Digital skill enhancement for government officials

KOHIMA, AUG 8 : The aim is to promote e-Governance and make India more competitive in the new global economy, toward success and sustainability of e-Governance projects. With said objective in view, the department of Information Technology, Government of India, and the National Institute of Smart Government (NISG) is conducting a two-week skill enhancement program dubbed the ‘champions skill enhancement program.’ The event got underway on Monday at De Oriental Grand in Kohima town. E-governance capacity building programs for the north-eastern states aim to enhance the skills of government officers to lead, support, manage and execute mission-mode projects under the NeGP and other e-Governance projects in their respective state government. It also aims at developing local trainers by engaging train-the-trainer programs. In his inaugural address at the event, the commissioner & secretary of the department of IT&C, KD Vizo, said that the goal of the training program was to ‘accelerate implementation of e-Governance initiatives in the north eastern region through a wide range of topics. It is to aid implementation of e-governance projects from conceptualization to complete rollout stages.’ While noting that the digital revolution was opening up possibilities for the northeastern parts of India, Vizo asserted that the people must also take the opportunity by ‘setting positive technological vision, get the best deal out of it and forge a new progressive technological role.’ The best aspect of the movement is to build trust and confidence in government institutions and bring people together to building a society that works for everyone, he said. Embarking on the need to create IT infrastructure in the region, Vizo explained, ‘We have a collective responsibility not only to improve jobs of today in the IT sector, but also lay the foundation for jobs of the future, and we must allow our youth to go as far as their talents can take them’. Also, while pointing out various specific projects, linked to financial inclusion, e-governance and citizen services, he said digital technologies can truly transform the region. Vizo suggested ‘paying more focus on aerial OFC, wireless and satellite technologies, as underground optical fiber is not likely to work in landslide-prone areas of the north east region.’ He also suggested that states of the region must make plans to set up Business Process Outsourcing (BPOs) to deliver prompt services through online systems; comprehensive IT literacy, cyber security, information security, prevention of corruption and fraudulent practices, integration of all government departments on a single platform and enable modern electronic systems such as e-Cabinet; e-Legal, e-Education and e-mobile classroom, among others. Further Vizo suggested enabling centralized electronic integrated security systems using electronic equipments such as electric field perimeter protection systems, micro-wave co-axial cable systems, vehicle identification systems, biometric systems; electronic scanner systems with centralized common control; IP-based surveillance systems; advanced video analytic systems, among others. Prof JC Kapur, resource person from the NISG, said in his keynote address that the department of Electronics and Information Technology had taken a bold initiative toward empowering the north-east 'for digital India.' He said it was one of the special series of programs for the north east towards their empowerment. The first training program commenced in Goa on August 1, 2016. The second is being held in Kohima. Kapur also mentioned that there were two categories to the training program: ‘Champions Skill Enhancement Programme’ and ‘Executive Skill Enhancement.’ They will cover various topics such as management, detailed project reports, request for proposal of e-governance project; business modules, contract management, project monitoring and evaluation; comprehensive team-building and leadership, among others. 30 participants from the north-east states are participating in the training, he said. The event will conclude on August 13.