Making Of The Champion

The

Jury



(Front row from left) Santanu Sengupta,
director, Grameen Sanchar Society; Rufina Fernandees, CEO, NASSCOM

Foundation; Shyam Malhotra,

editor-in-chief, Dataquest; Osama Manzar,

director, Digital Empowerment Foundation 



(Behind from left) Parminder Jeet Singh,
director, IT for Change; Ashish Sanyal,

director-e-Gov Program Management Unit, DIT; Tanmoy

Chakrabarty, VP and head-Global Government Industry Group,

TCS; R Chandrashekhar, joint

secretary- e-Gov, DIT; Madanmohan Rao,

consultant, Asian Media Information and Communication Center; Satish

Kaushal, country manager-Government, IBM India; Dr Anil Gupta,

prof, IIM-Ahmedabad and

director, National Innovation Foundation and Aruna

Sundararajan, India head GeSCI (no in the photograph)

participated online in the process.

 “For

simplifying district level administration by abolishing layered structure

of bureaucracy through ICT intervention, leading to better redressal of

public grievances and information dissemination of government schemes;

thereby connecting people to strategy makers”

Prof MM Ansari, information commissioner handing over the trophy to Amod Kumar (Right)

As the district

magistrate of Sitapur he is credited with conceptualizing and implementing

Lokvani, a web-based grievance handling system aimed at improving the

responsiveness of the district administration. This single window system

also handles land record maintenance as well as offering other services

like online revenue court cases, tender publishing and monitoring,

employment advertising, beside providing information of various government

schemes, prescribed government forms, arms application status and

teacher's GPF details. The model is being replicated across Uttar

Pradesh.

This MTech in civil

engineering from IIT-Kanpur, has a deep understanding of government

functioning, thanks to his unique and diverse career profile that ranges

from his first posting as the sub-divisional magistrate to being chief

development officer of Rae Bareli, additional commissioner of rural

development department and additional executive director, State

Innovations in Family Planning Services Project Agency. He is also

credited with implementing the CM's videoconferencing with district

magistrates in 2001 as the special secretary to the Chief Minister of

Uttar Pradesh.

Address:

DM Sitapur Residence, Civil Lines, Sitapur-261001, Uttar Pradesh, India; 



Tel: 5862-242600 / 242212. Fax:  5862-242615 Email: amodkumar71@yahoo.co.in

“For developing

and executing business models that suit the needs of the industry,

government and the citizens and for driving a highly motivated team of

more than 200 IT professionals in Uttar Pradesh, to achieve 'Good

Governance' through ICT intervention”

R Chandrashekhar (Left) hands over the e-Gov Champion trophy to Shyam Bihari Singh

A man with rich

experience of serving private, public sector and central government

organizations in different capacities, he has been involved in the rollout

of majority of e-Gov projects in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar-from automation

in Treasury, State Electricity Board, Transport and Sales Tax Departments

to Land Registry, Pension disbursement, Lokvani and Bhu-lekh. He is also

credited for implementation of the online electricity billing system in

Bihar and redefining the PPP



service delivery model as a pro-poor program.

The man, who joined

NIC's UP state unit in 2001, has since then been striving hard to

provide the fruits of IT enabled services to the common man despite the

odds of political and bureaucratic reshuffles and negative attitude of

government employees. A BE from BITS-Pilani, he has also worked with

Delhi-based software company Softek where he was responsible for designing

and developing two highly acclaimed software packages-SIMS and the

Banking System. Subsequently, he joined NTPC in New Delhi and extensively

worked on the production, planning and control to streamline the material

management process.

Address:

NIC, UP State Unit, 9, Sarojini Naidu Marg, Yojana Bhavan, Lucknow-226001,

Uttar Pradesh; Telephone:

0522-2238415/ 2238949/ 2238950; Email:

sio@up.nic.in; spsingh@nic.in

 

“For harnessing

the power of Information Technology to create a knowledge-based society

and directing Chandigarh's IT policies to improve G2G and G2C

interactions through an integrated service mechanism, thereby bringing

about qualitative change in people's life”

This electronics and

communication engineer from Regional Engineering College, Kurukshetra is

credited with driving the e-Gov initiatives of the Chandigarh

Administration with the eSampark project, an integrated service mechanism

for providing government to citizen services through a single window. He

is also credited with automating the functioning of the Public Relations

and Cultural Affairs Department and implementing the union territory's

IT Policy. 

