Web Ratna Awards have been instituted under the ambit of the National Portal of INDIA (www.india.gov.in), in order to promote innovative e-Governance initiatives and honour the exemplary efforts in this direction.

The NIC Coordinators for the National Portal (NCNP) are instrumental in providing technical expertise for ensuring an effective & sustainable contribution of information pertaining to State/Ministry/Department on the National Portal of INDIA.

Shri Sanjay Hardikar, Technical Director, NIC Madhya Pradesh State Centre, Bhopal has been selected by esteemed Jury for Platinum Icon award for 2009 under NCNP (NIC Coordinator for the National Portal) category of Web Ratna Awards for displaying exemplary initiative in fulfilling this mandate.

The award was conferred by the Hon’ble Union Minister of Communication & Information Technology, Thiru A. Raja to Shri Sanjay Hardikar, in the presence of Shri Sachin Pilot, Hon’ble Minister of State for Communication & Information Technology & DG(NIC) in an exclusive award presentation ceremony held on 19th April 2010 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. Shri M.Vinayak Rao, Sr. Technical Director & SIO, NIC Madhya Pradesh was also present in the Presentation Ceremony.

‘The m-Governance Mantra’ project of Forest Department, Government of Madhya Pradesh also bagged Golden Icon award under category ‘Innovative Use of Technology’. The project includes various web-enabled applications developed by NIC, Madhya Pradesh for Forest Department, besides involvement of NIC District Centres in the implementation that lead to success of the project.