Digital India

Government of India has approved the ‘Digital India’ programme with the vision to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. Digital India is an umbrella programme that covers multiple Government Ministries and Departments. It weaves together a large number of ideas and thoughts into a single, comprehensive vision so that each of them can be implemented as part of a larger goal. Each individual element stands on its own, but is also part of the entire Government. Digital India is implemented by the entire Government and being coordinated by the Department of Electronics & Information Technology (DeitY).

The vision of Digital India is centred on three key areas, viz., (i) Infrastructure as a Utility to Every Citizen (ii) Governance and Services on Demand and (iii) Digital Empowerment of Citizens.  Digital India aims to provide the much needed thrust to the following nine pillars of growth areas as summarised below:

Broadband Highways

·  This covers three sub components, namely Broadband for All Rural, Broadband for All Urban and National Information Infrastructure.

·  Under Broadband for All Rural, 250 thousand village Panchayats would be covered by December, 2016. DoT will be the nodal Department and the project cost is estimated to be approximately Rs. 32,000 Cr.

·  Under Broadband for All Urban, Virtual Network Operators would be leveraged for service delivery and communication infrastructure in new urban development and buildings would be mandated.

·  National Information Infrastructure would integrate the networks like SWAN, NKN and NOFN along with cloud enabled National and State Data Centres. It will also have provision for horizontal connectivity to 100, 50, 20 and 5 government offices/ service outlets at state, district, block and panchayat levels respectively. DeitY will be the nodal department and the project cost is estimated to be around Rs 15,686 Cr for implementation in 2 years and maintenance & support for 5 years.

Universal Access to Mobile Connectivity

·  The initiative is to focus on network penetration and fill the gaps in connectivity in the country.

·  All together 42,300 uncovered villages will be covered for providing universal mobile connectivity in the country.

·  DoT will be the nodal department and project cost will be around Rs 16,000 Cr during FY 2014-18.

Public Internet Access Programme

·  The two sub components of Public Internet Access Programme are Common Service Centres and Post Offices as multi-service centres.

·  Common Service Centres would be strengthened and its number would be increased from approximately 135,000 operational at present to 250,000 i.e. one CSC in each Gram Panchayat. CSCs would be made viable, multi-functional end-points for delivery of government and business services. DeitY would be the nodal department to implement the scheme.

·  A total of 150,000 Post Offices are proposed to be converted into multi service centres. Department of Posts would be the nodal department to implement this scheme.

e-Governance – Reforming Government through Technology

·  Government Business Process Re-engineering using IT to improve transactions is the most critical for transformation across government and therefore needs to be implemented by all ministries/ departments.

·   The guiding principles for reforming government through technology are:

a.    Form simplification and field reduction – Forms should be made simple and user friendly and only minimum and necessary information should be collected.

b.    Online applications, tracking of their status and interface between departments should be provided.

c.     Use of online repositories e.g. school certificates, voter ID cards, etc. should be mandated so that citizens are not required to submit these documents in physical form.

d.    Integration of services and platforms, e.g. UIDAI, Payment Gateway, Mobile Platform, Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) etc. should be mandated to facilitate integrated and interoperable service delivery to citizens and businesses.

·       Electronic Databases – all databases and information should be electronic and not manual.

·       Workflow Automation Inside Government – The workflow inside government departments and agencies should be automated to enable efficient government processes and also to allow visibility of these processes to the citizens.

·       Public Grievance Redressal - IT should be used to automate, respond and analyze data to identify and resolve persistent problems. These would be largely process improvements.

e-Kranti (NeGP 2.0) – Electronic delivery of services

·  There are 31 Mission Mode Projects under different stages of e-governance project lifecycle. Further, 10 new MMPs have been added to e-Kranti by the Apex Committee on National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) headed by the Cabinet Secretary in its meeting held on 18th March 2014.

·  Technology for Education – e-Education

All Schools will be connected with broadband.  Free wifi will be provided in all secondary and higher secondary schools (coverage would be around 250,000 schools). A programme on digital literacy would be taken up at the national level. MOOCs –Massive Online Open Courses shall be developed and leveraged for e-Education.

·  Technology for Health – e-Healthcare

E-Healthcare would cover online medical consultation, online medical records, online medicine supply, pan-India exchange for patient information. Pilots shall be undertaken in 2015 and full coverage would be provided in 3 years.

·  Technology for Farmers

This would facilitate farmers to get real time price information, online ordering of inputs and online cash, loan and relief payment with mobile banking.

a.  Technology for Security

Mobile based emergency services and disaster related services would be provided to citizens on real time basis so as to take precautionary measures well in time and minimize loss of lives and properties.

b. Technology for Financial Inclusion

Financial Inclusion shall be strengthened using Mobile Banking, Micro-ATM program and CSCs/ Post Offices.

c.  Technology for Justice

Interoperable Criminal Justice System shall be strengthened by leveraging e-Courts, e-Police, e-Jails and e-Prosecution.

d. Technology for Planning

National GIS Mission Mode Project would be implemented to facilitate GIS based decision making for project planning, conceptualization, design and development. 

e. Technology for Cyber Security

National Cyber Security Co-ordination Center would be set up to ensure safe and secure cyber-space within the country.