Besides, he has also

been responsible for promoting Chandigarh as an investment destination,

setting up of the Chandigarh Technology Park and new initiatives such as

Society for Promotion of IT in Chandigarh (SPIC) and Chandigarh Training

on Soft Skills (C-TOSS)-all aimed at



creating a knowledge society.

The man who joined the

Haryana Civil Services in 1991 has a rich experience of handling

government processes as sub divisional magistrate at Kalka, Naraiangarh

and Firozepur Jhirka. He was also posted as city magistrate at Kaithal and

Narnaul and has worked in Finance, Planning and Development Departments in

various capacities before joining Chandigarh Administration on deputation

in April 2000.

Address:

5th Floor, Additional Deluxe Building, Sector 9-D, Chandigarh-160 017;



Telephone: 0172-2749120; Fax:

0172-2740005; Email: dit@chd.nic.in

“For driving

automation of G2G transactions at various levels and

departments-particularly for the rural masses-through planned ICT

intervention, government process re-engineering and change management;

thereby considerably helping the Tamil Nadu government improve delivery of

citizen services”

This 1995 batch IAS

officer is credited with creating the first paperless government office in

Tamil Nadu as the Executive Director of Tamil Nadu Corporation for

Development of Women Ltd in November 2001. He has also been instrumental

in computerization of the Chief Minister's special cell while serving as

the special officer, with the department.

The man who has an

extensive field experience in participatory development, panchayati raj,

literacy, health, sanitation, child rights and has also championed the

cause of gender issues had also initiated and executed computerization of

all 14 Block Development offices in Tiruvallur district as the Additional

Collector Development and Project Officer, District Rural Development

Agency (DRDA), Tiruvallur district in 1999.

His other initiatives include the RASI project-rural access

service through the Internet-in Sivaganga through use of Wireless in

Local Loop (WLL) technology in 2003.

Address:

Secretariat, Fort St.George, Chennai-600009, Tamil Nadu; Telephone:

044-25672783;



Email: santynits@yahoo.com,
jsrdtn@yahoo.co.in

"For his

initiative to address the new challenges of decentralized local government

in Kerala through ICT intervention and integrated service mechanism;

thereby establishing an efficient and responsive system for the local self

governments"

As part of the

Information Kerala Mission (IKM), he has been spearheading the mission's

objective of ICT for transparency and efficiency. While he is credited

with establishing efficient and responsive systems for good governance in

local self governments, he has also been driving the mechanism set up for

improving government service delivery through a comprehensive citizen

interface mechanisms, community information systems and business process

re-engineering.

He has also been the

force driving back-end computerization program in various local government

departments and instrumental in establishing a holistic social security

network for developing an integrated micro-level resource based

developmental information system. Besides, he has also been involved in

formulation of models for alternate service delivery like

Janasevanakendram and hospital kiosk besides being activity involved in

designing FRIENDS single window service delivery facility for the

Government of Kerala and the Akshaya programme for bridging the digital

divide.

Address:

Information Kerala Mission, Pratheeksha, Near Government Engineering

College, Sreekaryam, Pangappara PO, Thiruvananthapuram-695581, Kerala; Telephone:

0471-2595832/ 2595833;



Fax: 0471-2597543; Email:
pvunni@hotmail.com, pvunni@infokerala.org;





Personal Website: www.infokerala.org/emd.html

"For harnessing

the power of Information Technology to benefit the masses through various

project initiatives at the district and panchayat level; thereby helping

the local administration to bring qualitative change in governance through

ICT intervention"

This NIC DIO from

Nalgonda has been involved with majority of the e-Gov initiatives of the

district-from land records management information system (LRMIS) to e-Panchayat

initiative and Spandan, a file monitoring system for paperless office and

grievance monitoring and redressal system. He is also credited with

implementing the general elections solution to support the district

administration in all the areas of election management including, faster

announcement of election results, data transmission to ECI, CEC and

Doordarshan for analysis.

