National digital platforms play crucial role in transforming governance by enabling efficient & transparent system, says Nilkanth S. Avhad

Chandigarh, October 23, 2024: National digital platforms indeed play a pivotal role in transforming governance by enabling efficient, transparent and secure systems. They serve as a backbone for data-driven decision-making, ensuring that policies and services are more responsive, said Principal Secretary Water Supply and Sanitation Department Punjab, Nilkanth S. Avhad, while addressing a one-day workshop on CollabFiles, eTAAL and the Gov.in Secure Intranet Web Portals.

This workshop was organised by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) in collaboration with the Department of Governance Reforms (DGR), Punjab, at MGSIPA. Over 100 participants from various departments, boards and corporations of the Government of Punjab attended the workshop.

Nilkanth S. Avhad emphasised that the full potential of these platforms can only be realised when there is seamless collaboration among departments. Many times, the siloed functioning of different governmental bodies limits the benefits of these platforms. To tap into their full potential, there is need to be better data integration, inter-departmental communication and sharing of the best practices.Training and awareness programs for officers on the value of digital platforms and data-driven governance will go a long way in unleashing this untapped potential. The ability to store, process and analyse large volumes of data in real-time provides insights that can improve service delivery, accountability and public trust, he added.

He also lauded the NIC for playing a crucial role in achieving the objectives of efficient, transparent and secure governance by providing the necessary digital infrastructure and services to government bodies across India. By fostering collaboration and strengthening digital infrastructure, the government is ensuring that these platforms are not only efficient but also equitable, transparent, and secure for all stakeholders involved.

Additional Secretary School Education Parminder Pal Singh Sandhu also lauded the efforts of the entire team of NIC Punjab for spearheading the digital initiatives.

In his address,  DDG & State Coordinator of NIC Punjab I.P.S. Sethi gave a national perspective of the ICT initiatives being undertaken and assured full support and commitment from NIC in achieving the desired objectives.

While welcoming the participants, State Informatics Officer (SIO) Punjab NIC, Vivek Verma, stated that the main objective of the workshop was to create awareness about eCollabFiles, eTAAL and the Gov.in Secure Intranet to ensure secure communication and data handling among government departments. He also highlighted various ongoing projects being managed by NIC Punjab aimed at making processes simpler, more transparent and accountable. He assured participants of full support in the adoption of these initiatives.

Senior Director of NIC Telangana, Dr. P. Gayatri, delivered a presentation and provided a live demonstration on CollabFiles. She explained that CollabFiles offers a suite of office services designed to help government enterprises in India operate more efficiently. Its integration with the Single Sign-On (SSO) frameworks, Parichay and Jan Parichay, further ensures a secure, unified and simplified digital experience for all government employees.

Director of IT at NIC Headquarters, Dr. O.P. Gupta, presented and demonstrated the eTaal and Gov.in Secure Intranet portals. He explained that eTaal provides real-time measurement of the impact of e-Governance services. By analysing electronic transactions, it enables government officials to monitor and assess the effectiveness of their initiatives, thereby enhancing decision-making and improving the quality of public services.

Dr. Gupta also mentioned that the Gov.in Secure Intranet acts as a one-stop solution, streamlining operations and reducing the time spent accessing various services. The entire suite of essential day-to-day applications, including eMail, eOffice, SPARROW, CollabFiles and Bhashini, is accessible through SSO, with secure cloud storage readily available.