Information for All

·  Open Data platform and online hosting of information & documents would facilitate open and easy access to information for citizens.

·  Government shall pro-actively engage through social media and web based platforms to inform citizens. MyGov.in has already been launched as a medium to exchange ideas/ suggestions with Government. It will facilitate 2-waycommunication between citizens and government.

·  Online messaging to citizens on special occasions/programs would be facilitated through emails and SMSes.

·  The above would largely utilise existing infrastructure and would need limited additional resources.

Electronics Manufacturing – Target NET ZERO Imports

·  Target NET ZERO Imports is a striking demonstration of intent.

·  This ambitious goal requires coordinated action on many fronts

a.    Taxation, incentives

b.    Economies of scale, eliminate cost disadvantages

c.     Focus areas – Big Ticket Items

FABS, Fab-less design, Set top boxes, VSATs, Mobiles, Consumer & Medical Electronics, Smart Energy meters, Smart cards, micro-ATMs

d.    Incubators, clusters

e.    Skill development

f.  Government procurement

·  There are many ongoing programs which will be fine-tuned.

·  Existing structures are inadequate to handle this goal and need strengthening.

IT for Jobs

·  1 Cr students from smaller towns & villages will be trained for IT sector jobs over     5 years. DeitY would be the nodal department for this scheme.

·  BPOs would be set up in every north-eastern state to facilitate ICT enabled growth in these states. DeitY would be the nodal department for this scheme.

·  3 lakh service delivery agents would be trained as part of skill development to run viable businesses delivering IT services. DeitY would be the nodal department for this scheme.

·  5 lakh rural workforce would be trained by the Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) to cater to their own needs. Department of Telecom (DoT) would be the nodal department for this scheme.

Early Harvest Programmes

·  IT Platform for Messages

A Mass Messaging Application has been developed by DeitY that will cover elected representatives and all Government employees. 1.36 Cr mobiles and 22 Lakh emails are part of the database.

·   Government Greetings to be e-Greetings

Basket of e-Greetings templates have been made available. Crowd sourcing of          e-Greetings through MyGov platform has been ensured. E-Greetings portal has been made live on 14th  August 2014. 

·   Biometric attendance

It will cover all Central Govt. Offices in Delhi and is already operational in DeitY and has been initiated in the Department of Urban Development. On-boarding has also started in other departments.

·  Wi-Fi in All Universities

All universities on the National Knowledge Network (NKN) shall be covered under this scheme. Ministry of HRD is the nodal ministry for implementing this scheme.

·  Secure Email within Government

a.    Email would be the primary mode of communication.

b.    Phase-I upgradation for 10 lakh employees has been completed. In Phase II, infrastructure would be further upgraded to cover 50 lakh employees by March 2015 at a cost of Rs 98 Cr. DeitY is the nodal department for this scheme.

·  Standardize Government Email Design

Standardised templates for Government email are under preparation and would be ready by October 2014. This would be implemented by DeitY.

·  Public Wi-fi hotspots

Cities with population of over 1 million and tourist centres would be provided with public wi-fi hotspots to promote digital cities. The scheme would be implemented by DoT and MoUD.

·  School Books to be eBooks

All books shall be converted into eBooks. Min. of HRD/ DeitY would be the nodal agencies for this scheme.

·  SMS based weather information, disaster alerts

SMS based weather information and disaster alerts would be provided. DeitY’s Mobile Seva Platform is already ready and available for this purpose. MoES (IMD) / MHA (NDMA) would be the nodal organizations for implementing this scheme.

·  National Portal for Lost & Found children

a.         This would facilitate real time information gathering and sharing on the lost and found children and would go a long way to check crime and improve timely response.

b.    DeitY/ DoWCD would be the nodal departments for this project.

       Some of the aforementioned projects are under various stages of implementation and may require some transformational process reengineering, refinements and adjustment of scoping and implementation strategy to achieve the desired service level objectives by the concerned line Ministries/Departments at the Central, State and Local Government levels.

Good Governance Initiatives

Abolition of affidavits and adoption of self certification

DARPG endeavours to simplify administrative procedures and make governance citizen-centric. In this context, the central Ministries/Departments and States/UTs have been requested to review the existing requirement of documents attested by Gazetted officers or affidavits in various forms in a phased manner, wherever feasible. This is to be replaced by self-certification.

As a result of constant efforts by the Department, 24 State Governments/UTs and 41 Central Ministries/Departments have reportedly taken appropriate action already.

The Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances and United Nations Development Programme joint collaborative project “Strengthening Public Administration and Governance”:

(i)         The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme is implementing the joint collaborative project “Strengthening Public Administration and Governance” for the period 2013-2017 under Country Programme Action Plan (CPAP).    The Project aims to address the following development challenges or gaps:

(a)    The changing environment, rising aspirations of the people, to seek greater accountability and improved efficiency and effectiveness and changing role of the Government necessitate administrative reforms in India, in tune with the rapid development of the country.  There is also a need for associated simplification of rules and procedures, business process re-engineering and change management.

(b)   While Indian states and district governments have come up with innovative solutions and have implemented best practices in public service delivery and public administration, including through the use of ICT and e-governance, these experiences have not been documented in a systematic manner. As a result, states don’t benefit and learn from such experiences of other states.

(c)    Currently, there are hardly any analytical studies that attempt to highlight factors responsible for poor service delivery that impinge on development and social indicators for the marginalized people. Similarly, there is no documentation or analysis as to why some best practices that were rewarded or recognized a few years back have disappeared, or have degenerated without making any permanent impact on administrative productivity.

(ii)        The Project conceives the following strategies for addressing the above mentioned challenges / gaps described in the Project document:

·         Changes in attitudes and access to decision making through awareness raising, brokering, convening.

·         Changes in policies, plans, budgets and legislation through support to national assessment, planning, budgeting, policy making.

·         Changes in the lives of individuals and communities through implementation for inclusive development.

(iii)       The specific strategies to be adopted to achieve the targets are as below:

·         Carrying out cross-sectoral studies on the desired goals in government programmes with a view to improve outcomes and to suggest measures that would improve the targets in such programmes, especially in UN-focussed.

·         Evidence-based national and International best practices are available to GOI and State Governments for strengthening public administration and governance.

·         Adaptation and replication of best practices within states and in other states.

·         Demonstrating innovative e-governance and m-governance initiatives that enhance efficiency in public administration and management.

(iv)       The possible improvements in the capacities of institutions, individuals and systems that will occur as a result of this Project are:

·         Improve capabilities of institutions and individuals responsible for public administration and governance

·         Deeper understanding of administrators on factors that contribute to success or failure of service delivery under government programmes

·         Increased cooperation in the area of Public Administration globally including the South-South Context.

(v)        As part of this on-going Project, an “International Symposium on Excellence in Public Service / Public Administration” was successfully conducted in New Delhi during 7-9 October, 2014.  The major objectives of the International Symposium were (i)  to foster spirit of excellence in Public Administration;  (ii) to acknowledge, disseminate and learn from the innovative practices and extraordinary achievements in improving public administration and governance. Around 23 countries participated and made presentations on Award winning best practices in international public administration reforms and best practices in governance, including e-governance and m-governance.

            Around 200 Indians have also participated in the same.

(vi)       A Case Study Workshop was also organised from 21^st to 23^rd August, 2014 followed by concluding session on 31^st October & 1^st November, 2014.  The objective of the Workshop on Case Studies was to build capacity in developing / teaching case studies and develop case studies of international standard on some of the award winning best practices in India, to facilitate its replication. An eminent expert in Public Policy and Government at Georgetown University, Prof. R. Kent Weaver, had been engaged for this purpose.  Five cases have been developed in the Case Study Workshop.

(vii)      The Annual Work Plan, 2015 is under finalization.

Public Grievances

            The front end of PG portal for lodging grievances by citizen has been improved by providing more options to the petitioner who can now upfront select whether it is public or pensioners grievances. Grievances relating to subject matter handled by Directorate of Public Grievances can be directly lodged to them by the petitioner on the pgportal. The petitioner in case he or she is not aware of the authority to whom it should be forwarded can now select NOT KNOWN (earlier it was in dropdown) upfront and by default it would come to DARPG.

“e-Office” Mission Mode Project

(i)         INTRODUCTION

            The Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances (DAR&PG) has been entrusted the role to promote e-Governance activities in consonance with the overall national objectivities and priorities. This task mainly involves conceptualization and overall coordination for governance related issues in collaboration with Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DEITy) for technical expertise.                                   

            DARPG has prepared and circulated reports to all Central Government Ministries on Change Management for eGovernance projects and Business Process Re-engineering for eGovernance projects.

            DAR&PG has formulated a generic document on Business Process Reengineering named GPAF as envisaged in National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) and 11th report of 2nd ARC. Government Process Architecting Framework (GPAF) provides a detailed systematic guide for conducting Business Process Reengineering in Central Government Organizations and optimize delivery of services.   

            DAR&PG had also issued Government of India Guidelines for Government Websites (GIGW) in 2009. In line with new developments,  DAR&PG is updating the same.

