A digital initiative for managing COVID-19 in coordination with local NGOs has won a national e-Governance award for Nagaland’s Mon district a month after the killing of 14 civilians by the armed forces.
Mon was among 231 entries from districts across the country in the category of “Use of information and communication technology in the management of COVID-19”. The district’s project named “Technology in aid to administration” won silver while the “COVID call centre and management system” of Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar district won the gold.
The national awards were presented at the 24th National Conference on e-Governance in Hyderabad on January 7 and 8.
The e-Governance Division of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions had intimated Mon Deputy Commissioner Thavaseelan K. about the feat on December 10. But the district authorities were then caught up with the complications arising out of the Oting killings on December 4.
A botched ambush by an elite Army unit and retaliatory violence led to the death of 13 civilians and a soldier near Oting village that night. Another civilian was gunned down when an angry mob attacked an Assam Rifles camp in district headquarters Mon on December 5.
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“Our project entailed using various emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, machine learning and deep learning to manage the COVID pandemic and reduce the hardship of the people. Several NGOs and private companies were involved at various stages for the formulation and implementation of the initiative,” Mr. Thavaseelan said.
Of the 1,377 entries, the top 26 initiatives have been awarded in six categories.
