Atiny emerald land on the West Coast of India, Goa has long been the tourist’s paradise. It attracts perhaps the largest number of tourists, with nearly 40,58,226 of them visiting the State in 2014 alone. Offering services in a seamless manner to such a large number of visitors was proving to be a herculean task until the advent of IT tools. Now, with a number of tourist services going online, it not only saves a lot of time and effort for both tourists and the government authorities but it has also curtailed much of the paper work.
Similarly, as a number of citizen-centric services like police verification and issuance of various basic certificates
Dr Ravi Gupta
are also being offered online, the entailing elements of accountability as well as speed are changing the overall governance scenario in the State for the better. eGovernance in Goa has proved a boon especially for the rural folks, who would earlier keep going around the government departments to get their works done. Several IT-based initiatives undertaken in the recent past have made their life easier in true sense.
But that is not all. With a forward-looking Government in the saddle, now the State also aspires to have a lion’s share in the IT products and services market of the country. That being the reason, the State Government is soon going to come up with an IT Investment Policy, which would woo investors—both domestic and international—to invest in the State. If the State is able to attract investors for setting up electronics manufacturing units and other IT-related businesses, it would not only enrich its economy but will also generate lot many white-collar jobs, which Goan youths have always looked forward to.
As one of the most peaceful states in India boasting of 88.7 per cent literacy rate, Goa today offers an industry-conducive environment.
With a view to highlighting the pluses of the State, as also to set the tone for IT revolution in the land known for the nature’s bounty, Elets Technomedia, in association with the Information Technology Department, Government of Goa, is organising “Elets Knowledge Exchange-Goa 2015 Summit” on May 22-23, 2015. The event will serve as a platform for exchange of knowledge between key stakeholders active in the fields of Governance, Urban Development – with special focus on Smart Cities, Education, Health and BFSI.
The two-day event, which will also focus on the Government of India’s vision of transforming India through its ‘Digital India’ programme, will serve as a catalyst for an inclusive IT revolution in Goa. We dedicate this special issue of eGov magazine to the zeal and enthusiasm exhibited by the State in the recent years to emerge on the IT map of India. Happy reading!