The Mizoram Government IT policy

1. PREAMBLE

1.1 Information Technology (IT) is the world’s fastest growing economic activity. It is transforming resource-based economies to knowledge-based economies. IT has become the greatest agent of change and promises to play this role even more dramatically in future. IT changes every aspect of human life, apart from impacting changes in the field of communications, trade, manufacturing, services, culture, entertainment, education, research and national security. IT breaks old barriers and is building new interconnections in the emerging concept of a single global village. It has also become one of the critical indicators of the progress of nations, communities and individuals. The advent of IT offers opportunities to overcome historical disabilities. IT is a tool that will enable Mizoram to achieve the goal of becoming a strong, prosperous and self-confident state. IT promises to compress the time it would otherwise take for Mizoram to advance rapidly in its march towards faster development and in occupying a position as a progressive and self-sufficient state.

1.2 Mizoram recognizes IT as the fastest and the most advanced vehicle of change for all-round progress and development of the State. In view of the potential of IT, the State Government advocates widespread proliferation of IT in the State and adopts the following policy supports for promotion of IT in the fields of E-Governance, Empowerment of the people and the society, Education, Industry, Health, Rural Development, Agriculture, Tourism, IT for Masses, and IT Enabled Services.

1.3 The Policy shall come into effect from the date of notification of this policy, till such time, the government may consider the necessity of modification. The government also reserves the right to make any amendments in the policy.

2. VISION
2.1 To make Mizoram the most IT literate state in the country and a global center of excellence in IT Education, Training, Research, and Development. This vision translates into a mission. The vision objectives are:

* Employment Generation
* Creation of Wealth
* IT led economic growth

2.2 To accomplish its vision, the Govt. of Mizoram will play the role of pro-active facilitator, Pro-active motivator, Pro-active promoter, in order to Spread IT to the masses speedily, and to ensure speedy IT led economic development.

OBJECTIVES
The following are the objectives of Mizoram IT Policy:
3.1 Promotion of IT Industry, IT software, IT Products, and IT Services within the state.
3.2 Promoting IT for the masses.
3.3 Setting up a goal of achieving total computer literacy in Mizoram by the year-2010.
3.4 Improvement of efficiency and productivity in governance.
3.5 Improvement of transparency and responsive-attitude in governance.
3.6 Generation of IT-skilled manpower and IT capacity-building in the State.
3.7 Promotion of IT skills and IT know-how among the youth of Mizoram enabling them to engage in gainful self-employment and in IT related activities.
3.8 Propelling growth of IT and IT related activities.
3.9 Providing of people-friendly interfacing between Government and citizen.
3.10 Providing better information and interactive services to tourists, businessman and entrepreneurs.
3.11 Dissemination of knowledge to farmers, agriculturists and rural population of Mizoram.
3.12 Improvement of revenue assessment and collection mechanism.
3.13 Improvement of general employment opportunity and employment generation.
3.14 Widespread use of IT in educational Institutions.
3.15 Development of capabilities of Governance as a catalyst for economic development by collaborative action and learning.
3.16 Proliferation of Internet, E-Governance, E-Commerce and E-Education.

CLASSIFICATION OF IT POLICY
4.1 IT POLICY FOR GOVERNMENT
4.1.1. The Government shall constitute a Task Force with members from various organizations and experts that would conceive and oversee the implementation of the programs envisaged under this policy. The Task Force shall formulate an Action Plan so as to achieve the objective.
4.1.2. The Government of Mizoram shall endeavor to examine the possibility of creating the Department of IT to entrust the works of co-coordinating IT matters and implementing any IT projects. The department of IT shall be nodal agency till such a time Industries Department will be the nodal agency. The nodal department shall be the single window for all the clearances, incentives and certification and premises required for the IT activities. The basic objectives of the nodal department shall be to adopt the role of pro-active facilitator, pro-active motivator, pro-active promoter, to spread IT to the masses speedily and to ensure IT led development. It shall also be responsible for the creation of infrastructures, manpower development and employment generation, etc.
4.1.3. The Government shall endeavor setting up of Electronics Governance and Citizen facilitation to provide better services and improved quality of governance and citizen facilitation through development of sound infrastructure providing high level of communication. Electronics governance shall envisage the developing of cabling infrastructure to carry voice, data and video for Secretariat Complex and several information kiosks in Aizawl city.
4.1.4. The Government shall endeavor to introduce IT literacy as compulsory for recruitment to government services. In case a person has to be recruited without IT literacy, he/she should compulsorily acquire it within one year. All the existing staff of the government must be asked to attain IT literacy in the next 5 years.
4.1.5. The Government shall endeavor to strengthen Administrative Training Institute (ATI) for conducting IT Awareness, short-term courses in Computer Application, Office Automation, etc.
4.1.6. All District Office Headquarters shall endeavor to give Internet /Intranet connectivity by which they will be able to communicate with their respective Secretariats. Similarly, all Directorates shall be given a similar communication facility with their respective Sub-Divisions and subordinate offices, thereby enhancing faster communication and giving added efficiency to the governing mechanism.
4.1.7. The Government shall endeavor to make a special budget allocation every year to complete its IT program. Each department may consider setting aside a budgetary allocation of 2% for the development of IT in their respective department.
4.1.8. The Government shall endeavor to provide facilities to users/citizens for filing of documents electronically to various Departments where government and citizen interface is necessary. The Task Force shall identify Government departments and set priority for introducing such facility in the Departments on phased manner.
4.1.9. The Government shall revamp and strengthen Zoram Electronics Development Corporation Ltd. (ZENICS). ZENICS will play the role of facilitator and assist various government departments in selection of appropriate Hardware, Software, and Training programs in accordance with their needs.
4.1.10. Every department shall endeavor to put all Government regulations, schemes, forms, tenders etc. on the Internet.
4.1.11. The Government shall constitute a high level committee that will implement Cyber Laws to combat such activities like serious piracy cases and illegal business practices and also to take appropriate action Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) of creator, of content and software through vigorous enforcement of relevant copy right laws.

4.2 IT POLICY FOR EDUCATION
4.2.1 The Government shall endeavor to set up Study Team on IT Education under the chairmanship of the Director of Education Department for implementation of IT in Education.
4.2.2 In order to achieve total computer literacy in Mizoram the Government shall encourage the use of Information Technology in schools, colleges and all educational Institutions for which special program and special resources shall be envisaged by the Education Department in collaboration with the IT nodal agency of the State for creating necessary infrastructure to achieve this goal.
4.2.3 The Government shall start a special training program for school/teachers to help them make use of IT in teaching. All School/College teachers shall endeavor to become IT literate by the year 2005. For this purpose, the Education Department shall draw up IT Education Program for School and college teachers of different levels.
4.2.4 The Education Department shall strive to develop an appropriate curriculum for all educational institutions of Mizoram so as to make IT a compulsory subject from the level of Primary School to Higher Secondary School.
4.2.5 An IT Course Module shall endeavor to be made compulsory component for all Degree Courses within 3 years.
4.2.6 The State Government shall endeavor to launch a special scheme for the introduction of computer/IT education in schools and the scheme shall be launched as early as possible.
4.2.7 The Government shall endeavor the setting up of North Eastern Institute of Information Technology (NEIIT) to be deemed University. Establishment of this type of institutions shall be given high priority by the State.
4.2.8 The Government shall endeavor to take effective steps towards the generation of more IT experts in association with global giant companies to meet the demands of IT Industry both for domestic and export market. The Academic curriculum and Professional curriculum will be designed to meet the world class certified professional in the latest technology. Unemployed Educated Youth shall be trained to become IT professional for sustainable self-employment.