This network is playing a vital role in the development of the state by providing the most advanced management techniques and Decision-Support System, with the help of various tools like E-mail, RDBMS, GIS etc. In addition to the establishment of NICNET, NIC has also successfully accomplished many computerization projects for the State Government, which acted as catalysts in benefiting the government in various ways.

"Gar Firdaus Barroy, Zameensat, hameeato, hameeato, hameeato". If heaven exists anywhere on the earth, it is here.

This stands true for the snow-capped mountains, the lushgreen forests and the tranquil blue lakes spread over the length and breadth of the great panorama of natural treasure, Jammu and Kashmir. And this is not all, one also comes across a rich and unique culture, embedded in the lives of the people living in the fourteen districts of the State.

The demographic diversity of the State is also linked to its geography. Out of the fourteen districts in the State, six each are in the Jammu and Kashmir regions respectively and two are situated in the Laddakh region. The National Informatics Centre has become a part and parcel of this heavenly abode by establishing NIC centres in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between NIC and the State Government way back in the year 1987, was a green signal for NIC to begin its activities in Jammu and Kashmir. In the years that followed, the pace of growth of NIC activities in the state had no back tracking, despite the fact that the situation in the State has not been very favourable.

No sooner was the MOU signed that NIC established its state and district computer centres throughout the State and Satellite Earth Stations were installed in all these centres to link them with NICNET (Satellite based Computer Communication Network).

PROVIDING CONNECTIVITY

NICNET terminals are installed in most of the departments of the State Government situated in the Secretariat. The E-mail system has today become the primary communication channel for the State Government in Jammu and Kashmir. Many offices of the Jammu and Kashmir State Government, situated outside the Secretariat, are in the process of getting dialup connections for accessing NICNET, in order to establish effective communication between the three tiers of the State Government Administration viz Secretariat, Directorates and Directorate's subordinates offices. This will be carried out by installing a dedicated, UUCP Mail Server in NIC State Unit at Jammu. The system will not only enable speedy communication, but also bring in the culture of paperless communication. NIC has also extended its network support to Border Roads Organization in their major projects:

  • Project HIMANK (Leh. Laddakh)
  • Project BEACON (Srinagar)
  • Project SAMPARK (Jammu)

The INTERNET connectivity provided by NIC opened the whole world of communication for research organizations such as the Regional Research Laboratory; Sher-e-Kashmir Agricultural University, Jammu; University of Jammu; etc.

THE COMPUTERIZATION DRIVE

The need and importance of computers has been effectively inculcated in the work setup of the State. A fully-equipped computer centre has been established at Rajbhavan, Srinagar with Satellite Earth Station and Computer Systems. The software developed includes Grievance Monitoring System, Reference Monitoring System, Office Automation and MIS. Rajbhavan is also fully utilizing the E-mail facility for speedy communication with various Central Ministries and State Government offices.

NIC was entrusted with the responsibility of computerizing the Jammu High Court in the year 1993. Since then NIC has established a fully-equipped computer centre and has undertaken a number of projects successfully. The projects include complete automation of Daily Cause List for fresh as well as pending cases, Implementation of the Judgement Information System (JUDIS) and Courts Information System (COURTNIC) at the Jammu High Court. Besides this, satellite link-up is also planned so as to enable the litigant community in Jammu and Kashmir state to get on-line information related to the Supreme Court cases.

TURN-KEY PROJECTS

A number of turn-key projects are government in working towards the betterment of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, by implementing the DISNIC plan effectively and in a unique way in the State. On the basis of an approach paper submitted by NIC to the State Government, a state-wide survey has been conducted by Planning undertaken by the National Informatics Centre for the State of Jammu and Kashmir. NIC has been entrusted by many government and semi-government organizations in Jammu and Kashmir with the responsibility of handling turn-key projects for computerization for their wide range of needs.

These turn-key projects include computerization in Jammu Development Authority; computerization of Jammu and Kashmir Housing Board and computerization of Power Consumers Billing and Ledger making.

The Jammu Development Authority project involves, implementation of a general MIS, Financial Accounting and Land and Property Disposal system. A well-equipped computer centre has been established, with multi-user UNIX-based computer system. The software is developed under Oracle RDBMS. In the Housing Board project, computerization work has been taken up for MIS, Property Disposal, Schemes Monitoring etc. The Power Consumer's Billing and Ledgering project, involves computerization of bills and maintenance of ledger. The project is in its developmental stage.

WORKING TOWARDS BETTERMENT

NIC has extended a helping hand to the State Department. Computerization of this survey data, to create village wise database comprising more than 70 socio-economic sectors, has already been completed. Database is being thoroughly verified at the field level by Statistical Wing of the Planning Department, before the same is formally commissioned.

NIC helped the State Government in saving crores of rupees by implementing the Migrant Relief Information System. The software developed has in-built feature for fraudulence detection against duplicate registration, fake withdrawal of cash relief, excess disbursement of cash relief etc. In addition to this, the system is also being effectively used to monitor various relief activities for migrant families. Database available on computers serve as a ready reference of information for the State government, while deriving various relief measures for migrants.

MEDLARS services are also being made available to the State by providing direct access to Bio-medical Information System Database, to the medical professionals and research scholars in Jammu and Kashmir. It comprises of 28 databases and is the most extensively used biomedical information system in the world. The areas include AIDS, Cancer, Toxicology, Population and Health Planning and Administration.

SPREADING THE INFORMATICS CULTURE

NIC has not only introduced and spread the Informatics culture in the State of Jammu and Kashmir, it has also uplifted and imparted training needed to maintain the momentum.

A separate wing has been established under the State Unit of NIC, at Jammu, which is entirely dedicated for spreading the computer awareness and Informatics culture, among the government employees in State and Central Government. Training programmes are organized round the year. More than 40 training-cum-awareness programmes have been conducted so far. The State Government has recognized that a break through has been registered through these computer awareness programmes and its popularity among State Government can be gauged from the level of participation.

Today, in the field of both adapting and adopting the modern technologies, Jammu & Kashmir stands out as an example in itself. NIC's activity profile in Jammu & Kashmir has proved that nothing is impossible; all that is needed is determination and hard work.