APURVA CHANDRA, Principal Secretary, Industries, Government of Maharashtra, on the state's ...

36 Pages·2015·1.74 MB·English

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