A delegation of MLAs from Gujarat visited the UP Legislative Assembly to learn about the novel e-Vidhan system for paperless proceedings that has been recently adopted by the UP state assembly.
E-Vidhan System
- The National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) is a system for digitising the legislative bodies of all Indian states and the Parliament through a single platform.
- It includes a website and a mobile app.
- The house proceedings, starred/unstarred questions and answers, committee reports etc. will be available on the portal.
- Nagaland became the first state to implement NeVA, in March this year.
Significance of NeVA
- There has been a shift towards digitisation in recent years by the government.
- NeVA aims for streamlining information related to various state assemblies, and to eliminate the use of paper in day-to-day functioning.
- PM Modi mentioned the idea of “One Nation One Legislative Platform” in November 2021.
- A digital platform not only gives the necessary technological boost to our parliamentary system, but also connects all the democratic units of the country.
Has this been done elsewhere?
- Himachal Pradesh’s Legislative Assembly implemented the pilot project of NeVA in 2014, where touch-screen devices replaced paper at the tables of the MLAs.
- Though both Houses of Parliament have not gone fully digital yet, governments world over are heading towards embracing the digital mode.
- In December last year, the Government of Dubai became the world’s first government to go 100 percent paperless.
- It announced all procedures were completely digitised.
- This, as per a government statement, would cut expenditure by USD 350 million and also save 14-million-man-hours.
What are the challenges?
- Access to devices and reliable internet and electricity was an issue particularly for legislators representing rural constituencies.
- Lack of training and heightened concerns over security are some more recent issues in the road to digitization.
Source: The Indian Express
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