ISSUES THAT MATTER INDIA ON CLOUD THE A world of limitless possibilities with e-governance, digital identity, digital locker, financial inclusion, smart cities, development...all through cloud computing IN CONVERSATION APURVA CHANDRA, Principal Secretary, Industries, Government of Maharashtra, on the state's cloud plans Page 14 GRASSROOTS How technology helped MADHYA PRADESH FOREST DEPARTMENT secure the state's vast forest lands Page 30 ISSUE 29 JUNE 2015 Contents June 2015 PJ N O S R E T E P Y B N G SI E D R E V O C 08 Harnessing the REGULAR SECTIONS Unlimited Power of 01 | Chairman’s Message 04 | Up-to-Date 29 | Events@Microsoft Cloud for Governance 30 | Grassroots Cloud for governance is the new buzzword in the corridors of power. Governments around the world are focussing on this technology for the cost optimizations and effectiveness it offers in governance. In India too, while the government works on its powerful GI Cloud initiative, at the same time, it is also fleshing out the modalities for the participation of This magazine private cloud service providers in the new game changer. is printed on recycled paper 2 Microsoft Perspective | June 2015 14 In Conversation Apurva Chandra, Principal Secretary, Industries, Government of Maharashtra, on the state’s cloud adoption strategy and why collaboration with experts is ISSUES THAT MATTER a good bet in cloud for governance arena. 22 Podium Prof M P Gupta, IIT, Delhi, writes on the imperative for cloud computing for governance and illustrates with EDITORIAL examples as to how governments across the world are Editor: Sangita Thakur Varma benefitting by the shift to the cloud. Deputy Managing Editor: Sanjay K Ojha Assistant Editor: Adiba Ansari 20 Apps for You Office for Android tablet and smartphone opens up DESIGN a world of possibilities for busy executives on the go. Sr. Creative Director: Jayan K Narayanan Carry your Office anytime, anywhere. Sr. Art Director: Anil VK Associate Art Director: Anil T 24 Profile Sr. Visualisers: Shigil Narayanan & Sristi Maurya Srilatha Rayasam, a senior engineer at Microsoft India, Visualiser: NV Baiju exemplifies the vast resource pool of talent that women Sr. Designers: Haridas Balan, Peterson PJ technologists bring to a company. Charu Dwivedi, Dinesh Devgan Manjith PB & Pradeep G Nair 17 States of Progress Designer: Vikas Sharma Surat is reworking its crucial public utilities under the ONLINE & MARCOM DESIGN CityNext initiative to emerge as a Smart City. Waste Associate Art Director: Shokeen Saifi management has already made smart progress. Sr. Designer: Manoj Kumar VP Web Designer: Om Prakash 26 Case Study PHOTOGRAPHY Sky can be the limit for curious little learners if we leave Sr. Photographer: Jiten Gandhi them unfettered. School in the Cloud does just that. 14 24 20 22 29 17 26 Your feedback is important to us. Scan the QR Code with your mobile device and tell us what you think about this issue of the Perspective magazine. Microsoft Perspective | June 2015 3 Creating a real impact for a better tomorrow Trained under Microsoft’s Project Jyoti, Shanti Lal was motivated to share his knowledge with his community members, so he opened his own computer centre, where today he teaches IT skills to the village youth. Project Jyoti is a YouthSpark initiative that imparts basic computer literacy to young people, for better employment opportunities. Our YouthSpark programmes are aimed at empowering youth to imagine new possibilities and realise their full potential. We work with governments, academia, nonprofits and businesses to provide youth with the education, skills and opportunities to be successful. Scan the QR code with your mobile device to visit us online. If you don’t have a QR Code Reader, SMS ‘Eco’ to 58888 to get the App for free. To know more about Microsoft’s initiatives, visit www.microsoft.com/india/about Find us on www.facebook.com/microsoftindia and www.twitter.com/microsoftindia Chairman’s Message Bhaskar Pramanik Chairman, Microsoft India Are we ready to reap the benefits of infinite computing? According to McKinsey, cloud is one of the top 12 most potent technologies that can catapult India in the next decade. As per their Today, through cloud assessment, computing capacity, storage, and applications delivered computing it is possible as a service over a network or the Internet (which is essentially cloud com- puting), often at lower cost, has the power of enhancing citizen-government to enable a billion Indian services and also make a positive push for the Make in India campaign. citizens to interact with the Let’s delve into one area in India where we need massive scale – education. Imagine what centralized teaching and content dissemination could do for government for various our schools in remote villages. Dr Sugata Mitra of Newcastle University is services, for doing business currently experimenting with teachers in UK and Australia teaching stu- dents in rural West Bengal through the Internet. Microsoft’s research team or to access information is experimenting with a cloud computing-based blended model of teaching securely. With the launch and learning for 40,000 students in 1,500 institutions across India. Both these experiments could scale up to benefit millions of students and teachers – of hyper-scale local cloud using the power of the cloud. Remote access to quality education is just one datacenters, like the ones scenario; there could be hundreds of such scenarios that could benefit from robust cloud infrastructure. Microsoft plans to launch by The government is working on a cost-effective governance mechanism the end of 2015, the country to accelerate delivery of citizen services on anytime, anywhere