Annual NeSDA Way Forward Report 2023

Annual NeSDA Way Forward Report 2023

News: Recently, the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) has released the Annual NeSDA Way Forward Report for 2023.

What is the report?
• The Annual NeSDA Way Forward Report 2023 is a publication by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Government of India.

Key Findings:
• The report showcases the significant progress made by the States and Union Territories (UTs) in the year under mandatory e-Services and total e-Services under the NeSDA Framework.
• As per the latest figures, the States and UTs are providing a total of 16,487 e-Services in December 2023, a significant increase from 11,614 in April 2023.
• The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir tops the list of States/UTs with the maximum number of 1,117 e-Services.
• Currently, a saturation level of 76 percent of possible mandatory e-Services has been achieved by States and UTs, an increase from 69 percent under NeSDA 2021.
• The States of Kerala, Assam, and Odisha, besides the UT of Jammu and Kashmir, are providing 100% eServices through their respective unified portals.
• The Department has been disseminating the best practices across the States and UTs and attempting to promote faceless and suo moto entitlement-based delivery of services.

About NeSDA:
• The National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA) is an initiative undertaken by the Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances (DARPG), Government of India.
• Objective: NeSDA was conceptualized to measure the depth and effectiveness of existing e-Governance service delivery mechanisms. It helps the government in improving the delivery of citizen-centric services.
• Launch: The NeSDA framework was launched in August 2018.
• Sectors Covered: The framework covers six sectors, namely Finance, Labour & Employment, Education, Local Government & Utilities, Social Welfare (including Agriculture & Health), and Environment (including Fire) sectors

Benefits of e-governance in Public Service Delivery:
• Access to Services: Citizens can now access a wide array of government services online, reducing the need for physical visits to government offices.
• Transparency: E-governance has enhanced transparency in government processes.
• Reduces Red Tapism: E-governance helps in reducing excessive red tapism, further reducing the delay in the delivery of services.
• Reduces the cost of government: With provision of goods and services possible through one touch, the cost of government has been fairly reduced.
• Allows citizen’s inputs: The new modes of communication and technology allows for citizens to provide inputs and feedback on various services they receive.
• Improves decision making, speedy process and clearance and delivery of remote IT services.

Challenges:
• Digital Divide: Economic disparities limit access to digital technology, creating a divide between those who can access e-governance services and those who cannot.
• Lack of Awareness: Many people are not aware of the benefits of e-governance activities and do not use Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to a large extent.
• Insufficient Infrastructure: There is a lack of necessary infrastructure in many parts of the country to support e-governance.

E-governance initiatives:
• UMANG (Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance) is developed by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and National e-Governance Division (NeGD) to drive Mobile Governance in India. UMANG provides a single platform for all Indian Citizens to access pan India e-Gov services ranging from Central to Local Government bodies.
• BHIM, UPI, Government e-market place, e-NAM, Digital currency (e-rupee)
• Digi-Locker: This initiative assists citizens in storing important documents in a digital format, such as degree certificates, PAN numbers, and mark sheets.
• DigiYatra, e-hospital, national digital health mission
• National agriculture market (e-NAM), Krishi Rakshak Portal and helpline (KRPH)