            NeGP (since merged with Digital India Programme) was approved by Cabinet in May 2006. E-Office is one of the Mission Mode Project (MMP) under Central Government category of NeGP jointly formulated by DEITY and DARPG. , DAR&PG is the Line Department (Nodal Department)  for  e-office Mission Mode Project(MMP). NIC is the technology partner.

         ‘e-Office’ aims at creating an office environment that minimizes the use of paper documents and files, and by streamlining office workflow helps reduce process delays.  Its main objectives are:

• To improve efficiency, consistency and effectiveness of government responses
• To reduce turnaround time and to meet the demands of the citizens charter
• To provide for effective resource management to improve the quality of administration
• To establish transparency and accountability
• To provide cost effective e-storage facility
• To make office environment friendly and eco-friendly

(ii)           e-Office product developed by NIC presently consists of the following:

• File Management System(eFile) - Automates the processing of files and receipts.
• Knowledge Management System (KMS) - Acts as a centralized repository of various documents such as acts, policies and guidelines.
• Leave Management System (eLeave) - Automates the leave application and approval process.
• Tour Management System (eTour) - Automates employee tour programmes. 
• Personnel Information System (PIS) - Manages employee records.
• Collaboration and Messaging Services (CAMS) & ndash for internal collaboration & messaging. 

            The ‘eOffice’  project was launched in 2011-12 in  phases with Phase-I started in 12 Ministries/Departments. Phase-II was started in 2012-13 and implemented in 5 Ministries/Departments. Phase-III was launched in 2013-14 and being implemented  in 7 Ministries/Departments.

             DAR&PG has prepared the Master e-Governance Training Plan (MeTP), which has been implemented in NeGP implementing Ministries/ Departments in 2013-14. Master e-Governance Training Plan (MeTP) intends to build the capacity of central government employees for implementing e-Governance projects. Major proficiency tracks covered are Business Process Re-engineering (BPR), Project Management, Change Management, etc. Training of     Group-1(SO/Asst and equiv), Group-2(US/DS/Director and equiv) and Group-3(JS and equiv) levels are  being conducted by National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) and NIC.

             Digitization of records has been undertaken on priority and more than 700 files have been digitized in DARPG.

            DARPG has already implemented e-Office programme. The Department has switched over to e-Leave, e-GPF application, File Tracking System(FTS) and Knowledge Management System(KMS)

“Swavlamban” - The Mantra for Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities

The Department of Disability Affairs was created in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment on May 12,2012 to ensure greater  focus on policy matters to effectively address disability issues and to act as a nodal Department for  greater coordination among stakeholders, organizations, State Governments and related Central Ministries.  According to the Notification dated December9, 2014 the Department has been renamed as Department of  Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.

The Department envisions an inclusive society where equal opportunities are provided for the  growth and development of persons with disabilities to lead a productive, safe and dignified life.  To this end the Department strives to create an accessible barrier free environment for PwDs and also for their empowerment through legislation, policies, programmes and schemes.  Financial assistance for creating a barrier free environment under SIPDA Scheme; Financial assistance for purchase of aids and appliances for PwDs under ADIP Scheme; Physical rehabilitation: Services like early detection and intervention, counseling and medical rehabilitation, Research and Development for technological advancement; Educational empowerment; Social empowerment; Development of rehabilitation professionals/personnel; Advocacy and  awareness generation are steps taken in this direction.

Shri Pranab Mukherjee, President of India during his address on the occasion of International Day for the Disabled Persons on 3^rd December, 2014 had said that education was one of the key instruments for empowering Persons with Disabilities. The President further added that children with disabilities should have access to educational opportunities that will enable them to equally compete for gainful employment and lead a life of dignity.

Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, in his message has saluted the indomitable spirit of those with disability and had urged the people to work together to create a better world for them.  “Let us all work together to create a world where Persons with Disabilities can scale new heights of success without any obstacles,” the Prime Minister tweeted from his personal account.  On the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, he saluted persons with disabilities and hailed them as “heroes”.  Today is a day to pledge our commitment towards our unwavering support to Persons with Disabilities and ensuring equal opportunities for them.

The Secretary-General of United Nations, Mr. Ban Ki-moon has called for efforts to ensure that the technology of the 21^st century is accessible to Persons with Disabilities so that critical information can reach them.  

Shri Thaawar Chand Gehlot Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment has been steering the Department with immense vigour under the overall leadership of the Prime Minister to realize the goal of inclusion of PwDs in the mainstream development process under the “Sabke Saath Sabka Vikas” mission of the Government.

It is estimated that  there are one billion people with disabilities worldwide who face many barriers in order to participate in  all aspects of society and the population of PwDs in India as per Census 2011  is  around 2.68 crore (2.2% of total population).  The result is that People with Disabilities do not enjoy access to society on an equal basis with others, including transportation, employment, education, justice and political participation.  The right to participate in public life is essential to create democracies and citizenship.  Yet, this fundamental right is very often denied to Persons with Disabilities.  The United Nations Convention on the rights of Persons with Disabilities requires all states parties to promote and protect the political rights of all Persons with Disabilities.