basis in the country – that is essentially cloud for governance. The government’s cloud and its citizens will have strategy as envisioned with Meghraj, is the basis for several digital infrastruc- access to infinite computing ture initiatives. I am a big supporter of Meghraj, but I would argue that India needs more secure, open and flexible computing capability immediately if capability on a variety of the Digital India vision is to become a reality. Hybrid and public cloud pro- devices, securely & privately. vide ready infrastructure with global security standards that many govern- ments around the world are already using successfully. At Microsoft, we have analyzed all regulatory, security and privacy requirements of the Govern- ment of India and ensure that our datacenters will exceed these require- ments. The Cloud Decision Framework can help government departments unlock the power of public and hybrid cloud with very compelling economic models. It is time we put the infinite power of cloud computing to work for India’s development. Microsoft Perspective | June 2015 1 Up-to-Date Good News HOT-NEWS Up-to-Date Microsoft to hire people with News from Around the World on Technology for Good, autism to boost for Growth & for Development diversity in the workplace Govt SOCIAL MEDIA//e-Governance has come of age in India! The Government of India, in March this year, launched Twitter Samvad to facilitate communication between launches people and governments at the Centre and state levels. Now tweets of Prime Minis- ter, seven state chief ministers and some government departments will be delivered Twitter to registered mobile users across the country as SMSs. It will keep the users updated daily about government proceedings and new e-governance initiatives. Anyone with Samvad a mobile phone, with or without a data plan, can register for the service by giving a missed call to a unique number dedicated to the 16 Twitter accounts that are associ- to boost ated with Twitter Samvad. For example, for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the number is 011 3006 3006. Twitter Samvad can also be used during the time of emergency as it e-governance has the ability to deliver live updates from government bodies, including time sensitive information like law and order situations as well as details about any rescue efforts. The Twitter accounts integrated with Twitter Samvad include Narendra Modi, PMO Office, First hand information Akhilesh Yadav, Gujarat CM Anandiben Patel, Ministry of Railways, External Affairs via SMS to citizens. Ministry and Bangalore City Police, among others. Talking about the initiative, Twitter CEO Dick Costolo said, “Based on Indian technological innovation, Twitter Samvad is dedicated and specially built for the largest democracy of the world. The Lok Sabha election of 2014 was the first-ever Twitter election in India and we want to continue contributing to the development of digital governance in India. As part of the Prime Minister’s Digital India initiative, this Tweet-powered service enables citizens to be the first to know about the government’s actions by receiving political content in real-time on their mobile devices anywhere in the country.” The move will further boost Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Digital India mission. 4 Microsoft Perspective | June 2015 Up-to-Date Good News will host IoT incubation infrastructure to support startups, SMEs, students and other innovators based on membership and support from design to prototype in productizing their ideas. The objec- tive of the policy is to create an IoT industry in India worth US$ 15 billion by 2020 and to increase the connected devices from around 200 million to over 2.7 billion by 2020. The government is giving special preference to young companies to get best of technologies implemented for various projects in the country. Venture funds specifically directed to support companies in IoT related domains such as memory, pro- cessor, sensors, low power devices and solar electronics will be promoted by the government, giving priority to start- IoT policy to focus on planning, ups. The policy also talks about assist- ing the Swachh Bharat initiative. The prevention & maintenance government will setup projects to cre- ate products, which are solar-powered trash receptacle and trash compactor that alerts sanitation crews of municipal POLICY//In line with Prime Minister, in his speeches, authorities, when it is full. 15 Minister Narendra Modi’s has been exhorting Indian The other key focus areas for IoT pitch for ‘Zero Defect, industries to ensure that projects include smart city, smart water, Zero Effect’, the first draft (US$ billion) the products manufactured smart environment, smart health (for Size of IoT industry policy on Internet of Things in India have ‘zero defect’ remote health management), smart by 2020 that the (IoT) by the Department policy aims to build so that they pass stringent agriculture, smart safety, smart supply of Electronics & Informa- in India. screening processes in chain and logistics and smart manu- tion Technology (DeitY) lays world markets. By ‘zero facturing. Among other things, IoT can emphasis on setting up effect’, the emphasis is on help automate solutions to problems projects using IoT for planning preven- environment-friendly manufacturing. faced by various industries like agricul- tive and in-time maintenance for equip- To promote Make in India initiative, the ture, health services, energy, security, ment in various manufacturing verticals. government will offer up to 100 per disaster management etc., through “The sensors for early defect detection cent duty benefit