Ministry Of Electronics & IT

About Ministry

• The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is an executive agency of the Union Government of the Republic of India. It was carved out of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology on 19 July 2016 as a standalone ministerial agency responsible for IT policy, strategy and development of the electronics industry.
• The Mission of the Ministry Of Electronics & IT includes to promote e-Governance for empowering citizens, promoting the inclusive and sustainable growth of the Electronics, IT & ITeS industries, enhancing India’s role in Internet Governance, adopting a multipronged approach that includes development of human resources, promoting R&D and innovation, enhancing efficiency through digital services and ensuring a secure cyber space.
• The Objective of the Ministry are –

 

DIGITAL INDIA

• A central programme of the Gol under Ministry Of Electronics & IT that aims to transform India to a digitally empowered society and a knowledge economy.
• An umbrella programme covering many departments and is being coordinated by Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DEITY).

Objectives

• • To transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy.

Salient Features

• • The Digital India programme is centred on three key vision areas:
    1. Digital Infrastructure as a Utility to Every Citizen,
    2. Governance & Services on Demand,
    3. Digital Empowerment of Citizens
  • Public Private Partnerships would be preferred wherever feasible to implement eGovernance projects.
  • For effective management of the Digital India programme, the programme management structure would consists of a Monitoring Committee on Digital India headed by the Prime Minister, a Digital India Advisory Group chaired by the Minister of Communications and IT and an Apex Committee chaired by the Cabinet Secretary.
  • The positions of Chief Information Officers (CIO) would be created in at least 10 key Ministries so that various e-Governance projects could be designed, developed and implemented faster.
  • In order to take the benefits of Digital India to every corner of country, a vast network of more than 2.5 lakh Common Services Centers have been created. This has developed digital entrepreneurs among poor, marginalized, Dalits and women of India.
  • It aims to provide the much needed thrust to the nine pillars of growth areas, namely: Broadband Highways, Universal Access to Mobile Connectivity, Public Internet Access Programme, e-Governance: Reforming Government through Technology, e-Kranti: NeGP 2.0, Information for All, Electronics Manufacturing, IT for Jobs, Early Harvest Programmes.

 

VARIOUS PROGRAMMES LAUNCHED UNDER 9 PILLARS OF DIGITAL INDIA

1. Broadband Highways

BharatNet

• • • • Aim – to provide broadband to 2.5 lakh gram panchayats
      • Implemented by – Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL).
      • Funded by – Universal Service Obligation Fund.

SWAN (State Wide Area Network)

• • • • It is the converged backbone for data, voice and video communications throughout a state/ UT. Implemented in a vertical hierarchical structure with a minimum bandwidth of 2 Mbps per link.

 

2. Universal Access to Mobile Connectivity

• • • Aim – Mobile connectivity to all inaccessible regions of the country to be established.
    • Nodal Agency – Department of Telecommunications is the nodal agency for implementing it.
    • As of March, 2017 roughly 55,000 villages don’t have mobile connectivity.

 

3. Public Internet Access Programme CSC 2.0 (Common Service Centre)

• • • A self-sustaining network of 2.5 lakh CSCs at the Gram Panchayat level under Digital India
    • Aim – to use CSCs to deliver citizen centric services to rural areas.
    • Envisaged as the transaction­ based and service delivery-based model.

 

4. E- Governance

SWIFT (Single Window Interface for Trade)

• • • • Aim – To provide on line single window for importers and exporters to lodge their clearance documents on line at a single point only.
      • Implementation by – Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC).

PAHAL (DBTL)

• • • • Aim – direct benefit transfer to beneficiaries’ accounts to reduce diversion and eliminate duplicate or bogus LPG connections.

Aadhar Enabled Payment System

• • • • A bank led model that allows inter operable financial inclusion transactions at PoS (MicroATM’s) using Business Correspondent of any bank using Aadhar authentication

MyGov

• • • • A unique initiative launched by PMO as a participatory governance initiative, involving the common citizen at large to promote a healthy exchange of ideas.

 

5. e-Kranti – Electronic Delivery of Services

Mobile Seva App Store

• • • • It is for better development and deployment of mobile applications for delivery of public services through mobile devices.

Meghraj

• • • • To harness the benefits of cloud computing.

IHIP (Integrated Health Information Platform)

• • • • Set up by – Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
      • Aim- creation of standards complaint EHR’s (Electronic Health Records) along with ensuring inter operability by creating a comprehensive Health Information Exchange as part of a centralized accessible platform.

