Analysis Of Kurukshetra Magazine: ”Technology Enabled Rural Development”

Relevance

GS 2: Welfare Schemes
GS 3: Government Policies & Interventions

Introduction

• While development of our rural regions has always been a priority, the onset of digitisation has accelerated the pace of rural development.
• The GOI has launched many programs for the well-being of the common man across the country, particularly those living in rural areas and the underprivileged sections of society.

Key Government Schemes for Strengthening the PRIs

SVAMITVA (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas)

• Launched on National Panchayati Raj Day, 24th April 2020 with a resolve to enable economic progress of Rural India by providing a “Record of Rights” to every rural household owner.
• The scheme aims to demarcate inhabited (Abadi) land in rural areas through the latest surveying drone technology, which is a collaborative effort of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, State Revenue Departments, State Panchayati Raj Departments and Survey of India.
• The scheme covers multifarious aspects viz. facilitating monetisation of properties and enabling bank loan; reducing property-related disputes; comprehensive village level planning, would be the stepping-stone towards achieving Gram Swaraj in true sense and making rural India Atmanirbhar.

e-Gram Swaraj 

• In order to strengthen e-Governance in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), eGramSwaraj, a Simplified Work Based Accounting Application for Panchayati Raj, was launched on the occasion of National Panchayati Raj Day on April 24, 2020.
• It has been developed amalgamating the functionalities of all the applications under e-panchayat Mission Mode Project (MMP).
• e-GramSwaraj assists in enhancing the credibility of Panchayat through inducing greater devolution of funds to PRIs.

Geo-tagging of assets

• Geo-tagging of the assets is done in all three stages viz. (i) before start of the work, (ii) during the work and (iii) on completion of work.
• This would provide a repository of information on all works and assets related to natural resource management, water harvesting, drought proofing, sanitation, agriculture, check dams and irrigation channels etc.

Audit Online

• As a part of the critical institutional reform, XV FC has stipulated that the audited reports of Panchayat accounts need to be made available in the public domain, as an eligibility criteria.
• In this regard, MoPR had conceptualized the application “AuditOnline” for carrying out an online audit of Panchayat accounts pertaining to Central Finance Commission Grants.
• It not only facilitates the auditing of accounts but also provisions for maintaining digital audit records pertaining to audits that have been carried out.

Rural Technology Advancements – Smart Vending Cart

• In its efforts towards leveraging technology for Rural Development.
• The Smart Vending E-Cart, designed by IIT Bombay, has been demonstrated and found to be quite appropriate for use the vendors / small businesses in rural, peri-urban and farm sectors.

Making Gram Sabhas Vibrant

• MoPR has also developed an online portal with dashboard to assimilate and display key performance parameters related to the operationalization of Vibrant Gram Sabhas in the States /UTs.
• The dashboard displays in real time the details of schedules of Gram Sabha and the Panchayat subcommittees, mobilization efforts and IEC activities for awareness generation.

Long Term Core Support through Technological Advancement for Rural Areas (TARA) scheme

It includes Technological Intervention for Addressing Societal Needs (TIASN), Technology Application for Livelihood Improvement of Scheduled Caste Population (TALIM-SC), Technology Intervention Programme for Disabled & Elderly Population, People & Protected Programme for Tribal Communities living around Protected Areas to address livelihoods and conservation issues.

Women Technology Parks

Women Technology Parks are created, wherein academia and field-based S&T agencies/organizations identify local challenges and address these through appropriate S&T interventions.

Schemes which directly impact the common man

Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM)

• National Health Authority (NHA) is the implementing agency for Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).
• It aims to create a seamless online platform that will enable interoperability within the digital healthcare ecosystem.
• The mission has been conceptualized as a set of ‘digital building blocks’. Each building block is seen as a ‘digital public good’ that can be used by any entity in the digital health ecosystem and provides key capabilities that enable the ABDM vision.

ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account)

• Under the ABDM, citizens will be able to create their ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account) numbers, to which their digital health records can be linked.
• This will enable creation of longitudinal health records for individuals across various healthcare providers, and improve clinical decision making by healthcare providers.
• Under the ABDM, a user can generate their unique ABHA number.

e-Shram

• e-Shram is a portal created by the Ministry of Labor and Employment for the welfare of workers in the unorganized sector who are not members of the EPFO or ESIC.
• Registered members will be eligible for a variety of benefits after signing up for the Shramik Yojana and receiving an e-Shram card.

National Optical Fibre Network(NOFN)

• The ambitious National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) promises to bring broadband connectivity to each Gram Panchayat in the country, providing rural citizens the opportunity to reap the benefits of accessing ICT enabled services- public, private and social- ensuring inclusive economic and social growth.

Common Services Centres or CSCs

• Common Services Centres or CSCs, set up under the CSC Scheme of MeitY, are a strategic cornerstone of the Digital India programme and key access points for the delivery of various electronic services to villages in India.
• UMANG (Unified Mobile Application for New-Age Governance) is the common unified platform for the delivery of services of various Government Departments through the mobile platform.

Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP)

• The Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP), a Central Sector scheme which attempts to build upon the commonalities that exist in the arena of land records in various States to develop an appropriate Integrated Land Information Management System (ILIMS) across the country, on which different States can also add State-specific needs as they may deem relevant and appropriate.

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