He has also been

involved with creating financial accounting system for cooperative bank in

Karnataka's Bidar district and was also involved in software development

and implementation of the now legendry BHOOMI project. Besides, he has

also been involved with designing and development of websites for the

Chickmagalur, Nalgonda and Bidar districts.

Address:

NIC, District Informatics Centre, Collectorate, Miryalguda Road, Nalgonda-508001,

Andhra Pradesh; Telephone: 08682-233267;

Email: apnlg@apsu.ap.nic.in

He is one bureaucrat who

not only has penchant for IT but also is also completely hands-on with it.

The man who owns the patent of a system to track files and papers in a

large government office-FileTracker-during his tenure as the Director

in Department of Economic Affairs.

While in his current

position he has been responsible for planning and implementing IT

initiatives for the Government of Jharkhand, he is also considered the

first official in Bihar to have adopted computers for managing

administration, as the district magistrate of Begusarai. He is credited

with conceptualizing and implementing computerization of district treasury

during his tenure as district magistrate, Purnea, way back in 1986-89, and

a public grievances monitoring solution in 1987.

As a transport

commissioner in Bihar his automation drive led to a quantum jump in annual

tax collection-from Rs 48 crore in 1990 to Rs 152 crore in 1994. He also

introduced computerization of GPF account as a Director of GPF and

Treasuries in 1994.

His initiatives in

Jharkhand include creation of statewide information and communication

infrastructure, JharNet, computerization of various departments, planning

and implementing various e-Gov initiatives besides promoting IT

investments in the State.

Address:

Information Technology Department, Mantralaya Building, 3rd floor, Dhurwa,

Ranchi-834004, Jharkhand; Telephone:

0651-2400001; Email: sec-it-jhr@nic.in

While this bureaucrat

from Assam has vast experience in administration, agriculture has always

been his area of interest. He was a topper in 1995 for PhD in Genetics at

the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, the knowledge that came in

handy when he took over as the as an additional secretary-Agriculture,

Assam and CEO of Assam Small Farmer's Agri-Business Consortium (Assam

SFAC).

His vast experience with

various government departments, particularly the success gained during his

posting as deputy commissioner in Sonitpur District in implementing the

land records computerization project Dharitri, also came in good stead.

Soon he was to implement ASHA, the agribusiness services portal, in May

2005, aimed at empowering farmers and other partners in agribusiness, and

improving their livelihood opportunities through ICT intervention.

He is also credited with

spearheading a number of e-Governance projects-from Online Monitoring

Program (PEEP) to Intranet of Sonitpur district, public information kiosks

and development of various government websites through private partnership

model.

Address: CEO, Assam SFAC,

Agriculture Campus, Khanapara, Guwahati -781 022, Assam India, Telephone:

0361-2333560 Mobile: 094350-47851, Email:

arizahmed@yahoo.com, arizahmed@nic.in,

assamsfac@yahoo.com

Satish Kaushal (left), country head, e-Gov, IBM handing over the trophy to Rabindra Nath Dash

Armed with post-graduate diploma in rural

management he joined the Orissa administrative services in 1985 as a

deputy director in Panchayti Raj Department. Soon he was inducted to the

Indian Administrative Service in 1988 and held various positions-from

being a collector and district magistrate of Bolangir to director

Information and Public Relation Department and managing director of Orissa

Small Industries Corporation. The real break in bringing in ICT

intervention for him came during his tenure as the director anti-poverty

program, Panchayati Raj Department between 2003-2005. Today he is credited

with the networking of 314 block offices of Orissa with 30 DRDA offices

and state headquarter of Panchayati Raj Department, installation of

Priasoft, Rural soft, Betan and Pamis application software for online data

processing and management of rural development and anti-poverty program

for the state of Orissa. This has led to the improvement of efficiency and

better delivery of services to the target group consisting of 45 lakh

below poverty line families. His next ambitious project: creation of a

statewide class rooms for engineering degree and diploma students located

in 40 engineering colleges and 30 polytechnic of the state with the target

studentships of 25,000 using EDUSAT.