Realizing the need for empowerment, both social and economic, of PwDs, the Department has adopted a multi-pronged strategy to take forward and step up the Rehabilitation and Development related   issues for PwDs. 

Education of PwDs is one of the recent initiatives undertaken - Literacy and higher education level of PwDs is very low. Several schemes have been approved for enabling Students with Disabilities to acquire education and further their employability potential.

New schemes

“Pre-Matric Scholarship and Post-Matric Scholarship for Students with  Disabilities (SwD)” was launched. Under the Pre-Matric Scholarship, 46,000 students studying in class IX and X will be awarded scholarship every year (@ Rs.10000/- per SwD p.a.). Under the Post-Matric Scholarship 16,650 disabled students studying in class XI, XII onwards will be provided scholarship annually (@Rs.15000/- per SwD p.a.).

National Overseas Scholarship Scheme for SwDs at a total outlay of Rs.10.00   crores benefitting 60 students per annum @ Rs.13.00 lakh per annum to enable SwD to pursue higher education at the level of Masters Degree or Ph.D abroad has been implemented from the current financial year 2014-15. Applications have been invited.

Under the “Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship for Students with disabilities”, applications have been invited for the year 2014-15. Selection is being done by University Grants Commission. UGC is in the process of selecting 300 candidates for the fellowship.

Flagship scheme of the Department

 Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS) and ADIP, the Department has introduced a centralized on-line application system developed by NIC on the website www.ngograntsje.gov.in in the month of July 2014.

The revised ADIP Scheme has been operationalised. The salient features of the schemes are- Enhancement of cost ceiling; revised from Rs.6000/- to Rs.10000/- for single disability and from Rs.8000/- to Rs.12000/- for SwDs; Enhancement of income eligibility ceiling for 100% concession from Rs.6500/- per month to Rs, 15000/- per month and for a 50% concession from Rs.15000/- to Rs.20000/- per month.

Under the Scheme of Assistance to Disabled persons for purchase / fitting of aids & appliances (ADIP), the Department has introduced a centralized on-line application system developed by NIC on the website www.ngograntsje.gov.in in the month of July 2014.  Revised ADIP Scheme contains a provision to provide Cochlear Implant to 500 children per year, with a ceiling of  Rs. 6.00 lakh per unit to be borne by the  Government. The Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment has announced the commencement of First Cochlear Implant by AYJNIHH, Mumbai on International Day for the Persons with Disability on 3rd December 2014.

The Department in collaboration with TIFAC, an autonomous body of the Dept of Science & Technology, has launched a dedicated web portal for meeting the accessible needs relating to aids & appliances for persons with disabilities. The web portal was launched by the President of India on International Day for the Persons with Disability on 3^rd December 2014.   Swavlamban Composite camps – 200 Composite 'ABILITY- SWAWLAMBAN'.  Camps are being organized all over the Country.

The first batch of "motorized tricycles" has been distributed to 20 beneficiaries on 25.09.2014 at Shajapur, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh.

The Prime Minister of India and the Union Minister of SJ&E felicitated the  winners of Blind Cricket World Cup and   announced a cash Award of Rs. two Lakhs to  each player of the winning Team  representing India.

The Ministry is establishing Centres for Disabilities Sports to develop and encourage disabled sports persons.

A new “Scheme on Awareness Generations and Publicity” has been launched in the current financial year 2014-15 for creating enabling environment for social inclusion of the  PwDs in all fields of life by promoting awareness, encouraging volunteer action, financially supporting national/international events and accomplishments, etc. for the realization of the aspirations of PwDs.

Future Plans and New Initiatives on Good Governance:

"Accessible India campaign (Sugamya  Bharat Abhiyan)" is proposed to be  launched for the empowerment of persons  with disabilities through universal  accessibility for creating an enabling  environment for the PwDs to live an  independent life with dignity and equal  opportunity.

In order to facilitate PwDs, process of   equipping them with Universal ID has been  initiated and the detailed project report  (DPR) has been prepared. These will be smart cards containing information  regarding the disabilities etc. and will be  valid across the country.

A “Job portal for the PwDs” for facilitating employment of PwDs is being developed for the sector through National  Handicapped Finance Development  Corporation (NHFDC). This will aggregate  various jobs availability for PwDs in  Government/PSUs and private sector and  facilitate placement and employment of unemployed, skilled and semi-skilled PwDs. 

A toll-free “Help Desk/Help Centre” is  being developed by the Department  through Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) for dissemination of information  relating to PwDs, tracking and handling of grievances, facilitating the aspirations and needs of PwDs such as skilling/  employment, etc.