SWAYAM

• • • • Aim – to bridge the digital divide for students who have hitherto remained untouched by the digital revolution
      • It facilitates hosting of courses from 9th class to PG level.

 

6. Information for All

OGD (Open Government Data)

• • • • This platform allows ministries/ departments & other organizations to publish datasets, documents, services, tools & applications collected by them.

UMANG (Unified Mobile Application for New-Age Governance)

• • • • Aim – to develop a common, unified platform to facilitate single point access to all services of the centre, state and local bodies. It integrates around 200 applications and offers 1200 services.

Sugamya Pustakalaya

• • • • An online platform that makes content accessible to print­disabled people.
      • Created by – Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

NKN (National Knowledge Network)

• • • • A multi-gigabit NREN (National Research and Education Network)
      • Aim – to provide a unified high speed network backbone for the educational institutions in India.

 

7. Electronics Manufacturing

• • • Target – NET ZERO IMPORTS by 2020
    • Methods – taxation, incentives, economies of scale, elimination of cost disadvantages, incubators, clusters, skill development etc.

 

8. IT For Jobs

Udaan

• • • • It is a special initiative to address the needs of the educated unemployed in J&K.

Indian BPO Promotion Scheme

• • • • Aim – to incentivise entrepreneurs to establish 48, 300 seats in BPO operations across the country.

 

9. Early Harvest Programmes

BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money)

• • • • A payments transaction system that leverages the power of UPI to enable direct bank to bank payment.

eNAM (National Agricultural Market)

• • • • A pan-India electronic trading portal that networks existing APMC mandis to create a unified national market for agricultural commodities.

 

PRADHAN MANTRI GRAMIN DIGITAL SAKSHARTA ABHIYAN (PMGDISHA)

Objectives

• • To make 6 crore rural households digitally literate and reaching around 40% of rural households by covering one member from eligible household by 31^st March 2019.

Intended Beneficiaries

• • Citizens of India between the age group of 14 to 60 years.
  • Priority to Non-smartphone users, Antyodaya households, college dropouts, Participants of the adult literacy mission and Digitally illiterate school students from class 9th to 12^th where Computer/ICT Training is not available in their schools.

Salient Features

• • It will empower the citizens to operate computer or digital access devices, thus, enabling them to use IT and related services especially Digital Payments.
  • It aims to bridge digital divide by targeting the rural population including marginalised sections (SC, ST, BPL, women, differently-abled persons and minorities).
  • Implementing Agency – CSC e-Governance Services India Ltd., special purpose vehicle (CSC-SPV) incorporated under the Companies Act 1956.
  • The identification of the beneficiaries would be carried out by CSC-SPV in active collaboration with District e-Governance Society, Gram Panchayats, and Block Development Officers.

 

CYBER SURAKSHIT BHARAT INITIATIVE

Launched by

• • Ministry Of Electronics & IT in association with National e-Governance Division (NeGD) and industry partners.
  • Stakeholders involved –
    • The founding partners of the consortium are leading IT companies Microsoft, Intel, WIPRO, Redhat and Dimension Data.
    • Additionally, knowledge partners include Cert-In, NIC, NASSCOM and the FIDO Alliance and premier consultancy firms, Deloitte and E&Y.

Objectives

• • to strengthen cyber security ecosystem in India in line Government’s vision for a ‘Digital India’.

Salient Features

• • It is first public-private partnership of its kind and will leverage the expertise of the IT industry in cybersecurity.
  • It will be operated on three principles of Awareness, Education and Enablement.
  • It will spread awareness about cybercrime and build capacity for safety measures for Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and frontline IT staff across all government departments.
  • It will include a series of workshops/training programmes on best practices and enablement of the officials with cybersecurity health tool kits to manage and mitigate cyber threats.

 

CYBER SWACHHTA KENDRA (CSK)

Extending the ‘Swachh Bharat’ campaign to the cyber world.

Objectives

• • To enhance the cyber security of Digital India’s IT infrastructure by providing information on botnet/ malware threats and suggesting remedial measures.

Salient Features

• • They are also known as Botnet Cleaning and Malware Analysis Centre.
  • It is part of Digital India initiative and is being operated by Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) under provisions of Section 70B of the IT Act, 2000.
  • It is set up in accordance with the objectives of the ‘National Cyber Security Policy’ which envisages creating a secure cyber ecosystem in the country.
  • This centre works in coordination with the Department of Telecommunications, Internet service providers (ISPs), Antivirus companies and Industry.
  • It will also enhance awareness among citizens regarding botnet and malware infection along with measures to be taken to secure their devices.

