DoIT & C

History

Rajasthan has emerged as one of the frontrunner states in the country in the application of Information Technology (IT) in Government functioning. Much before the era when ‘IT’ became a buzzword even in the private sector, in 1987 the State Government had established a Directorate of Computers, headed by an officer from the Indian Administrative Services cadre, with key objectives ranging from formulating the policies, creating awareness, providing technical consultancy to the State Government Departments for recruitment and cadre management. A separate cadre comprising computer professionals, consisting of System Analysts, Analysts-cum-programmers, Programmers, Computer Operators and Data Entry Operators, was created specially to implement computerization projects. Directorate of InformationTechnology (DoIT) is the nodal agency for computerization in Govt.
Subsequently, looking at the increasing scope of application of IT, the State Government also established a consultancy and project implementation agency Rajasthan State Agency for Computer Services (RajComp) in 1989. The Director, IT was made the Managing Director of RajCOMP. The Chief Secretary of the State heads the Governing Body of Rajcomp. It has now become a leading consultancy organization in the field of IT.

Progress at a glance

In the first phase, DoIT developed some standard office automation software like Personnel Information System (PIS), Payroll, Court Cases Monitoring (Litigation), Preliminary & Departmental Enquiry Monitoring System, Store Management, Budget Monitoring System, Vehicle Monitoring, PUC Monitoring, File Monitoring, Library Management System etc. These have been implemented at most of the Government Departments. With the growing acceptance of computerization among the critical mass, computerization of those Departments/Organizations that had high level of public interface and of District Level offices was given high priority. In pursuance of this objective, an integrated project of computerizing all the offices situated in Ajmer Collectorate premises was taken up. Encouraged by the positive feedback from the users, the scope of the project has been enlarged and other District Collectorates are being taken up in phased manner.

Progress during last three years:

The advent of Internet in India in 1997-98 changed the entire perspective of computerisation. DoIT visualized in the initial period that this would become a powerful medium for developing enterprise-wide and networked applications that would help build effective Government-citizen interfaces. Rajasthan became one of the first States to have launched its own web site, which has over the period received a large number of hits. Thus began the next phase of computerisation in the State Government.

Several high value and high technology projects have already been started and several others are to be taken up.

1. RajNidhi information kiosk project was conceived and launched.

• fully web-enabled application
• developed in Hindi
• aims at delivering government information to citizens
• citizens can download forms required for availing various Government services like ration card, driving license, caste certificate, application for obtaining electricity connection, etc.

2. Web site Mandi Online developed for Rajasthan Agriculture Marketing Board.

• provides prices of agriculture products to farmers on an online basis.

3. A Jaipur City based intranet system for Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation (RSRTC) developed and launched.

• provides facility to people to reserve and print bus tickets from designated service providers. This service has been widely appreciated.

4. Specific web-enabled software "RajCrest" developed and implemented for the office of the Sub-Registrars of Registration & Stamps Department.

• provides the facility for quick registration, enquiry and cash deposits.
• Registration documents can also be archived on the computer.
• Office of SR-II in the Jaipur Collectorate premises has been computerised in the first phase
• The software shall be replicted in other similar offices in the time to come.

5. Rajasthan Housing Board initiated the computerisation work of its circle and other regional offices with the help of RajComp.

• website of the Board already been launched
• the account holders of the Pratap Nagar Scheme at Jaipur can get the details of their accounts from this site
• general information related to the Board can also be retrieved.

6. Computerisation of Transport Department includes

• preparation of online database, online registartion and issue of licence
• In the first phase, computerisaion of registration forms at RTO office, Jaipur been implemented succesfully
• will be replicated soon in other RTO offices.

7. Hospital computerisation

• DoIT and RajComp are computerising the work of J.K.Lon Hospital, S.M.S. hospital, Jaipur and S.N. Hospital, Jodhpur.

8. State Government has launched the first Compact Disk in its series of CDs on Government documents called e-Docs.

9. A Government Intranet system rajSWIFT was developed and launched.

• facilitates need-based information (data, text & e-mail) interchange on real time basis among a closed user group consisting of the CM, senior level functionaries at the CM Secretariat and District Collectors.

10. Chief Minister’s Information System (CMIS) developed.

11. 'Aarakshi’ - an intranet based system developed and launched by DoIT for the Jaipur City Police.

12. The trends and results of the elections held in 25 constituencies in October 1999 transmitted live to ECI, Delhi

13. Websites Development - During the past two years, DoIT and RajComp have developed and launched web sites of about 20+ Departments/PSUs.

14. State Government signed MoUs with two of the major IT companies – IBM and Microsoft .

• to build synergy in the efforts to bring about computerization in the State
• two companies have provided the State Government support in terms of technology and products.

15. DoIT and RajComp worked together to develop a GIS based planning and decision support system - Vikas Darpan.

• facilitates resource based decentralized planning through comprehensive databases of 40,000 villages, 237 Panchayat Samitis and 219 tehsils of the State
• project won consecutive awards from ESRI in 1996 & 1997.

Besides the above, DoIT and RajComp have made concerted efforts to impart regular and structured training to State Government officials since past few years.

Rajasthan State Agency for Computer Services:

Subsequently, State Government also established a consultancy and project implementation agency - Rajasthan State Agency for Computer Services (RajComp) in 1989, to cater to the increasing scope of application of IT in the Government. Director, IT was made the Managing Director of RajComp. The Chief Secretary heads the Governing Body of RajComp and Secretary, IT chairs the Executive Body. DoIT and RajComp work either in tandem or independently coordinating the IT projects of State Government.

National Informatics Centre:

NIC unit was established in Rajasthan state in 1988, as part of a nationwide campaign. NIC Computer Centers were set up at Government Secretariat Jaipur and at district Collectorates. A satellite based Computer network inter-connected these computers together. The NIC's Computer network NICNET is the largest network of its kind in Asia which is utilizing all old and latest available computer systems. The network has been established mainly with the objectives of facilitating its users with e-mail, web site browsing, data & file transfers among remote computers and e-governance. With the help of NICNET, internet facility is made available to the Chief Minister's Secretariat, Secretaries, Heads of Offices, High Court, Central Government Offices and educational institutions through telephone lines, wireless high speed lines and Local Area Networks. In 1994 NIC established an Information Highway at Jaipur with facilities for videoconferencing, providing web-sites on internet, connecting government buildings using wireless lines, a dedicated e-mail server for allotting e-mail addresses and internet and intranet related facilities etc.