on imports of raw remotely connected devices. Accord- will help in reducing equipment mal- materials required for manufacturing ing to the draft, the government’s plan function and hence downtime,” the doc- IoT products. Capital goods/raw materi- of developing 100 Smart Cities and its ument elucidates. The policy also calls als purchased from domestic market Digital India Programme will lead to for establishing projects for monitoring will be entitled to reimbursements massive expansion of the IoT industry operations and creating warning/alerts of excise duty and CST. “For developing in the country. Also, IoT will be critical in for deviation/damages, and process IoT centers, space and internet would making these cities smarter. In October, improvement in manufacturing leading be made available at subsidized rates,” DeitY had invited public opinion on how to optimal utilization of resources (fuel, the draft adds. The Center of Excel- to improve the draft policy to create an power, as the case may be). The Prime lence for Internet of Things (CoE-IoT) ecosystem for the IoT industry. HOT-NEWS IIT Mandi develops software to convert text into speech The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi, has developed a software to convert written text into speech. Termed as a revolutionary step for the visually challenged people, the software would enable users to use computers efficiently by pronouncing every word they would write. Microsoft Perspective | June 2015 5 Up-to-Date Good News IIT-Patna, NIT-P to adopt villages for development DEVELOPMENT//Two premier technical institutes of Bihar have lent their support towards developing villages as model ones. National Institute of Technology, Patna (NIT-P) and Indian Institute of Technology, Patna (IIT-P) will be working to provide education, electricity, health and sanitation, and information technology in the adopted villages and also prepare the village youth for entrepreneurship. NIT-P has adopted Chipura Musahari near Sampatchak in Patna district and has begun creating awareness about health and sanitation among the villagers. The emphasis is on first provide toilets and computer labs for women and youths and then on imparting necessary training TECH-VOICE in skill development to the needy. Faculty members and students of the institution are Julie Woods Moss involved in the initiative. The institute will shortlist four more villages, each near Fatuha, Phulwarisharif, Danapur and Hajipur regions. These soon to be adopted villages will Chief Marketing Officer be monitored by a separate committee of five faculty members. An amount of `2 Tata Communications lakh has also been approved for the development of each village. Besides, providing Limited logistic support to the villages for their digital development, the institute will also help in proper execution of government schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Swachh Bharat Mission and the Digital India Programme. Likewise, IIT-P has identified “We are de- some villages, including Amhara, Kanchanpur and Dilawarpur near its upcoming lighted to have campus at Bihta to ensure their overall development under its banner of Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA). The UBA Cell of IIT-Patna has formed an interdisciplinary team of been chosen as a faculty members and support staff for this purpose. communications and technology partner of Micro- soft in India, for cloud enablement services... Our recent research has shown that cloud confidence of Indian enter- prises matches that of more mature markets and are as Assam for creation of smart villages confident as any GRASSSROOTS// The Government of Assam will create smart villages across the other in the ben- state with the aim to facilitate inclusive growth and overall development of rural efits of cloud... we areas. Chief minister Tarun Gogoi has advocated the creation of health, education, entertainment, communication and employment avenues as prerequisites for are well poised to smart villages, with focus on environment to provide a boost to the ecosystem help companies in including water bodies, hills and trees. The government has been taking several measures to convert garbage into energy with the use of latest technology. City India through the dwellers are encouraged to sell garbage to the government as this would cut down the government’s expenditure on cleaning as citizens would then collect garbage adoption cycle... incentivised by the monetary offer and not throw it around. Earlier, in January this year, excited to be a part Andhra Pradesh too unveiled a draft on smart village plan aimed at making it a top state in the country by 2029. Smart villages would be developed with funds from both of this journey.” the government and partners in the smart village project. 6 Microsoft Perspective | June 2015 Up-to-Date Good News with South Asia accounting for nearly a third of them. The report added that another 400 million people would open bank accounts, provided govern- ments and private businesses adopt digital payment systems. In developing economies, the percentage of adults with bank accounts ranges widely from 14 per cent in the Middle East to 69 per cent in East Asia and the Pacific, the report revealed. India and China wit- nessed significant growth between 2011 and 2014, accounting for about half of the 700 million new account holders globally. While India registered growth from 35 per cent in 2011 to 53 per cent in 2014, China achieved this feat Technology drives growth in with addition of 180 million adults and growth of 79 per cent in 2014 from 64 bank accounts worldwide per cent in 2011. Mobile phone-based money services