 

Tools provided under CSK

M Kavach – It is indigenously developed comprehensive mobile device security solution for Android devices addressing various threats related to mobile phones.

USB Pratirodh – It is a USB protector to help clean various external storage devices like USB(s), memory cards, external hard disks, etc.

AppSamvid – It is a desktop solution which protects systems by allowing installation of genuine applications through white listing.

 

JEEVAN PRAMAAN

Objectives

• • To facilitate on-line submission of Life Certificate by pensioners and streamline the process of getting Life certificate.

Intended beneficiary

• • Pensioners of Central Government, State Government or any other Government organization

Salient Features

• • It is AADHAR Biometric Authentication based digital life certificates (DLCs) for Pensioners.
  • DLC can be obtained through various Jeevan Pramaan Centres which are being operated by CSCs, Banks, Government offices or by using the client application on any PC/mobile/tablet.
  • It will do away with the requirement of a pensioner having to submit a physical Life Certificate in November each year, in order to ensure continuity of pension being credited into their account.

 

STREE SWABHIMAN

Objectives

• • To create sustainable model for providing adolescent girls and women, in rural areas, an access to affordable, reliable and modern (eco-friendly) sanitary napkins by leveraging Common Service Centres (CSCs)
  • To create avenues for the rural and semi-urban women to become self-reliant by developing their own entrepreneurial ventures

Intended beneficiary

• • Rural and semi-urban women entrepreneurs

Salient Features

• • Under this project, sanitary napkin micro manufacturing units (semi-automatic and manual process production unit) are being set up at CSCs across India, particularly those operated by women entrepreneurs.
  • The product (sanitary napkin) will be sold under the “Swabhimaan” brand name and the Organization with the help of Village Level Entrepreneur (VLEs) and SHG groups will obtain the trade license for marketing the sanitary napkins at a subsidized rate.
  • It also has a menstrual hygiene related awareness generation component and aims to increase usage of sanitary napkins among rural girls in schools and colleges by making the napkins available to almost 1,000 girls in the primary and secondary schools in their village, encompassing girls from 7th to 12th grade.
  • CSC SPV will try to raise funds to provide sanitary pads to girl students in Rural Areas of Country free of cost.

 

ELECTRONICS DEVELOPMENT FUND (EDF)

Objectives

• • To achieve “Net Zero Imports” by 2020 as envisaged in digital India scheme.

Salient Features

• • It is set up as a “Fund of Funds” to participate in professionally managed “Daughter Funds” which in turn will provide risk capital to companies developing new technologies in the area of electronics, nano-electronics and Information Technology (IT).
  • The EDF will also help attract venture funds, angel funds and seed funds towards R&D and innovation in the specified areas.
  • It will help create a battery of Daughter funds and Fund Managers who will be seeking good start-ups (potential winners) and selecting them based on professional considerations.
  • CANBANK Venture Capital Funds Ltd. (CVCFL) is the Fund Manager for EDF.

 

NATIONAL SUPERCOMPUTING MISSION

Objectives

• • To make India one of the world leaders in Supercomputing and to enhance India’s capability in solving grand challenge problems of national and global relevance.
  • To attain global competitiveness and ensure self-reliance in the strategic area of supercomputing technology.

Salient Features

• • The mission would be implemented jointly by Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY) through two organizations the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore.
  • The Mission envisages empowering our national academic and R&D institutions spread over the country by installing a vast supercomputing grid comprising of more than 70 high-performance computing facilities
  • These supercomputers will also be networked on the National Supercomputing grid over the National Knowledge Network (NKN), a programme under same ministry which connects academic institutions and R&D labs over a high-speed network.
  • The Mission also includes development of highly professional High Performance Computing (HPC) aware human resource.

 

SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY PARK SCHEME

Objectives

• • For the development and export of computer software, including export of professional services using communication links or physical media.

Salient Features

• • The first Software policy came up in 1986. It resulted into Software Technology Park (STP) scheme in 1991.
  • It is a 100% export-oriented scheme which integrates concept of 100 % Export Oriented Units (EOU) and Export Processing Zones (EPZ) and the concept of Science Parks / Technology Parks.
  • It is unique in its nature as it focuses on one product / sector, i.e. computer software.
  • Other important features include –
    1. Provisioning of single-point contact services for member units.
    2. A company can set up STP unit anywhere in India.
    3. 100 Percent Foreign Equity is permitted.
    4. All the imports of Hardware & Software in the STP units are completely duty free, import of second hand capital goods also permitted.
    5. Re-Export of capital goods is also permitted.
    6. The sales in the Domestic Tariff Area (DTA) shall be permissible up to 50 Percent of the export in value terms.

