Realising the enormous potential of digitisation, Government of India launched the Digital India Initiative in 2015 with a motto of “minimum government, maximum governance.” It prioritised the adoption of best practices in digital technologies for seamless delivery of digital citizen-centric services Since then, over 12,000 services by various government entities - Central, State, and Local Bodies - have been digitised. These offerings have considerably enhanced access to basic amenities, effectiveness of government services, and information sharing with citizens, especially with women, divyang, and the poor, residing in the remote areas of the country. Digital India Awards offer a perfect opportunity to highlight such digital initiatives. These biennial awards are instituted under the aegis of National Portal of India, MeitY to honour innovative digital solutions by government entities and at same time, inspire others to emulate the innovations for their services. The Hon’ble President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu presented the Digital India Awards 2022 on Saturday, 7th January 2023 at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. The event was graced by Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Hon’ble Minister of Electronics & IT; Shri Alkesh Kumar Sharma, Secretary, MietY; Shri Rajesh Gera, Director General, NIC, and other dignified higher officials. This edition witnessed the awards being conferred on 22 teams across seven categories. During the event, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw also presented the Hon’ble President with the first copy of the Digital India Awards 2022 compendium.
Selection Process The nominations for Digital India Awards 2022 were called upon earlier this year. The Government entities could submit their nominations online through the Rashtriya Puraskar Portal (https://awards.gov.in). Overwhelmingly, over a thousand nominations were received across all seven categories from all over the country. A thorough evaluation of the nominations was carried out in two stages. In the first stage, entries were screened using a scientifically developed evaluation matrix tailored to each award category. In the second stage, under the Chairmanship of the Secretary, MietY, a distinguished Jury composed of senior members from government, academia, and industry reviewed the shortlisted nominations and finalised the awardees in each category.
The Jury The eminent jury for Digital India Awards 2022 comprised of Shri Alkesh Kumar Sharma, Secretary, MeitY (Chairman); Shri Amit Agrawal, Additional Secretary, MeitY; Shri Rajesh Gera, Director General, NIC; Shri Sushil Pal, Joint Secretary, MeitY; Shri Amar Nath, Additional Secretary, DARPG; Dr M.P. Gupta, Professor, IIT Delhi; Dr. Anjali Kaushik, Professor, MDI Gurugram; Smt. Rama Vedashree, Former CEO, Data Security Council of India; Dr. Kapil Dev Singh, Founder & CEO, CEOUS Age; and Smt. Alka Mishra, Deputy Director General, NIC.
The Digital India Awards 2022 acknowledge, inspire and motivate not only Government entities but also startups to attain the vision of a digital India. The awards are but a step towards transforming India into a digitally empowered society where people’s potential is unleashed by the effective use of digital governance. —Smt. Droupadi Murmu, President of India
Since the inception of the Digital India Programme eight years ago, India has set an example for the rest of the world by using technology to provide services to ordinary individuals at the grassroots level. How Digital India is affecting the lives of ordinary Indians has become a case study for the whole world. —Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister of Electronics & IT
Digitization provides perfect tools to deliver seamless benefits to the target groups and reinforces our resolve to transform India into a digitally empowered society and a knowledge economy. Our shared goal is to enable every individual to fully participate in social, economic, cultural and development activities. As India assumes the Presidency of G20 this year, there’s an opportunity to inspire the world with our deeply rooted belief in a human centric approach to technology and facilitate greater knowledge sharing in areas like digital, public goods, financial inclusion and technology enabled development. —Shri Alkesh Kumar Sharma, Secretary, MeitY
Winners Digital Initiatives at Grassroot Level: e-Vivechna, Madhya Pradesh (Platinum) DeGS Computer Basic Training, Jharkhand (Gold) Ksheerasree Portal, Kerala (Silver)
Digital Empowerment of Citizens: e-NAM (Platinum) eTransport (Gold) Judgment Search Portal (Silver)
Digital Initiatives for Ease of Doing Business: Mine Mitra, Uttar Pradesh (Platinum) eAbkari, Odisha (Gold) Invest Punjab, Punjab (Silver)
Public Digital Platforms States: Duare Sarkar, West Bengal (Platinum) eServices Manipur (Gold)
Central Ministries & Departments: ICEGATE Portal (Platinum) eShram (Gold)
Data Sharing and Use for Socio Economic Development: Smart Cities Mission, MoHUA (Platinum) CBSE (Gold) Centre for eGovernance (Silver) Invest Punjab, Punjab (Silver)
Digital Initiatives in Collaboration with Startups: Digital Workforce Management System, Kerala (Platinum) Smart Nutrient Management of the Soil, Telangana (Gold) Digital Deposit Refund System, Uttarakhand (Silver)
Best Web & Mobile Initiatives Complying with GIGW & Accessibility Guidelines: Bilaspur District Website, Chhattisgarh (Platinum) Kottayam District Website, Kerala (Gold) CIPET Dehradun (Silver)
Hon’ble President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, with the Digital India Awards 2022 Winners along with other dignitaries