New e-enabled Parliament, Assemblies to work on unified digital infra

When MPs move to the new Parliament building in the national capital, they are likely to be provided with touchscreen tablets that will facilitate voting on matters of national importance, speeches, notices, presentations and help in holding papers and reports.

The move is part of the government’s larger plan to bring the country’s 37 state assemblies—31 assemblies and six councils—on a single digital platform with enabling provisions for the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha. ET has learned that at least 20 state legislatures already agree with the idea.

A single, process-based, end-to-end digital platform named National e-Vidhan Application (NEVA) has been developed for the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs. It is one of the 44 ‘Mission Mode’ projects to be implemented under the flagship ‘Digital India Programme’ of the Government.

While the comprehensive project has begun in several states, it is likely to be implemented in the new Parliament House, which is coming under the Central Vista Redevelopment Project. The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) has set an October 2022 deadline for the completion of the building.

An official said the software would bring “synergy of working and dissemination of information by all legislatures…” on a single platform, breaking the silos.

“It is proposed to link all the legislatures together so that, on one platform, the public at large can see what is happening in all the 39 legislative assemblies across the country,” he said.

ET has learned that once implemented, the new e-platform will enable members to take divisions whenever they want, and cast their vote digitally from anywhere within the Houses.

While members will be able to make submissions digitally, notices can be sent from anywhere at any time, approved in legislature secretariats and processed online.

The platform, designed and developed by the state-run National Informatics Center (NIC) under the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, will eventually replace around 100 existing IT-related systems in legislatures.

Each member inside the House will be provided with a touchscreen device that includes List of Businesses, Papers to be Laid, Bills, Considerations and Passages, Committee Reports, Questions and Answers, Bulletins, Summary of Proceedings, Digital Library, Notices and Members. Will be Directory, besides providing visual display of House proceedings.

The platform is developed to ensure that the members get everything they need in the House at one platform – to prepare their notices, replies, notifications, committee formation, agenda, minutes, room booking reports , and also enables them to talk to their colleagues and secretaries, said those with knowledge of the matter.

While the Bihar Council used NeVA to digitize its proceedings, Nagaland created history by becoming the first state assembly to fully digitize the House, while Odisha used the same platform to present a paperless budget. The pilot project for digitization of assemblies was first made in Himachal Pradesh.

Official sources said the ministry has earmarked “673.94 crore” for the project to digitize all state assemblies, of which the central government’s share is “423.60 crore”.

Originally published at Pen 18