 

MODIFIED SPECIAL INCENTIVE PACKAGE SCHEME (M-SIPS)

Objectives

• • To offset disability and attract investments in Electronic manufacturing.

Eligibility

• • The scheme is available for both new projects and expansion projects.

Salient Features

• • The scheme provides capital subsidy of 20% in SEZ (25% in non-SEZ) for units engaged in electronics manufacturing.
  • It also provides for reimbursements of countervailing duty/excise for capital equipment for the non-SEZ units.
  • For some of the high capital investment projects like fabs, it provides for reimbursement of Central Taxes and Duties.
  • A unit receiving incentives under the scheme, will provide an undertaking to remain in commercial production for a period of at least 3 years.
  • The scheme is available for both new projects and expansion projects.

 

BHARAT INTERFACE FOR MONEY (BHIM)

Objectives

• • To enable fast, secure, reliable cashless payments through your mobile phone.

Salient Features

• • It is an app that makes payment transactions simple, easy and quick using Unified Payments Interface (UPI). It enables direct bank to bank payments instantly and collect money using Mobile number, Bank a/c and IFSC code, Aadhaar number or Virtual Payment Address (VPA).
  • It is developed by the National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI), a not-for-profit company for providing retail payment systems in India under guidance from RBI
  • It is interoperable with other Unified Payment Interface (UPI) applications, and bank accounts.
  • BHIM-Aadhaar platform is the merchant interface of the BHIM App that has been launched for making digital payments using the Aadhaar platform. Any citizen without access to smart phones, internet, debit or credit cards will be able to transact digitally through the BHIM Aadhaar platform.

 

INDIA BPO PROMOTION SCHEME

IBPS is being implemented under Digital India Programme, to incentivize BPO/ITES Operations across the country and to popularise BPO industry beyond metro cities.

Objectives

• • Creation of employment opportunities for the youth, by promoting the IT/ IT Enabled Services (ITES) Industry particularly by setting up the BPO/ITES operations.
  • Promotion of investment in IT/ITES Sector in order to expand the base of IT Industry and secure balanced regional growth of the industry.

Financial Support

• • towards capital expenditures and special incentives for unit providing employment to women/Divyang, setting up units beyond metro cities, special provision for hilly areas (Himalayan States & J&K)

Implementing Agency

• • Software Technology Park of India (STPI), an autonomous society under the Ministry Of Electronics & IT.

Salient Features

• • It aims to incentivize establishment of 48,300 seats distributed among each State in proportion of State’s population, with financial support up to Rs. 1lakh/seat in the form of Viability Gap Funding (VGF) with an outlay of Rs. 493 crore up to 31.03.2019.
  • Financial support is provided up to 50% of the expenditure towards Capital Expenditure and/or Operational Expenditure subject to an upper limit of 1 Lakh per seat.
  • Special incentives are provided for employing women and persons with disability, generating employment beyond target and wider dispersal within state.
  • It also involves encouragement of local entrepreneurs and special consideration for Hilly areas and rural areas.
  • Metro Cities Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, NCR & Pune has been excluded from scheme.

 

NATIONAL INFORMATION CENTRE-COMPUTER EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM (NIC-CERT)

• Launched to prevent & predict cyber-attacks on government utilities under Ministry Of Electronics & IT.

About the initiative

• • NIC-CERT is a setup of National Informatics Centre, under Ministry Of Electronics & IT’s Digital India initiative
  • Aimed at enhancing the security posture of NIC and Government which will in turn lead to enhanced trust of the citizens.
  • NIC-CERT will operate in close coordination with sectoral CERTs and with Cert-in.

Objectives

• • To create a comprehensive framework that integrates world class security components and inbuilt threat intelligence.

Strategy

• • CERT-In is the national nodal agency under the IT ministry, which deals with cyber security threats such as hacking and phishing.
  • NIC CERT will be a dedicated body to detect, prevent & mitigate impact of cyber-attacks on NIC
  • It will monitor data across the NIC platform, including communication between all the levels of government and between governments to citizens
  • Using the tools the team will correlate events that would help in generating a canvas of the attack surface and identify the vulnerabilities and possible exploits.

 

OTHER SCHEMES/INITIATIVES OF MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS & IT

 

 

To read and learn about Government Schemes and Programs related to other Ministries,  Click Here. (Notes on all Government Ministries Schemes and Programs)