National e-Governance Plan (NeGP)
Introduction
- vThe National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) was approved by the Government of India in May 2006.
- It aimed to make all government services accessible to the common man in their locality, through common service delivery outlets, and to ensure efficiency, transparency, and reliability at affordable costs.
- The NeGP marked a shift from departmental-centric IT initiatives to a citizen-centric integrated approach.
Vision
“Make all Government services accessible to the common man in his locality, through common service delivery outlets, and ensure efficiency, transparency & reliability of such services at affordable costs to realize the basic needs of the common man.”
Key Features
1. Mission Mode Projects (MMPs)
Around 27 MMPs were launched covering various sectors, such as:
- Central Government: Income Tax, MCA21 (corporate affairs), Passport, Banking, Insurance, etc.
- State Government: Land Records, Transport, Agriculture, e-District, Municipalities, Treasuries.
- Integrated Projects: e-Courts, India Portal, CSCs, State Wide Area Networks (SWAN).
2. Core Infrastructure Projects
To support MMPs, NeGP created core infrastructure:
- State Data Centres (SDCs)
- State Wide Area Networks (SWANs)
- Common Service Centres (CSCs)
- National/State Service Delivery Gateways (NSDG/SSDGs)
3. Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Model
Many service centres and IT projects were developed through PPP to ensure scalability and cost-effectiveness.
Objectives
- Transform governance into a citizen-centric model.
- Standardize and integrate IT initiatives across states and ministries.
- Promote efficiency, accountability, and transparency in public service delivery.
- Enable rural access through CSCs, bridging the digital divide.
- Create a sustainable ecosystem for e-Governance in India.
Challenges
- Digital Divide – rural vs. urban access to ICT.
- Capacity Building – lack of trained manpower.
- Connectivity Issues – weak infrastructure in remote areas.
- Coordination Problems – multiple ministries, overlapping jurisdictions.
- Resistance to Change – bureaucratic delays and reluctance.
Transition to Digital India
- In 2015, the Digital India Programme was launched, building on NeGP’s foundation.
- While NeGP provided the initial infrastructure and mission-mode projects, Digital India expanded the vision with broader objectives like digital literacy, cashless economy, and e-participation.
