Uttar Pradesh

• 04 Dec 2024

Digital India State Consultation Workshop Organized in UP

Why in News? 

The National e-Governance Division (NeGD) of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), in partnership with Uttar Pradesh Development Systems Corporation Ltd. (UPDESCO), organized a Digital India State Consultation Workshop in Lucknow.

Key Points 

• Aim of the Workshop: 
  • Raising awareness about Digital India initiatives. 
  • Identifying opportunities for state IT projects to leverage Digital India platforms. 
  • Showcasing successful projects for potential replication. 
  • Facilitating knowledge sharing, exchange of ideas, and industry partnerships. 
• Focus Areas: 
  • The event highlighted the importance of data and digital infrastructure and urged the state to enhance connectivity for last-mile digital penetration. 
  • The workshop's uniqueness in bringing together state officials and e-District Managers to collaboratively work towards good governance was emphasised. 
  • Discussions centered on national initiatives under the Digital India Programme including: 
    • Digilocker: DigiLocker allows access to digital versions of various documents including driver's licenses, vehicle registration certificates and academic mark sheets. 
    • Entity Locker: EntityLocker is a flagship initiative designed to empower organizations by providing a secure, cloud-based platform for storing, sharing, and verifying digital documents and certificates. 
    • API Setu: API Setu addresses the fear/risk of Covid-19 infections and will help the people, businesses and the economy to return to normalcy. 
    • OpenForge: It is Government of India's platform for open collaborative development of e-governance applications. Its objective is to promote sharing and reuse of e-governance application source code. 
    • myScheme: It is a National Platform that aims to offer one-stop search and discovery of the Government schemes. 
    • UMANG: The  UMANG mobile app is an all-in-one single, unified, secure, multi-channel, multi-lingual, multi-service mobile app. It provides access to high-impact services of various organizations of the Union and States.  
    • UX4G: It aims to make digital services user-friendly by providing personalized, visually appealing, efficient, and accessible interfaces. 
  • Key topics like Cyber Security and Capacity Building were also addressed. 
  • State-led discussions featured CM Helpline (1076), Inspector General of Registration and Stamps (IGRS), UIDAI Ecosystem, and Aadhaar Authentication Services. 
• Open Discussions: 
  • A collaborative session was held between MeitY and Uttar Pradesh government officials. 
  • During the session key challenges and implementation issues in e-Governance projects were discussed. 
  • Feedback and suggestions were sought for resolving obstacles and improving project execution. 

National e-Governance Division (NeGD) 

• About: 
  • The NeGD was established in 2009 by the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) as an Independent Business Division under the Digital India Corporation. 
• Role and Responsibilities: 
  • NeGD supports MeitY in managing and implementing e-Governance projects across the country. 
  • It provides technical and advisory assistance to Central and State Ministries, Departments, and other government organizations. 
• Key Operational Areas: 
  • Programme Management: Ensures smooth execution of e-Governance projects. 
  • Project Development: Develops initiatives to enhance digital governance. 
  • Technology Management: Oversees technological aspects of e-Governance projects. 
  • Capacity Building: Strengthens skills and capabilities within government organizations. 
  • Awareness and Communication: Promotes e-Governance initiatives under the Digital India Programme.

Preservation of Cultural Heritage of Mahabharata Age

Why in News? 

Recently, an update is seen on the conservation and development of the protected site in Hastinapur, Meerut, which was designated as one of the five 'Iconic Sites' by the Union Government in 2021-22, under the management of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

Key Points 

• History: 
  • Hastinapur was the capital of the Pandavas and Kauravas during the time of the Mahabharata.  
  • The site is associated with many places from the Mahabharata, including Vidurr Tila, Pandaveshwar Temple, Baradri, Draunadeshwar Temple, Karna Temple, Draupadi Ghat, and Kama Ghat.  
• Excavations: 
  • B. B. Lal, the Director General of the ASI, conducted excavations at Hastinapur in the early 1950s.  
  • He found correlations between the Mahabharata and the material remains he unearthed, which led him to historicize some of the traditions in the epic.  
• Iron objects: 
  • The site has many iron objects that date from the 6th century BCE to the 16th century CE.  
  • The excavated slag samples indicate that the site was involved in crucible carburization activities.  
    • Crucible carburization is a process that uses a crucible to heat wrought iron with carbon-rich materials to create steel. 
• Recent work: 
  • The ASI has conducted excavations at the site in 2021-22 and 2022-23.  
  • The site has also undergone conservation and development work, including the construction of pathways, parking, and gardens. 

Five Iconic Sites

• Dholavira: 
  • An archaeological site with a water system that was used for rainwater harvesting. The people who lived there during the Harappan civilization are known for their water conservation techniques.  
• Hastinapur: 
  • A historical and cultural site in the Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh. It was the capital of the Kuru dynasty emperors in the Mahabharata.  
• Sivasagar: 
  • A town in Upper Assam known for its Ahom palaces and monuments. It was the capital of the Ahom Kingdom from 1699 to 1788.  
• Adichanallur: 
  • An archaeological site from south India with a history dating back to 2500 BC–2200 BC. In 2004, human skeletons of varying ethnicities were unearthed here. 
• Rakhigarhi: 
  • Rakhigarhi in Haryana’s Hissar district is one of the most prominent and largest sites of the Harappan civilisation. It is one among the five known townships of the Harappan civilisation in the Indian subcontinent.