The Department in collaboration with  Ministry of Skill and Entrepreneurship Development and National Skill  Development Council (NSDC) is preparing a comprehensive Strategy and Action Plan  for upscaling the skilling needs of the PwDs and their placement/employment with active involvement of various stakeholders  and different Departments mandated with skilling and employment generation.

An exclusive “National Level Mega Fair” for exhibition and sale of various products/goods being manufactured by PwDs and their organizations from all over the country will be organized in Delhi to provide enhanced exposure and market linkage/access for their products.

The Department is formulating  a scheme of “Scholarship for Top Class Education for Students with Disabilities” for Post Graduate Degree/Diploma in specified premier Institutions of Excellence in India

Scheme for “Free Coaching for Students  with Disabilities” for competitive  Examinations in Government Jobs or for Admission in Professional and Technical Courses” is also being formulated.

First ever National Para –games are  scheduled to be organized in New Delhi in  association with the Paralympic Committee  of India, in the month of March 2015.

Skill development for 15000 PwDs has  been targeted under vocational training to  be conducted by NHFDC and National Institutes.

A new interactive, informative and  disability friendly dedicated website of the Department is being developed and will be launched in the current financial year

End the Mental Illness Called Female Foeticide- Prime Minister of India

Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Scheme to Resurrect Women Pride Educate a man, you educate one person; educate a woman, you educate a complete family”- is one of the saner concepts we have come across in our life time. But why only family, she can educate and empower the entire country and humanity, feels the Government. No wonder it has translated into one of the flagship programs of union Government under the name, ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ which if implemented as envisaged can really make India a modern democracy.

Save Girl Child

But before we think of educating girl child we need to address a critical issue in this country. That is the decline in Child Sex Ratio (CSR).As per the Census, 2011 the child sex ratio (0-6 years) has shown a decline from 927 females per thousand males in 2001 to 919 females per thousand males in 2011. Even developed states like Maharashtra , Punjab, Haryana, NCT Delhi, Gujarat are far behind the national average compared to NER states and under developed states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, though the overall trend is quite concerning.

            Some of the reasons for neglect of girl child and low child sex ratio are son preference and the belief that it is only the son who can perform the last rites, that lineage and inheritance runs through the male line, sons will look after parents in old age, men are the bread winners etc. Exorbitant dowry demand is another reason for female foeticide/infanticide.  Small family norm coupled with easy availability of sex determination tests adds to the declining child sex ratio, further facilitated by easy availability of Pre-conception sex selection facilities inspite of strict rules against such tests.

Female Foeticide 

The practice of aborting female foetus has become more rampant with the availability of modern diagnostic tools for sex determination of the unborn. With the social biases favouring the male child on the presumptions of economic advantages and labelling the girl child as more of a liability, the sex ratio in the country has been skewed. The process of elimination continues even after birth in various forms of discrimination in matters of health, nutritional and educational needs of the girl child. This shows that women’s disempowerment begins even before birth. On the contrary, empowerment of women leads to all-round progress and emancipation from absurd beliefs and unscientific practices in the society.

The Lancet’, a medical journal published a report pertaining to the prevalence of sex selective abortions in rich and educated Indian families in 2011. According to the report which is based on review of data of three rounds of the nationally representative surveys (National Family Health Survey – 1, 2&3) carried out during the years 1990 to 2005, it was found that the conditional sex ratio for second-order births when the firstborn was a girl child, fell from 906 per 1000 boys in 1990 to 836 in 2005. But there was no significant decline in the sex ratio for second-order births if the firstborn was a boy child, or for firstborns.

Government Initiatives

The Government is implementing a comprehensive legislation; the Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994 for prohibition of sex selection before or after conception, regulation of Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques and prevention of their misuse for sex determination leading to female foeticide. 

Government has adopted a multi-pronged strategy devising schemes, programmes and awareness generation/advocacy measures to build a positive environment for the girl child through gender sensitive policies, provisions and legislation.

The measures include the following:-

·                     Intensified effective implementation of the said Act and amended various provisions of the Rules relating to sealing, seizure and confiscation of unregistered machines and punishment against unregistered clinics. Regulation of use of portable ultrasound equipment only within the registered premises has been notified. Restriction on medical practitioners to conduct ultrasonography at maximum of two ultrasound facilities within a district has been placed. Registration fees have been enhanced. Rules have been amended to provide for advance intimation in change of employees, place, address or equipment. 

·                      The Prime Minister has urged the Chief Ministers of all States to provide personal leadership to reverse the declining trend in Child Sex Ratio (CSR) and address the neglect of the girl child through focus on education and empowerment.

·                     The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology has been requested to block sex selection advertisements on websites.

·                     The Government is extending financial support to the States and UTs for operationalization of PNDT Cells, capacity building, orientation & sensitization workshops, Information, Education and Communication campaigns and for strengthening structures for the implementation of the Act under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).

·                     States have been advised to focus on Districts/Blocks/Villages with low Child Sex Ratio to ascertain the causes, plan appropriate behaviour change communication campaigns and effectively implement provisions of the PC & PNDT Act.