Address:

Type V/A Unit-2, QR # 19/4, Bhubaneswar-751009, Orissa; Telephone:

2536260;



Email: rn.dash@rediffmail.com

FC Kohli (left), awards beaming Dr Neeta Shah as the e-Gov Champion at the Mumbai Summit

Equipped with a doctorate

on Information Technology model for Management of Industrial Data, she has

a mind full of innovative ideas for enhancing rural IT infrastructure. No

wonder then that she is credited with spearheading automation in the

departments of education, legal, revenue, industries, finance, health and

tribal development of the Gujarat Government. She has handled pojects such

as E-Databank, Invite and Village Information System (VIS).

VIS is targeted at the

State's rural population with the objective of ushering better,

efficient, transparent and effective governance and citizen services that

are easy and simple to access with minimum costs.

Currently posted as

director e-Governance, she is handling project Gyan Ganga, the biggest IP

based e-Governance network in the Asia Pacific region. While the project

connects the state headquarters up to the Taluka headquarters, its 212

live kiosks and another 186 e-Gram installations across the state provides

various educational programs, health tips and online courses to people of

different age groups.

Address:

Block No 1, 8th Floor, Udyog Bhavan, Sector 11, Pin-382 017, Gandhinagar,

Gujarat. Telephone: (O) 91-79-23259223

(M) 91-98790 00542 Email: neetas@gujarat.gov.in,

neetashahgil@hotmail.com

MN Rao(right), director- IT, Goa accepting the Award on behalf of Amit A Shirodkar from Lalit Yagnik, senior executive, Solution Architecture, IBM India

A mix of rural and modern

concepts, this class 12th pass sarpanch has been involved with various

village and panchayat level development and welfare projects. Despite a

lack of formal training in technology or an IT background and with no past

record of implementing or involvement with IT projects, he dared to dream

and embrace technology when most other Sarpanch's in Goa resisted the

Infogram project aimed at automating the functions in the village

Panchayat.

And the result has been

exemplary. Not only did he help kick-start the project from the Shiroda

Village Panchayat, he is also credited with helping NIC customize the

solution for the Infogram Project in terms of providing domain knowledge

of the various needs of panchayat's and the kind of work and reports

required.

Thanks to his initiative,

not only has the project been rolled out in 22 village panchayats, efforts

are also being made through Directorate of Panchayat to roll out the same

in the remaining 168 Panchayats of the states.

He is also credited with

other development work-from construction and maintenance of dams,

canals, tanks, wells, bores, reservoirs, toilets, compound walls,

shelters, public stages to organizing health camps, sports events,

agricultural camps, and legal awareness camps. Knowing the value of

education in the lives of common man he also organized textbook donation

camps.

Address:

Bhatwada, Shiroda, Pin: 403103, Ponda, Goa, Telephone:

0832-2307400

This 1993 batch IAS

officer, who started his career as a lecturer in the BEd College,

Chandrapur is clearly a people's man who believes in participatory

approach to work, a quality that he clearly displayed



during his tenure as the additional collector earthquake rehabilitation at
Osmanabad and Latur. He has also worked as the associate professor in

YASHADA and as collector of Dhule district.

His vast experience

coupled with his drive to ensure better citizen service led him to tap the

ICT route when he took over as the Commissioner PCMC. Besides streamlining

the operation of the Corporation he is also credited with driving the

citizen-oriented solution that includes effective parametric control

mechanism. This also has an interface for the citizens to understand the

stage of their application through web with an easy guide information

kiosk.

The project also led to

process reengineering at PCMC with the aim of creating a strict citizen

service SLA in consultation with the concerned departments enabling the

departments to drastically cut down on the services delivery time.

He is also actively

engaged in the GIS project of the Pimpri-Chinchwad city and setting up of

a science and technology park.

Address:

Off Pune- Mumbai Road, Pimpri, Pune-411018, Maharashtra; Telephone:

27426331,



Email: pcmc@vsnl.com