Recently Shri Ponnala Lakshmaiah, Minister for Information Technology and Communications, Government of Andhra Pradesh, launched the Mee Seva portal and Mee Seva-Airtel Money Services. While speaking at the launch ceremony, the Minister said, “Certificates and documents offered through Mee Seva are digitally signed, legally valid, printed on secured stationery and delivered across the counter or through post.” The launch of Mee Seva, the flagship e-Governance initiative of the Government of Andhra Pradesh, is an indication of the great change coming into the governance space.
Standing on the firmness of the present, with the experience of the past, the practitioners of ICT in India have been implementing new initiatives with long-term vision for development in the country. When it comes to the fields like governance, health, education and human resources, a remarkable amount of progress has been made. Several proactive policies, with commitment to inclusive development, sustainability and creation of an investor-friendly environment as the watchwords, have been started by the Governments in Centre and the States.
There is no doubt that the country is yet to be at par with the world’s most advanced countries, but a remarkable amount of progress has been made by the utilisation of resources in ICT. The process of urbanisation has gathered speed in all parts of the country, leading to both challenges and opportunities. These challenges and opportunities are nowhere more clearly palpable than in the great city of Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh.
The State Government of Andhra Pradesh has realised that the basic amenities are the prerequisite for attracting investment and improving the standard of living. In the city of Hyderabad and in rest of the State, a major push is happening at using solutions from ICT for tackling all kinds of urban problems. In the current issue of eGov, we have covered the views of stakeholders who are engaged in the creation of quality infrastructure in Andhra Pradesh and beyond. Of particular interest is the interview of the CMD of Engineering Projects (India) Ltd, who speaks about developing a monorail project for Delhi.
In order to have an overview of the ICT implementations happening across India we have interviews and write-ups from the IT secretaries of Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Kerala. We also have a comprehensive picture of the landmark initiatives being taken under the UIDAI project. The incorporation of views from a range of private companies and PSEs firmly completes the picture, and makes this issue truly special.
An interesting aspect of the issue is also the ways in which the State of Kerala is using ITC to improve the lives of people. ITC is making landmark changes not only in governance, but also in healthcare and education sectors. eINDIA 2012 has been conceived on the clear vision of the entire nation being able to achieve the objectives of development and growth. The two-day confluence in Hyderabad will announce Andhra Pradesh’s, and more importantly India’s, landmark achievements in using ICT for sustainable development. The eINDIA 2012 is going to be a platform for ideas, discussions and meetings on the subject of improving the fields of governance, healthcare and education through ICT deployments. We hope to see you there at eINDIA 2012.
Ravi Gupta
Ravi.Gupta@elets.in