that offer mobile wal- E-BANKING// New tech- gender, income and age, lets were the catalytic factor for rise in nologies have fast con- 53% is based on interviews with bank accounts in Africa. Worldwide, 2 nected people across the about 150,000 nationally per cent of people have mobile phone- world, especially in the account holders representative and randomly based services that allow customers to in India in 2014. developing countries. One selected adults (age 15+) send and receive money electronically In 2011, India such example is the financial had 35% account in over 140 countries. The without having a bank account at a inclusion. According to the holders. report said that the use of traditional financial institution. In Sub- Global Financial Institution new technologies like mobile Saharan Africa, 34 per cent of adults (Global Findex) database phone ‘wallets’ and digitized now possess bank account as against 2014, the number of people worldwide payments have made it easier for peo- 24 per cent in 2011. who have some type of bank account ple to connect to the formal economy. The database stresses the need jumped 22 per cent between 2011 and As per the report, 62 per cent of adults for more effort to expand financial 2014. Global Findex, funded by the Bill have a bank account worldwide, up inclusion among women and the & Melinda Gates Foundation, collects from 51 per cent in 2011. The World poorest households. More than half data on how people worldwide manage Bank hailed this growth as “a bridge of adults in the poorest 40 per cent of their money and measures people’s use out of poverty” and said its goal is to households in developing countries of financial services across countries have universal financial access by 2020. were still without accounts in 2014, with and over time. The 2014 Global Findex, However, there are still 2 billion people no sign of narrowing gender gap in consisting of over 100 indicators like not connected to banking worldwide, account ownership. ICT a Force Multiplier, India tells UN orts p e a r EMPOWERMENT// India application of technologies in digital even as it appreciated di e m has conveyed to the United education and healthcare, Prime Minister Narendra d n Nations that information and provision of clean drink- Modi’s efforts to empower h a communication technologies ing water and energy can children and women and cre- arc e (ICTs) can be the best guaran- empower women and be ate an inclusive society. Prais- y res tee for the empowerment of “force-multipliers in society ing India, its Director General ar d n women and transforming the and bring about structural Irina Bokova said, “We must o c e lives of millions around the transformation in the lives as the latest of India’s efforts build on soft power, educa- m s world. While speaking at a of millions of women.” The to empower women and tion, science, new technology, d fro high-level General Assembly speech also highlighted the girls. Meanwhile, in another new renewable energy.” The ate debate on Advancing Gender Beti Bachao Beti Padhao development, United Nations UNESCO chief said strategic coll Equality and Empowerment (Save Daughters, Educate Educational, Scientific and and economic agreements ws e n of Women and Girls, Ma- Daughters) campaign Cultural Organization (UN- are not enough for lasting All yank Joshi, First Secretary at launched by Prime Minister ESCO) has pledged its sup- peace and sustainability must ce: ur India’s UN Mission, said the Narendra Modi in January port to India’s endeavor to go build on empowerment. o S Microsoft Perspective | June 2015 7 In Focus Cloud for Governance Cloud Partnership for Good Governance As India advances towards a hybrid cloud model of governance in collaboration with private cloud providers, Microsoft has come up with a Framework to make the transition to the cloud seamless for governments. We attempt to understand the benefits. By Sangita Thakur Varma In the current economic scenario, with the Government of India fully focused on rapid economic development through an information technology enabled architecture, cloud for governance is perhaps the most cost effective way to fast forward India’s current phase of development, improve the government’s productivity and ensure fast and reliable service delivery across the country through newer and more effec- tive delivery models. Cloud technology is uniquely aligned to various flagship initiatives taken by the government to streamline processes and services to make India a globally competitive economy. Whether it be the Make in India initiative with its emphasis on ease of doing business through single window approach and seamless integration of multiple departments, 100 Smart Cities with the focus on integrated townships with state-of-the- art IT enabled infrastructure or Digital India with its nine pillar model of services delivery; the government vision encompasses a scale and speed that calls for advanced technol- ogy like cloud to ensure seamless services delivery and real time responsive governance. P.J. N According to Vikas Kanungo, Senior Consultant, Transport and ICT Global Practice, O S R The World Bank, an e-government and m-Government expert, “The key strategy for E T E implementing e-governance projects in a country like India is, “Think Big, Start Small, Y P B Scale Fast”. The features of cloud computing help one achieve this goal. Given the con- G N straints of resources with the government agencies, cloud-based e-governance service GI A delivery platform provides the opportunity to “pay as you use”. The biggest benefit of M I 8 Microsoft Perspective | June 2015
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