·                     Religious leaders, women achievers etc. are also being involved in the campaign against skewed child sex ratio and discrimination of the girl child.

Girls Education

Offering girls basic education is one sure way of giving them much greater power of enabling them to make genuine choices over the kinds of lives they wish to lead. This is not a luxury. The Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women establish it as a basic human right. The fact that women might have the chance of a healthier and happier life should be reason enough for promoting girls' education.                                                                                                            Moreover, there are also important benefits for society as a whole. An educated woman has the skills, information and self-confidence that she needs to be a better parent, worker and citizen. An educated woman is, for example, likely to marry at a later age and have fewer children. Cross-country studies show that an extra year of schooling for girls reduces fertility rates by 5 to 10 per cent. And the children of an educated mother are more likely to survive. In India, for example, the infant mortality rate of babies whose mothers have received primary education is half that of children whose mothers are illiterate. An educated woman will also be more productive at work -- and better paid. Indeed, the dividend for educational investment is often higher for women than men. Studies from a number of countries suggest that an extra year of schooling will increase a woman's future earnings by about 15 per cent, compared with 11 per cent for a man.

But how to improve girls' access to education? Experiences in a number of countries show the importance of:

·           Parental and community involvement -- Families and communities must be important partners with schools in developing curriculum and managing children's education.

·           Low-cost and flexible timetables -- Basic education should be free or cost very little.

·           Schools close to home, with women teachers -- Many parents worry about girls travelling long distances on their own. Many parents also prefer to have daughters taught by women.

·           Relevant curricula -- Learning materials should be relevant to the girl's background and be in the local language. They should also avoid reproducing gender stereotypes.

Girl Child in India

Even though discrimination towards girls is rampant across caste and class, girls belonging to socially and economically lower categories as well as girls with disabilities face multiple discrimination on terms of identity. The Right to Education Act, 2009 has improved enrolment of children aged 6-14 in elementary schools across the country. The retention rate of girls at primary level has shown a slight improvement 75.94% in 2011-12 and the transition rate of girls at upper primary level has improved from 74.15% in 2003-04 to 87.32% in 2010-11, but there are 35 districts that continue to show a high gender gap. Thus, despite overall encouraging trends, inequities continue in educational provision of girls in the country.

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) Scheme 

Realizing the urgent need to put these problems on high priority and focus, the present Government has introduced the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme for survival, protection & education of the girl child. It aims to address the issue of declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR) through a mass campaign across the country targeted at changing societal mindsets & creating awareness about the criticality of the issue. The scheme aims at making girls independent both socially as also financially through education. This approach of the Government can facilitate in generating awareness and improving the efficiency of delivery of welfare services meant for the women. The Scheme will have focused intervention & multi-sectored action in 100 districts with low Child Sex Ratio. Of these 87 districts in 23 States/UTs has Child Sex Ratio below the National average of 918.

The objectives of this initiative are:

·         Prevention of gender biased sex selective elimination

·         Ensuring survival & protection of the girl child

·         Ensuring education and participation of the girl child

It is a joint initiative of Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (H & FW) and Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD). The sectoral interventions under the programme include the following:

Ø    Ministry of WCD: Promote registration of pregnancies in first trimester in Anganwadi Centres (AWCs); Undertake Training of stakeholders; Community Mobilization & Sensitization; Involvement of Gender Champions; Reward & recognition of institutions & frontline workers.

Ø    Ministry of H & FW: Monitor implementation of Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCP&DT)Act, 1994; Increased institutional deliveries; Registration of births; Strengthening PNDT Cells; Setting up Monitoring Committees.

Ø     Ministry of HRD: Universal enrolment of girls; Decreased drop-out rate; Girl Child friendly standards in schools; Strict implementation of Right to Education (RTE); Construction of Functional Toilets for girls.

BBBP highlights the need for gender equality enshrined in the Constitution of India and brings out how neglect of girls and discrimination throughout her life cycle leads to an unequal status for the girls. It also aims to break myths about roles of men and women in society so that negative attitudes and behaviors steeped in patriarchy are changed. It can be a boon not just for the girl children but also for the whole society.

 Moreover, ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padao’ yojana comes at a time when the nation is confronted with problems associated with women’s safety like rape and other forms of assault. The Government also proposes to spend Rs 150 crore through the Ministry of Home Affairs on a scheme to extend the security of women in large cities. The Union budget has also allocated to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways Rs 50 crore for pilot schemes to safeguard the safety of women on public road transport. The Prime Minister also launched the ‘Sukanya Samriddhi Account’ for the benefit of the girl child.

