Page 142 - DLIS408_INFORMATION_TECHNOLOGY-APPLICATIONSL SCIENCES

Unit 12: Libraries and Information Centers in India

Country. During 1980s and early part of 1990s, the policy thrust was on creating a “decision Notes
support system” for development planning and responsive administration in governments (i.e.
an earlier version of the present day “e-Governance” / “e-Government”). NIC has vast core
expertise and experience in the design, development and operationalisation of various
e-Government projects in the areas of Public Administration and Governance viz., Agriculture &
Food, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, Forestry & Environment, Industry, Health, Education, Budget
and Treasury, Fiscal Resources, Transport, Water Resources, Court Management, Rural
Development, Land Records and Property registration, Culture & Tourism, Import & Exports
facilitation, Social Welfare Services, Micro-level Planning etc.

Government of India Initiatives

After the war with China in 1962, the Government of India realised the importance and felt the
need of a strong indigenous electronics base for security and national development and accordingly
set up the Electronics Committee (also known as the Bhabha Committee) under the Chairmanship
of the renowned nuclear scientist Dr. Homi J Bhabha. The Committee in its report in 1966 focused
on computers as tools “to the development of a new outlook and a new scientific culture” and
suggested the establishment of a National Computer Centre and five regional centres.
The Electronics Committee convened a National Conference on Electronics in 1968 wherein
Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, the then Chairman of the Committee, suggested the formation of National
Informatics Organisation towards fulfilling the goal of a self-reliant electronics industry.
Recognising the need for rapid progress in this regard, the Government of India set up a separate
Department of Electronics (DOE) with effect from 26th June 1970 with Professor M.G.K. Menon as
the Secretary of the Department. The department functioned directly under Prime Minister as a
scientific department. The Government constituted the Electronics Commission in February 1971
under the Chairmanship of Professor M.G.K. Menon.
For policy formulation and implementation through meaningful, effective and in-depth studies in
the field of electronics including computer industry, an Information, Planning and Analysis Group
(IPAG) of the Electronics Commission was constituted in October 1971 with Dr. N. Seshagiri as its
Director.
The Headquarters of the Department of Electronics were at Delhi and those of the Electronics
Commission at Mumbai (then Bombay). The IPAG as part of the Electronics Commission was
centered at Mumbai.

GENESIS
The Electronics Commission and the DOE put forward a proposal to UNDP for assistance to set up
a National Computer Centre in Delhi for building up national data bases, developing the
methodologies for utilising these, and for defining the various options and paths in decision-
making at the national level. A UNDP team visited Delhi in March 1975 to study the proposal. The
UNDP agreed to fund the National Informatics Centre to the extent of US $4.4 million for the
purchase of a large computer system (costing approximately US $3.3 million), other hardware,
training, the services of experts, etc.

The 1976-77 Annual Report of the DOE noted:
In view of this, action has been taken to proceed with the preliminary work relating to the National
Informatics Centre so that when UNDP financial assistance becomes available and the major hardware
is commissioned (in 1978 on the basis of current information), the Centre can get on with its work on
an expeditious basis. NIC is a plan project administered by the Information, Planning and Analysis
Group (IPAG) of the Electronics Commission in its initial stages.
The Advisory Council set up for the NIC in 1976-1977 had the following composition.
1. Prof. M. G. K. Menon, Chairman, Electronics Commission Chairman
2. Shri M. Satyapal, Advisor (I&M;), Planning Commission Member
3. Shri C.S. Swaminathan, Controller General of Accounts, Ministry of Finance Member
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