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| 19. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) AND OTHER ACTIVITIES |
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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES (ICT) The induction of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the Department in its day to day functioning has provided a platform for efficient and effective administration, public interface and environment at work place. The minimum agenda of e-governance of the government has been implemented to promote the usage of ICT and e-governance among the staff. This includes the establishment of Local Area Network connecting all sections/ divisions and officers, content management and maintenance of website of the department for information dissemination and electronic delivery of services, training of the staff and implementation of various systems, applications and packages for e-governance. The efforts are continued to promote the usage of ICT with its infrastructural upgradation, implementation of e-governance applications and electronic delivery of services. In addition to the internal automation of the Department, electronic interface with community partners for trade facilitation, Electronic Payment through Net Banking and integration of Digital Signature have already been introduced. ICT Infrastructure All sections/ divisions and officers have computers and printers at their work place in the Department. The computers are connected on a Local Area Network (LAN), which is established and maintained by National Informatics Centre (NIC). The LAN has over three hundred nodes connecting all work places in the department with computer communication link and providing facilities for round the clock E-mail, intranet/ internet and database access operations. Proxy, Mail and Database Servers are installed and maintained by NIC for this purpose. The Department’s Computer Centre is having the latest tools of information and communication technologies (ICT) and is managed by computer professionals from National Informatics Centre (NIC) to cater to the needs of data processing, analysis and Management Information System (MIS). The Centre is responsible for the development, implementation and maintenance of various on-line information systems/ applications for decision support and e-governance systems/ applications for office automation. It is also instrumental in creating awareness about the applications and promotion of use of information and communication technologies in the Department. High end servers are installed in the Computer Centre to carry out system/ application development and maintenance activities. The regular support for E-mail and Intranet/ Internet operations has been provided by NIC. . NIC has also integrated Digital Signatures and encryption successfully with the e-mail and operationalised at strategic location. In order to provide assistance to the visitors, a Facilitation Counter is operational in the department. The information systems operational at the Facilitation counter facilitates the visitors with the information about various subjects dealt by the Department, its policies and procedures, contact details of the officers and their work allocation, trade details etc. The visitors may also submit their queries which are forwarded to the concerned officers for further action. International and National Video Conferencing Video Conferencing Network Facility setup by the NIC, in the department, is being used from time to time for meetings through video conferencing with various locations within the country. For multi-point international meetings NIC-Video Conferencing Studio at NIC-Head Quarters, New Delhi has been used as a cost effective and time saving means. Some of the important international meetings which have been successfully organised through Video conferencing are:
Department’s Web site Department’s web site (http://commerce.gov.in) maintained by NIC, provides better interface for worldwide access to the information about the department, its working, policies, foreign trade policy, WTO related matters, Trade promotion measures/ assistance and infrastructure development and Antidumping related matters etc. It also has the linkages with its attached/ subordinate offices and trade related organisations in the country. It is being updated regularly with the Press Releases and other information updates. Hindi versions of various options are also available. Various applications have been hosted on the web site for information dissemination, data collection and monitoring. It includes web based systems on country’s trade to provide query based access to the country wise, commodity wise, country x commodity wise exports/ imports details; monitoring systems for release of funds under Assistance to States for Developing Infrastructure and other allied activities (ASIDE) Scheme and Critical Infrastructure Balancing (CIB) scheme for data collection from states and central agencies and its further monitoring in the department etc. Intranet Portal A general utility web portal has been developed, maintained at the local area network/ Intranet to facilitate the users within the department, with direct access to the information of daily use in the office, various applications/ systems on office automation and e-governance. MIS and other applications Various information systems/ applications for decision support and e-governance systems/ applications have been developed, implemented and operationalised in the department. It includes systems for monitoring and analysis of the country’s trade details for decision support, e-governance applications for office automation and information dissemination. Computer Awareness and Training Regular training programmes are being organised in the department to promote the usages of ICT, among the staff in the department. Computer training has been imparted to all working level staff in the department. Electronic Commerce (EC) / Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) for Trade The Department is managing a community project entitled “Electronic Commerce (EC) / Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) for Trade” for facilitating international trade. The community partners of this project are various trade regulatory and facilitating agencies like Customs, Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Ports, Airports, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Export PromotionOrganisations (EPO), Exporters, Importers, Agents, Container Corporation of India (CONCOR) and Banks. The objectives of this project are to facilitate electronic delivery of services; to simplify procedures; to provide 24 hour access to users with their partners; to make procedure transparent; to reduce the transaction cost and time, and to introduce international standards and best practices. Considerable progress has been achieved in EC/EDI implementation by participating organisations like Customs, DGFT, Airports Authority of India (AAI), Ports etc. as electronic filing/processing of documents is supported by these organisations along with electronic payment facilities. The project has also received international acclaim. It was selected as the best project in the Trade Facilitation category and awarded Asia Award instituted by Asia Pacific Council for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (AFACT) held at Chinese Taipei on 24th Sep. 2004. Sixteen countries from Asia Pacific region competed for this award. Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) The DGFT, a multi location organization with 33 offices spread across the country, connected with Single Carrier per Channel (SCPC) Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSATs). Facility for Online/ offline electronic filling is available through DGFT web site for exporters/ importers. Online links provided with selected Banks and customs Ports for information exchange. Digital Signature based processing has already started in DGFT. Interface with banks for direct remittance of application fee through Net- banking is also operational. Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) with customs is operational and used extensively. Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals (DGS&D) To provide an integrated electronic interface to trade and industry and enhance the transparency and efficiency in the organization, the most of the core functions of the DGS&D like Purchase, Registration and Inspection are being computerized. The web-based systems for Purchase and Registration have been implemented and made operational in the DGS&D Head Quarter and regional/zonal offices of the DGS&D. Inspection system, Payment System for Office of Chief Controller of Accounts (CCA) are under implementation. The DGS&D has already initiated steps in submission and opening of bids online through E-Tendering. The requisite hardware in terms of Servers, Local Area Network (LAN) with 350 nodes and Wide Area Network (WAN) are already installed and operational at Head Quarter. Various Regional, Zonal and Field offices are already connected through WAN to centralized database installed at Head Quarter. VIGILANCE The Vigilance Section in the Department with the JS&CVO as Divisional head deals with the work relating to implementation of Conduct rules as well as processing of annual property returns and completion of Annual Confidential Reports of all the officers of the Department. It is also responsible for such items of work as regular and surprise inspections of sensitive spots, review and streamlining of procedures, which appear to afford scope for corruption or misconduct and for initiating other measures for the prevention, detection of corruption and other malpractices and punishment of the corrupt in the Department as well as its attached and subordinate offices and public sector undertaking . The Vigilance Section of the Department also deals with disciplinary cases of board level appointees working in various Public Sector Undertakings, Autonomous Bodies and Commodity Boards functioning under the administrative control of the Department, while the cases of non Board level appointees of the various PSUs, Autonomous Bodies and Commodity Boards are looked after by the respective CVOs/Heads of the Organisation. During the year 2003-2004, about 102 investigations/inquiries were conducted (as per information available upto 31.1.2004) and on the basis of these inquiry proceedings, in 72 cases Major/Minor penalties were imposed in Attached and Subordinate Offices, PSUs , Autonomous Bodies and Commodity Boards and the Department of Commerce. PUBLIC GRIEVANCES A Grievances Cell is functioning in the Department. Grievances submitted to the cell will be acknowledged within a week and action is completed within one month for grievances relating to the Department, and within two months, with respect to grievances relating to Export Promotion Councils, Commodity Boards and Public Sector Undertakings under the Department. A Grievances Box has been provided at the Information and Facilitation Counter (IFC) situated at Gate No. 14, Udyog Bhavan. In the event of the person wanting to take up the matter personally, he or she may contact the Staff Grievance Officer, Dr. M.S.Rao, Joint Secretary, Room No. 247, Udyog Bhawan, New Delhi (Tele fax No. 23016461; E-mail: m_srao@ub.nic.in). Thursday is observed as meetingless day in the Department and officers will make themselves available to the public without insisting upon prior appointment, between 3.00 and 4.00 PM on those days. APPELLATE COMMITTEE A quasi-judicial Appellate Committee is working under the Chairmanship of an Additional Secretary in the Department, which is responsible for taking expeditious action on appeals preferred against the statutory orders passed by DGFT/Additional DGFT/Development Commissioners of the EPZs/SEZs under the provisions of the Foreign Trade (Development & Regulation) Act, 1992. RECORD CELL A Record Cell is functions in Department of Commerce, under the charge of Joint Secretary (Administration). The substantive functions of the Cell are custody / maintenance of the closed files of the Department of Commerce, and implementation of National Archives Policy Resolution, 1972 and the Public Records Act, 1993. In order to implement the Public Records Act, 1993 more effectively, the Department of Commerce had nominated a Departmental Record Officer in the year 2001. All Attached / Subordinate Offices, Public Sector Undertakings, Autonomous Bodies, Commodity Boards and Export Promotion Councils under the Department of Commerce and also been advised to take similar action. The DROs are charged with the responsibility of ensuring implementation of the Public Records Act, 1993, in their respective offices. Steps are also being taken, periodically, for reviewing and weeding out of old files. while the files over 25 years are reviewed jointly with with the National Archives of India (NAI). Consequent upon completion of the review, 5484 over 25 years old files have been transferred to the NAI. The Record cell premises have also been renovated for ensuring better storage, maintenance and retrieval of records.. |