ONDC and other government digital initiatives win awards at 27th NCeG

The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) has won the Gold Award in the "Application of Emerging Technologies for Providing Citizen-Centric Services" category at the 27th National Conference on e-Governance (NCeG)

Conceptualized by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, ONDC is a cornerstone of India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), Ministry of Commerce & Industry said in a statement.

With over 6 lakh sellers across India and more than 12 million orders processed monthly, ONDC empowers small businesses, artisans, women entrepreneurs, farmers, and street vendors to reach a broader audience, ensuring consumers benefit from increased choices and competitive prices, the ministry added.

Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) is recognized amongst the most competitive and prestigious digital governance recognitions in the country. The objective of the award is to recognise and promote excellence in implementation of e-Governance initiatives and to encourage innovation in successful e-Governance solutions.

The Conference is organised every year by the DARPG in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and respective State Governments hosting the annual event.

"e-Governance is a mode to change our mindset. With e-Governance comes transparency that enhances the trust of citizens in the government." Eknath Shinde, Hon’ble Chief Minister, Government of Maharashtra said during the inaugural address.

In addition to ONDC, several other innovative digital governance initiatives were recognised at the 27th NCeG. The Poshan Tracker of the Ministry of Women and Child Development received the Gold Award under the category "Government Process Re-engineering for Digital Transformation (Central level Initiative),"

Rajasthan’s use of teleradiology and artificial intelligence for chest radiographs and auto-approval for direct bank transfers to silicosis patients was also honored with the Gold Award under the "Application of Emerging Technologies for Providing Citizen-Centric Services" category.

The Wokha SAATHI chatbot from Nagaland clinched the Gold Award for district-level initiatives. Additionally, the India Hypertension Control Initiative by ICMR - National Institute of Epidemiology, Chennai, and the Karnataka GIS by the Karnataka State Remote Sensing Application Center were recognised for their contributions to citizen-centric services and technological replication, respectively.