Know your Ministry - No. 16 - Electronics and Information Technology

Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology is headed by a Cabinet rank Minister as an additional portfolio and assisted by a Minister of State. It has set out a Vision to bring a Digital India through E-Development as the engine for transition into a developed nation and an empowered society. Digital India is envisaged to transform India into a digital empowered knowledge economy focussing on three key areas; Digital Infrastructure as a utility to every Citizen, Governance and services on demand, Digital empowerment of citizens oriented towards e-Governance and managing the challenges and issues related to implementation. Thus the Ministry aims to promote e-Governance for empowering citizens, promoting the inclusive and sustainable growth of the Electronics, IT & ITeS industries, enhancing India’s role in Internet Governance, adopting a multipronged approach that includes development of human resources, promoting R&D and innovation, enhancing efficiency through digital services and ensuring a secure cyber space.

PRINCIPAL OBJECTIVES OF THE MINISTRY

• e-Government: Providing e-infrastructure for delivery of e-services
• e-Industry: Promotion of electronics hardware manufacturing and IT-ITeS industry
• e-Innovation / R&D: Implementation of R&D Framework - Enabling creation of Innovation/ R&D Infrastructure in emerging areas of ICT&E/Establishment of mechanism for R&D translation
• e-Learning: Providing support for development of e-Skills and Knowledge network
• e-Security: Securing India’s cyber space.
• e-Inclusion: Promoting the use of ICT for more inclusive growth
• Internet Governance: Enhancing India’s role in Global Platforms of Internet Governance.

FUNCTIONS OF MINISTRY

• Policy matters relating to Information Iechnology; Electronics; and Internet excluding licensing of Internet Service Provider.
• Promotion of internet, IT & IT enabled services and Digital Transactions including Digital Payments.
• Assistance for promotion of E-Governance, E- Commerce, E- Medicine, E- Infrastructure, etc.
• Promotion of Information Technology education and Information Technology-based education.
• Matters relating to Cyber Laws, Administration of the IT Act. 2000 and other IT related laws.
• Matters relating to promotion and manufacturing of Semiconductor Devices in the country excluding all matters relating to Semiconductor Complex Limited (SCL), Mohali.
• Interaction in IT related matters with international agencies and bodies e.g. Internet for Business Limited (IFB), Institute for Education in Information Society (IBI) and International Code Council – on line (ICC).
• Initiative on bridging the Digital Divide: Matters relating to Digital India Corporation.
• Promotion of Standardization, Testing and Quality in IT and standardization of procedure for IT application and Tasks.
• Electronics Export and Computer Software Promotion Council (ESC).
• National Informatics Centre (NIC).
• Initiatives for development of Hardware/Software industry including knowledge– based enterprises, measures for promoting IT exports and competitiveness of the industry.
• All matters relating to personnel under the control of the Ministry.
• Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) DIVISIONS OF THE MINISTRY Information Technology & Information Technology Enabled Services, E-Governance, Cyber Laws & E-Security, Infrastructure & Governance, Economic & Planning, HRD/Knowledge Management, Research & Development, International Co-operation, Parliament Matters, Trade & Investment, Human Centered Computing, Emerging Technology Divisions and Digital Economy & Digital Payment Division.

ACTS, RULES, POLICIES, GUIDELINES & SCHEMES

1. Acts & Rules: Information & Technology Act, 2000 and Right to Information Act

2. Policies:

a) National Policy on Software Products - 2019
b) Personnel Policy for Below Group 'A' S&T employees of Ministry
c) Notification on National Policy on Electronics 2019 (NPE 2019)
d) Personnel Policy for Group "A" S&T Officers of Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and its organizations
e) Personnel Policy for Group "A" S&T Officers of the Ministry and its organizations-Instructions for Autonomous Bodies.
f) Updation and Usage Policy for the Sampark Database(IT Platform for Messages)
g) Policy on Adoption of Open Source Software for Government of India
h) Email Policy
i) Policy on Use of IT Resources
j) National Policy on Universal Electronic Accessibility
k) National Cyber Security Policy-2013 (NCSP-2013)
l) Notification on National Cyber Security Policy-2013
m) Policy for .IN Internet Domain Registration
n) .IN Internet Domain Name-Policy Framework and Implementation

