It is heartening to note that the newsletter "Informatics" has entered in the tenth year of its publication. During the last nine years, this newsletter carried articles related to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Applications, software products, state-of-the-art technology tools, implementation issues, success stories, network architecture and solutions provided by NIC to the Government at various levels through its large number of offices set up across the Country.
NIC has been extending its ICT support to the nation at all times whether it is during the Elections, Budget or in times of Natural calamities.
During the last 25 years, NIC has been instrumental in promotion of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) applications in Government Departments at the Central, State and District levels thereby facilitating improvement in government services and wider transparency in government functions. NIC has been playing an important role of an active catalyst and facilitator in Informatics development programmes across the various branches of the Government, be it legislature, executive or judiciary.
As you are aware, NIC successfully connected offices at district, state and national levels by deploying NICNET, its state-of-the-art satellite based communication network, during 1985-90, and the efforts in this direction are now proposed to extend even upto the sub-district level during the tenth plan (2002-2007). Over this period, NIC has been constantly committed towards upgrading its tools and services, including network, thus keeping pace with the changes in the requirement and technology.
Emergence of Information Technology on the national agenda and the announcement of IT policies by various State Governments has further strengthened NIC's resolve to provide network infrastructure facility, network services, application services and domain knowledge to promote e-governance at all levels. This makes me recall NIC's initiatives in the past, of applying and sustaining information systems with the help of our patrons, which are today proving to be the foundation stones for the effective implementation of e-governance . NIC is committed to facilitate and strengthen e-governance which requires reforms in administrative processes as an essential input, for achieving synergy between the virtual and physical space of governance. I hope to get your unstinted co-operation in realising our vision of extending the fruits of e-governance to the masses.
This newsletter has become a quintessential communication tool among the IT professionals and administrators, to share experience and expertise gained in government informatics. It has been addressing the pattern of demand and thus adopting appropriate design and content changes to fulfill the information needs of the readers.
I congratulate the Editorial Team for their dedicated teamwork in bringing out a professional publication both in print and electronic media.