Special feature
Web Ratna Awards
With the penetration of internet and availability of affordable means to access the World Wide Web, the government web space can now be accessed by the citizens of India across the nation, rural and urban alike. This raises the expectation from Government websites and Portals for higher accessibility and citizen centricity to facilitate inclusive access to government information and services as the Government websites have become first point of contact between the citizens and the Government. Since its launch in 2005, National Portal of India has come a long way in providing a simple & easy interface to a plethora of Government Information & Services. india.gov.in, a gateway to more than 6500 Indian Government websites is accessed by Indian citizens, overseas communities and has thousands of registered users seeking regular updates from the portal.
Across the country a lot of initiatives have been taken up by the government Ministries/Departments/States to effectively deliver the services and information to the citizens with the use of ICT. In order to acknowledge the efforts of those who have taken exemplary initiatives using the medium of World Wide Web; Web Ratna Awards have been instituted. The Web Ratna Awards is the result of an active engagement of various ICT initiatives being taken in Indian government. This award also portrays some of the noteworthy, interactive and innovative ICT practices in India. Over 260 nominations from 27 States/Union Territories apart from Government of India entities were received. The selection of the winners involved an in-depth and comprehensive online and offline evaluation by an independent Jury which comprised of Secretary (Department of Information Technology), Director General (National Informatics Centre), Special Secretary (Department of Administrative Reforms &Public Grievances), Additional Secretary (Department of Information Technology), Deputy Director General (National Informatics Centre), distinguished Professors of IIM (Ahmedabad) & IIT (Delhi), President (NASSCOM), Chairman & CMD (Cyber Media) (India) Ltd. and Project Leader (National Portal). In order to choose the best entry in each category the Jury evolved a matrix of parameters including "impact innovation", "significance to common man", "use of technology", "sustainability" etc. These awards have been instituted under the following eight categories:
- Citizen Centric Service
- Public Participation Initiative
- Outstanding Web Content
- Innovative Use of Technology
- Comprehensive Web Presence -Ministry/Department
- Comprehensive Web Presence -State
- National Portal Coordinator of the Year (NPC)
- NIC Coordinator of the National Portal (NCNP)
Altogether 24 awards were conferred by Thiru A. Raja, the Hon'ble Union Minister of Communications & IT, in the presence of Shri Sachin Pilot, the Hon'ble Minister of State for Communications & IT at an exclusive award presentation ceremony. Dignitaries from DIT, NIC, august awardees and distinguished Jury and Screening Committee and participants graced the occasion.
Thiru A. Raja said on the occasion, "Information Technology holds tremendous potential to extend and enable access to critical information and delivery of public services in a far more efficient and effective manner. Reminding the people who need to access this information and services the most, are the ones that currently have virtually little or no access to electronic service delivery channels." He emphasised the need to work together to develop and implement strategies and mechanisms to reach them.
The Hon'ble Minister Thiru A. Raja also launched a new Accessible website of Department of Information Technology, www.mit.gov.in on the occasion to make internet accessible to visually impaired and physically challenged persons so that they too can equally benefit from the ICT revolution. The website has been designed and enhanced by tools to facilitate web browsing by people with low vision, problem of colour blindness etc. Not only this, the website has the facility of a freely downloadable Screen Reader that facilitates web browsing even by those who have completely lost the faculty of sight. For those who are suffering from other physical problems which makes mouse control difficult for them the website can be simply browsed though the keyboard.
www.mit.gov.in
On the occasion, Sh. Sachin Pilot, the Union Minister of State for Communications & IT stressed upon the need to increase the penetration of internet and computers to most distant areas of the country to ensure an inclusive digitisation of service delivery.