-portal would be created for reporting/monitoring of progress. ·        Roles of various stakeholders like other Departments of the Central Government, State Governments, RBI, NABARD, NPCI and others have been indicated. ·        Gram Dak Sewaks in rural areas are proposed as Business Correspondent of Banks. ·        Department of Telecom has been requested to ensure that problems of poor and no connectivity are resolved. They have informed that of the 5.93 lakh inhabited villages in the country (2011 census) only about 50,000 villages are not covered with Telecom connectivity.

Bharat Domain Name

The National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) has announced that .IN Registry has launched the Bharat domain name (भारत written in Devanagari script). It was launched by Minister for Communications and Information and Law and Justice, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad today at a function held here. Speaking at the function the minister said, most of the future expansion of the internet is going to come from Asia, Africa and the developing world. Local languages, content and culture will increasingly become important themes for the future expansion of the internet, he said, while adding that Mobile devices and applications as well as social media will be important determinants of this growth. The minister said that e-commerce is going to bring in revolutionary changes in the economic activities of rural India. It will not only generate new jobs but also create large number of business opportunities for all sections of populations in rural India. He said Digital India project aiming to offer a one-stop shop for government services and would use the mobile phone as the backbone of its delivery mechanism. Digital India promises to transform India into a connected knowledge economy offering world-class services at the click of a mouse and will be implemented in a phased manner. The government’s Rs 1.13 lakh crore initiative would also attract investment in electronics manufacturing, create millions of jobs and support trade, the minister said. The plans to digitally connect the entire country will be supported by 20- and 40-hour modules on digital literacy in regional languages, which the government plans to run over the next few years. The government is bringing the open access to "broadband highways" across cities, towns and villages would also give a fillip to trade across the country. The minister unveiled the portal containing a few .भारत based popular domain names by cutting the ribbon electronically through the computer mouse. Since the same .भारत ccTLD is shared by other Indian languages such as Boro, Dogri, Konkani, Maithili, Marathi, Nepali and Sindhi-Devanagari, the end user can now get domain names in these languages apart from Hindi. The sunrise period for the same has commenced from August 15, 2014. This is soon to be followed in the coming months by similar launches in regional languages such as Tamil, Gujarati, Punjabi, Urdu, Telugu and Bangala etc. NIXI has been spearheading the goal of multilingual Internet and to this end NIXI has collaborated with Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) in setting up of an expert team on Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs).This is expected to enhance the reach and relevance of Internet for remote and far flung villages, further bridging the digital divide.

State IT Ministers Conference on “Digital India”

The Union Minister of Communications & Information Technology and Law & Justice, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad chaired a conference of IT Ministers and IT Secretaries of States / UTs on 26.8.2014 to discuss the ‘Digital India’ programme. IT Ministers from 10 states, namely Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Goa, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Orissa, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh participated in the conference. IT Secretaries and senior officials from the IT Department from 33 States/UTs also participated in the conference. ‘Digital India’ is a new initiative of Government of India, to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. The focus is on being transformative to realize that Indian Talent (IT) + Information Technology (IT) = India Tomorrow (IT). ‘Digital India’ is an Umbrella Programme that covers multiple Govt. Ministries and Departments. It weaves together a large number of ideas and thoughts into a single, comprehensive vision so that each of them is seen as part of a larger goal. Digital India programme is to be coordinated by DeitY and implemented by the entire Government. The vision of ‘Digital India’ is centred on three key areas namely, Digital Infrastructure as a Utility to Every Citizen, Governance & Services on Demand and Digital Empowerment of Citizens. Digital Infrastructure as a utility to every citizen includes availability of high speed internet as a core utility for delivery of services to citizens, cradle to grave digital          identity that is unique, lifelong, online and authenticable to every citizen, mobile phone & bank account enabling citizen participation in digital & financial space, easy access to a Common Service Centre, shareable private space on a public cloud and safe & secure cyber-space. Governance & Services on Demand includes seamlessly integrated services across departments or jurisdictions, availability of services in real time from online & mobile platforms, all citizen entitlements to be available on the cloud, digitally transformed services for improving ease of doing business, making financial transactions electronic & cashless and leveraging GIS for decision support systems & development. Digital Empowerment of Citizens includes universal digital literacy, accessible digital resources universally, availability of digital resources / services in Indian languages, collaborative digital platforms for participative governance and portability of all entitlements through cloud. Citizens would not be required to produce Government documents or certificates, etc. in physical form. Digital India comprises nine pillars, viz. Broadband Highways, Universal Access to Mobile Connectivity, Public Internet Access Programme, e-Governance: Reforming Government through Technology, e-Kranti - Electronic Delivery of Services, Information for All, Electronics Manufacturing, IT for Jobs and Early Harvest Programmes. Each of these components is a complex programme in itself and cuts across multiple Government Ministries and Departments. The Digital India Programme pulls together many existing schemes, which will be restructured and re-focused in terms of enhancing the scope, leveraging emerging technologies like cloud, mobile etc, focusing on transformational process reengineering and process improvements, undertaking interoperable and integrated service delivery based on standards and will be implemented in a synchronized manner. Digital India will also enhance the portfolio of “Made in India” electronic devices, products & services and will create job opportunities for our youths within the country. The deliberations and interactions during the conference were very participative and useful in informing the participants about various aspects of implementation of the Digital India programme. All the IT ministers from states present at the conference made very useful interventions and participated actively in the discussions. Secretary, Department of Electronics & Information Technology; Secretary and Additional Secretary, Department of Telecommunications and various senior officers of the Ministry of Communications & Information Technology addressed the participants. This conference would enable better coordination between Centre and States to achieve the vision of ‘Digital India’ and digitally empower the country through ICT & e-Governance.