Latest news with #eGramSwaraj
The Print
2 days ago
- Business
- The Print
Panchayati Raj min signs MoU with Bhashini Division, websites to be available in multiple languages
Speaking after the MoU was signed, Minister of State for Panchayati Raj SP Singh Baghel said it will play a role in strengthening the unity of India. Bhashini is an AI-powered language translation platform developed by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) under its National Language Translation Mission. It aims to help people translate content into various Indian languages. New Delhi, Jun 19 (PTI) The Panchayati Raj Ministry on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Digital India Bhashini Division (DIBD), which will enable the Ministry's online platforms to be available in all Indian regional languages. 'It will also bring Panchayat representatives out of the inferiority complex of not knowing English. It will also reduce language-related tension and bridge language-based divides,' he said. The MoS also said that no politician gives speeches in English while seeking votes, as it remains the language of the elite. Panchayati Raj Secretary Vivek Bharadwaj said while language has often created gaps among people, with Bhashini, the gaps will be bridged. This MoU establishes a partnership between the Ministry and MeitY's DIBD to integrate Bhashini into MoPR's platforms and workflows, the Panchayati Raj Ministry said in a statement. The MoU is valid for three years and covers joint efforts on various technical processes needed for successful integration and multilingual outreach. Since its initial integration with eGramSwaraj (August 2024), the Bhashini plugin has delivered over 15.6 crore language interface hits, and has maintained a consistent daily average of 5.17 lakh hits. Through this agreement, MoPR and DIBD aim to build a model where AI is inclusive, language is no longer a barrier, and Panchayats become the true nodal point of digital transformation, according to the press note. As the next steps, the two institutions will work on expanding language coverage, enabling voice-based services and conducting joint training and awareness campaigns to scale adoption across rural India. PTI AO AMJ AMJ This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Net gain: Maharashtra panchayat adopts eOffice system
A panchayat in the tribal belt of Maharashtra has adopted paperless governance, courtesy the eOffice system extending its reach to the grassroots level. Rohini, located in Maharashtra's Dhule district, is possibly the first village panchayat in the country to implement the eOffice system, a digital workplace solution for government offices. Vishal Narwade, chief executive officer, Dhule Zilla Parishad, said the eOffice system started in the village this year. 'It was mandated from January 1 for district level, we extended it to panchayat too,' said Narwade. He said Rohini is the first panchayat to operate in paperless eOffice mode, though there is no official data yet to confirm it. Located at the foot of the Satpura hills near the state's border with Madhya Pradesh, Rohini is a 'PESA Gram Panchayat', a term used for gram sabhas in scheduled areas which are empowered by the provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, also known as the PESA Act. The panchayat has a population of 7,200 spreading over the main village — Rohini — and 7 hamlets (Jagnapada, Bomalyapada, Chirkhanpada, Kalapada, Dampada, Piplyapani and Navapada). Over 80% habitants of Rohini panchayat are tribals, mostly from the Pawara tribe. Until recently, the residents of the panchayat had to walk miles to avail services as their hamlets were located 1-7 km away from the panchayat office. The advent of information and communication technology (ICT) in the village has changed the situation, with residents opting for online service delivery and grievances redressal. The people at Rohini panchayat, which had a literacy rate of just 45% in 2011, now boast about achieving 100% digital literacy. The panchayat uses at least eight different types of ICT platforms, including its own website that allows its residents to avail various services. The others include use of digital platforms such as eGramSwaraj, Panchayat Nirnay app for online participatory decision-making, citizen-centric service delivery via Common Service Centres (CSCs), Panchayat ICT lab for digital literacy, videoconferencing facility and Meri Panchayat app for grievance redressal and seeking suggestions. The latest ICT initiative is the introduction of the eOffice system that helps the village panchayat officials send and receive files in electronic mode. Speaking to The Indian Express, gram panchayat secretary Manoj Dilip Kumavat said that files from the Block Development Office are received and sent back using the eoffice, which was introduced in February this year. Apart from its website, the Rohini gram panchayat also has its own YouTube channel, Facebook page, Instagram account and a WhatsApp group. It also released its own E-governance policy last year. Narwade said bulk SMS and calling systems are used to disseminate information about government schemes, gram sabha meetings are held in physical and virtual mode where people of the village join remotely and telemedicine facility is available from the primary health centre to all the hamlets in the panchayat. Rohini sarpanch Dr Anand Pawara said the digital initiatives introduced by the panchayat have ensured effective implementation of the government schemes on the ground. Prasanna Kulkarni, a block-level health official, said the footfall of patients, particularly the number of institutional deliveries, has increased after adoption of ICT. Rohidas Surmal Pawara, 30, a resident, said he has availed the online services for getting a birth certificate and registering his grievances regarding non-supply of drinking water and electricity. The digital push by the Rohini gram panchayat has earned it accolades and awards. Recently, it bagged Gold in the National e-Governance Awards, 2025 under the newly added category —Grassroots Level Initiatives for Deepening Service Delivery at Gram Panchayats or Equivalent Traditional Local Bodies — which recognises digital initiatives by panchayats. According to officials, representatives of other PESA gram panchayats have visited Rohini. It has been selected as the panchayat learning centre by Pune-based Yashwantrao Chavan Academy Of Development Administration, the administrative training institute of the Maharashtra government, said Sharadchandra Mali, deputy director at the institute. For this, the Rohini panchayat received funding of Rs 7 lakh from the Central government, Mali said. (The writer was in Rohini village on the invitation of Ministry of Panchayati Raj) Harikishan Sharma, Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express' National Bureau, specializes in reporting on governance, policy, and data. He covers the Prime Minister's Office and pivotal central ministries, such as the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare, Ministry of Cooperation, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of Rural Development, and Ministry of Jal Shakti. His work primarily revolves around reporting and policy analysis. In addition to this, he authors a weekly column titled "STATE-ISTICALLY SPEAKING," which is prominently featured on The Indian Express website. In this column, he immerses readers in narratives deeply rooted in socio-economic, political, and electoral data, providing insightful perspectives on these critical aspects of governance and society. ... Read More
