The National Informatics Centre Services Incorporated (NICSI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Delhi School of Management for research & development and consultancy in e-governance by synergising resources. During the MoU signing, NICSI Chairman Dr Rajendra Kumar briefed the attendees about the vision of the Union Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology to use technology for digital transformation to benefit citizens and effectively utilise resources (knowledge, manpower, infrastructure) by collaborative efforts to enhance efficiency.
The ministry, which oversees NICSI through the National Informatics Centre, is working with other ministries to extend technology use to facilitate understanding of specific domains such as education, agriculture, and healthcare with a problem-solving approach by utilising the knowledge of academics. Dr Kumar, who is additional secretary in the ministry, said the MoU would help the ministry and the Delhi Technological University ecosystem in the coming years by exploring technology. They also plan to involve students in collaborative ways in maturing new areas such as blockchain, Internet of Things, and artificial intelligence. The expertise of Delhi School of Management, which functions under the varsity, in management will facilitate NICSI to develop business strategies and planning, Dr Kumar said.
NICSI Managing Director Prashant Kumar Mittal said the collaboration would be mutually beneficial for both entities. Delhi School of Management students will be able to explore the emerging technologies and develop a better understanding of the working environment of the government with hands-on exposure in e-governance and ICT (information and communications technology) management. This will help the government strengthen its internal system with effective utilisation of technology, Mittal said.
Prof PK Suri of Delhi School of Management also talked up the institute’s functioning and activities in ICT & e-governance, adding that the MoU could benefit both in the long run.
Delhi School of Management Head of Department Dr Archana Singh expressed interest in the collaborative approach, including the involvement of students in data analytics, research, e-governance.