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.

UPSC 2023 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)

Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024

Attend Now