As many as 21 State and Union Territory legislatures in India are now conducting legislative business in digital mode through the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA), while seven others are at different stages of implementation, the government informed Parliament.
The information was shared by Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.
NeVA Driving Digital Transformation of Legislatures
The National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) is a unified digital platform developed to transform State and Union Territory legislatures into paperless and digitally enabled Houses.
The system has been designed as a generic software platform that can support the diverse operational requirements of legislative bodies across India.
According to Meghwal, 28 State and UT legislatures have signed tripartite Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the Centre and their respective state governments for implementing the platform.
These agreements define the cost-sharing arrangements and conditions for releasing funds required for the implementation of the digital system.
End-to-End Digital Legislative Workflow
The NeVA platform includes mobile and web applications, a public portal, and e-book modules that enable the complete digitalisation of legislative processes.
Through the system, legislators can:
- Submit questions and notices electronically
- Access Bills, debates and legislative documents online
- Manage parliamentary business such as proceedings and the List of Business digitally
The initiative also involves installation of ICT infrastructure and hardware in legislative assemblies, enabling them to function fully in digital mode.
Punjab Assembly Became First Fully Digital House
Meghwal highlighted that the Punjab Legislative Assembly became a fully digital House after adopting the NeVA platform on September 21, 2023.
Aim to Modernise Legislative Processes
The Union government has made provisions to extend the NeVA platform to all State and Union Territory legislatures across India.
The initiative aims to modernise legislative processes, improve transparency, reduce paper usage and enhance efficiency in parliamentary functioning.