Significance of this Government initiative is very clear when the Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi urged all countrymen in his now famous MAN KI BAAT, on the need to draw inspiration from families and persons like US President Barack Obama who have only girl children, to bring up their daughters with pride and give them due respect. “To save the girl child, to educate the girl child, this is our social duty, cultural duty, and humanitarian responsibility; we should honour it”, has said the Prime Minister. Describing the desire to indulge in female foeticide as a "mental illness" Shri Modi has also warned that if this discrimination does not end it could cause a "terrible crisis" soon because of lack of women in the country. Prime Minister also reminded the medical fraternity that medical profession is for the purpose of saving lives, and not for killing daughters.

To conclude, gender respect should be taught at the school level more so from the home level by the parents. Also we need to address the associated problems in bringing up the girl child, her marriage expenses and discrimination in the society. If these are addressed properly there is no issue which will discriminate the girl from the boy in the society. We need not campaign door to door about the girl child and her safety. After all we live in a country where a state like Kerala extends the best of status to its girls.

Education has unrivalled power to reduce extreme poverty and boost wider development goals. Investing in education, especially for girls, alleviates extreme poverty through securing substantial benefits for health and productivity, as well as democratic participation and women's empowerment. Not only is investing in girls' education a moral obligation, but it is also essential if the country wants to break free of its high child and maternal mortality rates and find true prosperity in the future."

HADR Exercise by Indian Navy

A large scale Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercise involving more than 20 ships from the Western and Eastern Fleet and various aircraft of the Indian Navy was conducted yesterday (09 Feb 15) in the Lakshadweep Islands (Karavati, Aggatti, Kalpeni and Androth).             The Exercise simulated a major cyclone striking the Lakshdweep Islands and disrupting essential services, causing widespread destruction of property, loss of life and dislocation of personnel, and was designed to validate the Indian Navy’s capability to provide immediate succor and relief to the affected populace. The Exercise involved setting up medical camps, provision of food, shelter from the elements, restoration of basic facilities and limited restoration work till the situation stabilised.                         The Indian Navy has the inherent capacity and capability to reach outlying islands and coastal areas, with relief and rehabilitation material and continuously prepares for this task. In the recent past, it may be recalled that, in the wake of the ”fresh water crisis” at Male in Dec 14, the Indian Navy had deployed two warships, which supplied more than 2000 tones of fresh water to the city of Male over a period of 10 days. The Indian Navy was also at the forefront of relief operations in the wake of the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004, evacuation operations from Lebanon in 2006 and Libya in 2011, assistance to Bangladesh during Cyclone Sidr in 2007 and Myanmar during Cyclone Nargis in 2008. The Indian Navy had also participated in the search efforts for search of Malaysian airliner MH 370. This Exercise will further underscore the nation’s capabilities in being the ‘first responder’ in the region during times of humanitarian crises.

India looking forward to embarking upon a larger role in Asia-Pacific

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee yesterday (February 9, 2015) received His Excellency Dr. Tony Tan Keng Yam, President of Republic of Singapore and Mrs. Mary Tan at Rashtrapati Bhavan. He also hosted a banquet in their honour. Welcoming Dr. Tony Tan Keng Yam, the President said his visit comes at a historic moment in bilateral relations when India and Singapore are celebrating the 50th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations. India and Singapore enjoy excellent relations which are multifaceted and cover every aspect of life. Singapore is a valued friend of India. It is a major pillar of India’s ‘Act East’ Policy. India appreciates Singapore’s contribution to its engagement with ASEAN. India is looking forward to embark upon a larger role in the Asia-Pacific. The President said India and Singapore share historic links since the times of the Cholas. An important chapter of India’s freedom struggle was enacted in Singapore. The large community of overseas Indians in Singapore is a bridge between the two countries. The President said Singapore accounts for one of the largest sources of FDI inflows into India as well as FDI from India. India invites Singapore companies to join in connectivity and infrastructure projects and participate in ‘Make in India’, ‘Digital India’ and ‘Clean India’. India would like to work with Singapore to set up Smart Cities and in urban rejuvenation. Singapore’s experience in skill development can also be invaluable for India. Responding to President Mukherjee, Dr. Tony Tan Keng Yam said India was one of the first countries to recognize Singapore when it became independent. India-Singapore relations are trouble free and extend over many areas. Economic relations have grown strongly but there is lot of potential for further growth. The strength of the relations goes beyond economic or diplomatic. It reflects a deep understanding between the people and governments of the two countries. Building on the foundation of last fifty years, there is much more that can be done. In his banquet speech, the President Pranab Mukherjee said India sees Singapore as its gateway to ASEAN. India shares a vision for a partnership based on shared beliefs in democracy, multicultural societies, rule of law, free enterprise, regional role and common links through growing people-to-people contacts. We are partners across the seas and an integral part of the regional architecture in the Asia-Pacific region. Today, both the countries are at an interesting cusp in history, witnessing major transformations. It shall be endeavour of India and Singapore to work together towards maintaining peace and stability in the region and bringing development to the peoples of two countries.