The National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA) 2021 has been in the news lately. The initiative, spearheaded by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, is now in its second edition. Jammu & Kashmir stands out among Union Territories with its effective delivery of e-governance services, which has resulted in substantial savings.
The Basics of NeSDA 2021
Designed to foster digital government excellence, NeSDA is an initiative of the Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances (DARPG). Originally launched in August 2018, the program is based on the Online Service Index (OSI) of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs’ eGovernment Survey, which has been conducted annually since 2001.
Following the success of the first edition of NeSDA in 2019, the second edition provides an updated framework to evaluate the efficiency of digital governance across various sectors.
Understanding the NeSDA Framework
The NeSDA Framework encompasses six distinct sectors: Finance, Labour & Employment, Education, Local Government & Utilities, Social Welfare (which includes Agriculture & Health), and Environment (including Fire). Services under the purview of G2B (Government to Businesses) and G2C (Government to Citizens) within these sectors are evaluated.
For NeSDA 2021, six mandatory state/UT level services and four services at the Central Ministry level have been added to the evaluation. These assessments primarily focus on seven key parameters of service portals at state, UT and central ministry levels, with an additional six parameters included in the 2021 edition.
Assessment Outcomes of NeSDA 2021
The assessment process categorized the evaluated portals into two groups. The first category included State/UT/Central Ministry Portals, designed as comprehensive platforms providing single-window access to information and service links. The second category focused on the State/UT/Central Ministry Services Portals, specifically geared towards digital service delivery and service-related information.
Among Central Ministry Services Portals, six showed improved scores in NeSDA 2021. In terms of States and UTs, improvements were noted for 28 State/UT Portals and 22 State/UT Services Portals. Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Punjab led the way among Group A states, while Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar topped Group B states. Among Northeastern states, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Assam ranked highest, and J&K led the Union Territories.
Transition from Darbar Move to E-Governance in J&K
The end of the 149-year-old Darbar Move tradition in Jammu and Kashmir on June 30, 2021, marked a significant shift in governance practices. This biannual practice involved moving government functions between the two capitals of Srinagar and Jammu every six months – a custom initiated in 1872 by Maharaja Ranbir Singh.
This change has seen an increased focus on e-governance by the local government and the Government of India, with separate secretariats now established for both Jammu and Kashmir. The adoption of e-governance has reportedly saved around Rs 200 crore annually, previously spent on the movement and upkeep of physical files during the Darbar Move. This highlights the potential benefits and efficiency that digital governance can bring in public resource management and service delivery across the nation.
Source: PIB
Last Modified: February 15, 2024