National e-Governance Plan
Science & Technology › IT, Telecommunications and Computers · Topic 14.25
The National e-Governance Plan, NeGP, was approved by the Union Cabinet on 18 May 2006 to bring government services to citizens through common service delivery outlets and to make them efficient, transparent and reliable. It was a programme of programmes made up of Mission Mode Projects, which are individual projects for a particular service such as passports, income tax, land records or e-courts, and of the supporting infrastructure of State Data Centres, State Wide Area Networks and Common Service Centres. The Department of Electronics and Information Technology, now the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, led it. In 2015 the NeGP was folded into the Digital India programme as e-Kranti, the National e-Governance Plan 2.0.
5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Science & Technology · IT, Telecommunications and Computers
At a Glance
- Approved 18 May 2006
- Structure Mission Mode Projects
- Support CSC, SDC, SWAN
- Later form e-Kranti in Digital India
- Nodal ministry MeitY
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Science & Technology: IT, Telecommunications and Computers
Where Does It Fit?
This topic follows the account of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. It moves to government programmes that use these technologies, and links with Digital India and the next topic on E-Kranti. Previous topic: Networking: Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Hotspot. Next topic: Code for India and E-Kranti Initiative.
What Is the Structure of the NeGP?
| Element | Details |
|---|---|
| Approval | Cabinet approval on 18 May 2006, with 27 Mission Mode Projects and eight components at first, later increased to 31 projects |
| Mission Mode Projects | Stand-alone projects with clear service outcomes, led by a ministry or state. They are grouped as central, state and integrated |
| Central examples | Income tax, passport, visa and immigration, Central Excise, banking, pensions, MCA21 and insurance |
| State examples | Land records, road transport, agriculture, police, treasuries, municipalities, commercial taxes, e-District and employment exchange |
| Integrated examples | e-Courts, e-Procurement, EDI for e-commerce and the National e-Governance Services Delivery Gateway |
| Common Service Centres | Village level access points offering services, run by village level entrepreneurs, started in 2006 to 2007 |
| State Data Centres | Data centres in states for hosting government applications |
What Is the Core Infrastructure and What Happened to NeGP?
- State Wide Area Network: SWAN connects state headquarters with districts and blocks for data, voice and video
- National Informatics Centre network: NICNET links central and state government offices
- Mobile Seva: a platform for delivering services through mobile phones
- Unique identity: Aadhaar, as in Biometrics and Virtual Reality, became the common identity for many services
- e-Kranti: National e-Governance Plan 2.0, approved in 2015 as a pillar of Digital India, with the aim of Transforming e-Governance for Transforming Governance
- Lessons: earlier projects were often supply driven, with separate silos and low use
- Digital India: launched on 1 July 2015, it brought NeGP under a larger programme with nine pillars
- Criticism: delays, uneven state capacity, low digital literacy and weak back-end process reform
What Else Should You Remember?
- Goals of NeGP: make all government services accessible to the common man in his locality through common service delivery outlets
- Vision: bring public services within reach of citizens at affordable cost and ensure efficiency, transparency and reliability
- Approach: centralised infrastructure and decentralised implementation
- Funding: a part of money came from the central plan and states, and some projects used public private partnership
- MCA21: the project of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs that put company registration online
- Passport Seva: an online passport project run with a private partner, a widely noticed success
- e-Courts: computerisation of courts, now in a third phase as in Contemporary Debates
- e-Procurement: online tendering to improve transparency
- National Service Delivery Gateway: a middleware to link different departments
- DigiLocker: a digital document locker launched in 2015 under Digital India
- UMANG: a single app for many government services, launched in 2017
- Common Service Centres today: CSCs now number several lakh, many in gram panchayats, and offer banking, insurance, health and education services
- Second Administrative Reforms Commission: its report on e-governance recommended process reengineering before computerisation
- Digital India initiative: the wider programme is in Digital India Initiative and E-Governance Programmes
- Right to services laws: many states have laws that guarantee delivery of services in a time limit
- Privacy and data: large databases need safeguards, as in Cyber Law in India
- Digital divide: digital literacy and connectivity gaps limit benefits
- Service delivery outcomes: the aim was to reduce visits to offices, cut waiting time and lower the chance of corruption through online tracking
- Capacity building scheme: a scheme to train officials and set up project management units in states supported the plan
- Citizen charter: departments publish the time and standard of service that citizens can expect
Why Does It Matter for the Exam?