3. Guidelines:

a) Application Form & Guidelines for submission of proposals for use of Aadhaar authentication under the Aadhaar Authentication for Good Governance Rules, 2020.
b) Guidelines for allocation of registration at the third level under .GOV.IN domain zone
c) Guidelines for Adoption of Electronic Payments and Receipts V.1_0
d) Approved Guidelines for registration in Gov.in domain
e) Guidelines on Publishing e-Book
f) Application Development & Re-Engineering Guidelines
g) Internship Guidelines,2014 of Department of Electronics & IT.
h) Policy Guidelines/Document to Establish State Wide Area Network (SWAN)
i) Policy Guidelines for State Data Centre (SDC)
j) NeGP Guidelines for Capacity Building and Institutional Framework for e-governance
k) Guidelines for submission of proposals for seeking DIT support for organizing Conferences, Seminars, Workshops, Symposiums etc. in select areas of Electronics, Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
l) Guidelines for preparing a project proposal
m) Guidelines for Implementation of the Common Services Centres(CSC) Scheme in States
n) Guidelines for implementation of Capacity Building Scheme and utilization of DIT Grant-in-aid and ACA November 2008
o) Guidelines for Strategic Control in Outsourced Projects
p) Guidelines for Setting up of Dedicated Project Teams
q) NeGP Guidelines for Operational Model for Implementation of Mission Mode Projects by the Line Ministries/State Departments.

4. Schemes:

a) Digital India Internship Scheme 2019
b) Digital India Internship Scheme for NIC (2019 batch)(link is external)
c) BPO promotion Schemes
d) Electronic Hardware Schemes
e) PhD Scheme
f) Digital India Internship Scheme 2018.

ORGANISATIONS ATTACHED TO THE MINISTRY

National Informatics Centre (NIC), Standardization Testing & Quality Certification (STQC), Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI),Controller of Certifying Authority(CCA), Indian Computer Emergency Response Team(ICERT),.IN REGISTRY, Digital India Corporation (DIC), National eGovernance Division (NeGD),National Informatics Centre Services Inc.(NICSI),National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI), Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology(C-MET), Education & Research Network (ERNET), National Institute of Electronics & Information Technology (NEILIT), Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering & Research(SAMEER) and Software Technology Parks of India (STPI).

DOCUMENTS & PUBLICATIONS/REPORTS IN PUBLIC DOMAIN

Research Papers / Articles / Books - Authored by MeitY Officials, Artificial Intelligence Committees Reports, Annual Reports (2019-20), Task Force Reports, e-Readiness Assessment Reports, NSDC Report on Electronics and IT Hardware Sector, Results-Framework Document - RFD, Guidelines for Indian Government Websites and Security and Quality Manuals.

CHALLENGES BEFORE THE MINISTRY

1. Technology issues and challenges hampering E-Governance in terms of Interoperability, Security, Privacy and Authentication

2. Economic issues related to IT & Electronics infrastructure due to high cost, reusability, Maintainability and Portability.

3. Limited Accessibility in Rural and Villages due to inadequate technology infrastructure besides restrictions of users due to illiteracy factors and lack of basic proficiency in English language and the challenges involved in the translation into local languages resulting in digital divide between urban and rural due to poverty, illiteracy, security and cost of implementation, etc..

4. Cyber Security issues and the resultant loss to the victims have escalated to huge magnitude and legal process of redressal mechanism has become cumbersome creating trust deficit on Technology due to lack of transparency, convenience, digital safety in order to enhance people confidence to establish good democratic E-governance.

5. Presence of Multinational global players that led to monopolistic situation where Government is unable to exercise upper hand to create employment opportunities for the best technical brains in the country especially to younger generation.

WAY FORWARD – KEY TASKS AHEAD TO BE TAKEN UP ON TOP PRIORITY

• Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology should be headed by an independent full-fledged Cabinet rank Minister to handle critical portfolio.
• Integrate the Ministry with all Technical Institutions to impart Skill Development and mandatory training for all students to become job worthy exploring all employment opportunities for an indigenous IT Industry.
• To realize its Vision and Mission in its true letter and spirit towards development of human resources, promoting R&D and innovation, enhancing efficiency through digital services and ensuring a secure cyber space.
• Develop a dynamic official SINGLE database integrating all Critical Credentials/Institutions like Banks/Financial Institutions, Non-Performing Assets in Banks/Financial Institutions, Educational Institutions/Universities including all Professional Institutions, Income Tax, Passport, Citizenship, Aadhar, Voter Information, Ration Data, Driving License, Unemployment, Poverty, Contract laborers, Gold Registry, etc.
• Government transactions to be facilitated only through electronic mode to make more efficient, transparent, and easy accessible to citizens to get benefited by various services provided by e-governance.
• Launch a Massive National IT Plan and Implementation to connect all villages through which, both transactional and informational govt. services through innovation strategies.
• Deployment of advanced technology for executing all Government projects to large extent by developing an eco-system that increases innovation to reach the correct beneficiary of all Government Schemes.

The next decade is going to be influenced by Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet on Things(IoT) and Robotic Technology to substitute direct or manual human interference and Ministry is exposed to more serious challenges upfront. .