President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday launched the Gujarat Assembly’s National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) project, which makes the State Assembly’s proceedings digital and paperless.
The project was launched on the opening day of the four-day monsoon session of the State Assembly.
“NeVA is a progressive transformation, which will bring transparency in the functioning of the Gujarat Assembly, and also help members of the House access the best practices of other Assemblies,” Ms. Murmu said in her address in the Assembly.
NeVA is a pet project of Gujarat Assembly Speaker Shankar Chaudhary, who has committed to make the entire functioning of the Assembly digital, including the legislative proceedings. All members have a pre-installed tablet providing all details, including questions, Bills, and other resources.
The NeVA project aligns with the broader Digital India Programme representing one of the 44 Mission Mode Projects (MMP).
So far, 21 State Assemblies have signed Memorandums of Understanding to implement NeVA, and funding has been allocated for 17 of them. Nine legislatures have transitioned fully into digital Houses and actively operate on the NeVA platform, that is, all their legislative activities are conducted digitally and without paper.
NeVA epitomises the concept of ‘One Nation, One Application’, with a mission to prioritise cloud-first and mobile-first approaches, all centred around serving the Members of Legislative Assemblies more effectively. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had initially proposed the concept of ‘One Nation, One Legislative Platform’ in November 2021.
In her address, President Murmu lauded the development of the State. “This State has made efforts not only for the welfare of humans but also animals. I am extremely happy to see Gujarat’s development but I would like to draw your attention to one thing — the representation of women in this House. Today women, be it in science and technology, defence or sports, are displaying excellence and should have a representation even in politics,” she said.
Her remark about increasing the representation of women in the State Assembly assumes significance amidst the buzz over the push for the Women’s Reservation Bill in the special session of Parliament slated for September 18-22.
The President did not mention women’s reservation in politics, in Parliament, or in the State Assemblies.
During the four days of the monsoon session, apart from the regular business of the House, nine Bills will be discussed, including the Gujarat Common Universities Bill, 2023, which, alleges the opposition Congress, aims to end student politics in universities.