- Date: 18 May 2006
- Components: CSC, SDC, SWAN and MMPs
- Later form: e-Kranti under Digital India
- Current affairs link: DigiLocker, UMANG, e-Courts phase III
- Common errors: confusing NeGP of 2006 with Digital India of 2015
As an analytical point, the NeGP built the base of data centres, networks and service centres. Its lesson is that technology works only with process reform, trained staff and demand from citizens.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Structure MMPs and base
- Dates 2006 and 2015
- Lessons Process reform
What Came Next?
The next topic covers Code for India and the E-Kranti initiative. Next topic: Code for India and E-Kranti Initiative.
Key People and Terms
- NeGP National e-Governance Plan
- MMP Mission Mode Project
- CSC Common Service Centre
- SDC State Data Centre
- SWAN State Wide Area Network
- e-Kranti NeGP 2.0
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- NeGP approved 18 May 2006.
- 27 MMPs at first, later 31.
- Digital India launched 1 July 2015.
- CSC, SDC, SWAN are the core infrastructure.
- e-Kranti = NeGP 2.0.
Do Not Confuse With
- NeGP and Digital India 2006 plan versus 2015 umbrella programme
- SDC and SWAN Data centre versus network
- CSC and MMP Access outlet versus service project
Memory Hook
Two-oh-oh-six NeGP, twenty-seven MMPs; CSC, SDC, SWAN lay the base; 2015 made it e-Kranti.
Mains Angle
Questions ask for dates, components and examples. These points help.
- Aim Citizen services
- Base CSC, SDC, SWAN
- Lessons Process reform
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Evaluate the National e-Governance Plan and explain why it was subsumed under Digital India.”
How to Answer
- Aim Goals.
- Structure MMPs and base.
- Gaps Silos.
- Shift e-Kranti.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the National e-Governance Plan?
The National e-Governance Plan was approved by the Union Cabinet on 18 May 2006 to deliver government services to citizens through common service outlets. It consisted of Mission Mode Projects for services such as passports, income tax and land records, supported by common infrastructure including Common Service Centres, State Data Centres and State Wide Area Networks.
What are Mission Mode Projects?
Mission Mode Projects are individual e-governance projects under the NeGP, each focused on a particular service, with clear goals and timelines. They are grouped as central, state and integrated projects, such as the passport, income tax, land records, e-courts and e-procurement projects. They started with 27 and later became 31.
What are Common Service Centres?
Common Service Centres are village level access points, run by local entrepreneurs, that provide government and private services using computers and the internet. They began under the NeGP in 2006 and 2007, and now offer services in banking, insurance, health, education and digital documents, especially in rural areas.
What is e-Kranti?
e-Kranti is the National e-Governance Plan 2.0, approved in 2015 as a key pillar of the Digital India programme. It aims at Transforming e-Governance for Transforming Governance with a focus on integrated services, mobile first delivery, and business process reengineering across government departments.
What is the role of SWAN?
The State Wide Area Network connects state capitals with districts and blocks through a secure high-speed network for data, voice and video. Along with State Data Centres, it forms the core infrastructure for delivering e-governance services at state level in India.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 The NeGP was approved in 2006.
On 18 May 2006.
2 SWAN stands for State Wide Area Network.
Linking state and district offices.
3 Digital India was launched in 2006.
It was launched in 2015.
4 Common Service Centres are part of core infrastructure under NeGP.
Along with SDC and SWAN.
Past Mains Questions on This Topic
This topic comes under IT, Telecommunications and Computers. UPSC Mains questions asked on the matching syllabus topic, year-wise with marks:
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