23. I.T. SECTIONS (HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE) 23.1 Main functions: The I.T. Sections (H&S) look after the following works: (i) Providing Secretarial assistance and support to the following Committees: (a) Committee on Provision of Computer Equipment to Members of Rajya Sabha; (b) Computerization Coordination Committee (CCC); (c) Standing Technical Advisory Committee (STAC); (d) Committee of Officers for Procurement of Computer Equipment for Rajya Sabha Secretariat (COOPCE); (e) Obsolescence Declaration Committee (ODC); and (f) Committee (adhoc) for Re-designing the Rajya Sabha Secretariat INTRANET Site. Besides these Committees, the I.T. Sections are also handling the following work relating to; (i) Secretarial assistance to Group of Officers set up by the Secretary-General to examine proposals received from the officers below the rank of Joint Secretary for providing Apple ipad for their official use. (ii) Implementation of the Scheme of Financial Entitlement of Members of Rajya Sabha for Computer Equipment and processing of bills/invoices received from Members towards procurement of computer equipment under the Scheme. (iii) Ensuring coordinated implementation of IT Plan for computerization of the Secretariat. (iv) Coordination with NIC and various Sections of the Secretariat for identification of customized software needs and databases for use in Rajya Sabha Secretariat and by Members of Rajya Sabha. (v) Purchase of computer hardware, software, LAN items and other accessories as per requirement of the Secretariat. (vi) Coordination with NIC for developing/providing LAN and assigning/creating E- mail accounts for the Officers/Sections of the Secretariat and Members and looking into any issues that may arise for resolution. (vii) (viii) (ix) (x) (xi) (xii) Devising procedures using information technology to increase and facilitate availability of Parliamentary Information and ensuring increasing use of electronic mode of information dissemination amongst Members and the Secretariat; Maintaining the English and Hindi Rajya Sabha Internet Websites and the Rajya Sabha Secretariat Intranet site, ensuring their timely updation and selecting suitable material to be put on Internet/Intranet for use of Members, Secretariat, media and Public. Review of performance of AMC vendor with regard to maintenance of computer hardware and inclusion in the AMC of equipment that were gone out of warranty and exclusion of obsolete equipment from AMC. Assessment of hardware computer equipment for their obsolescence as per provision contained under Obsolescence Declaration Policy and their disposal to the employees of Secretariat through a computerised draw of lots. Classification of old files for purpose of weeding out of old records. Processing of Bills/Invoices of NICSI, CDAC, Kendriya Bhandar, AMC vendors and other agencies towards procurement of hardware/software/manpower and services/support taken from them. 23.2 Activities during 2012: During the year 2012, I.T. Sections undertook numerous tasks relating to implementation of IT plan, computerization of Rajya Sabha Secretariat, provision of IT services for Members of Rajya Sabha and making available information regarding Rajya Sabha and its proceedings amongst Members and the general public. They are as follows: 159
(A) IT Plan for Rajya Sabha: In pursuance of the IT Plan (2010-12) in the Secretariat, the following software applications have been developed/modified for Members / concerned Sections of the Secretariat and have been implemented/are at various stages of implementation as was envisaged in the IT Plan of Rajya Sabha or otherwise required: i. Member's Login Application version-2.0 was introduced for two way communication channels between Members and the Rajya Sabha Secretariat for delivering information and documents to Members as well as sending communications by Members to the Secretariat, for use of Members of Rajya Sabha. ii. Making available RSS Feed on the Apple ipad being used by Members of Rajya Sabha and Officers of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat. iii. Developing App for Rajya Sabha Business for Android devices being used by Members of Rajya Sabha and Officers of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat. iv. Development of new Search Engine for Question Answer Data Base in website of Rajya Sabha. v. Completion of the Rajya Sabha Debates Repository. (rsdebate.nic.in) vi. New reports for Members MIS on Web being used by Members of Rajya Sabha. vii. Inter-Member Communication through web SMS /email/inbox for use of Members of Rajya Sabha. viii. Implementation of e-awaas software for G.A. Section for allotment of Govt. Accommodation for employees of the Secretariat. Besides the above, the following computerization initiatives were also undertaken/made operational during the year: i. Completion of Digitization of Debates Project and launch of Debates Portal by Hon'ble Chairman, Rajya Sabha during Orientation Programme for Members of Rajya Sabha. ii. Setting up of Storage Area Network (SAN) in Rajya Sabha Secretariat which shall ensure that no data loss occurs due to disk failure in the server and automatic recovery from failed hard disk by using hot spare. iii. Re-designing of Intranet site of Rajya Sabha Secretariat. iv. Initiatives for preparation of IT Plan 2013-15. v. Initiatives towards setting-up of e-payment system in Rajya Sabha Secretariat. (B) Other Computerization Activities (i) Procured 137 Desktop Computers, 02 Laptop Computers, 31 DeskJet/Office jet Printers, 29 Laserjet Printers, 03 Multifunction Printers, 02 scanners, 21 UPS and 19 Pen Drives for various Sections/Officers of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat. Besides the above mentioned equipment, LAN items like switches, cables, I/Os, Patch cords and other items like UPS batteries, etc. were also procured for use in Rajya Sabha Secretariat. (ii) During the year, 100 complaints from Members of Rajya Sabha and 4500 complaints from various Sections of Rajya Sabha Secretariat regarding software, hardware, e-mail, Internet, Virus etc. were received and attended to, with the assistance of AMC/Warranty vendors and NIC/NICSI engineers. (iii) Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC) for various computer equipment with Members of Rajya Sabha and in the Secretariat was renewed with M/s Sysnet Global Technologies Limited (AMC vendor) for a further period of one year. (iv) Took necessary actions to actively pursue the various Projects like making arrangements for in- house Digitization of Verbatim Debates of Rajya Sabha, MANTRA Phase II, STQC Certification for Rajya Sabha Websites and implementation of IT Plan for Rajya Sabha ( 2010-2012). (v) Updating and maintenance of records of the Sections(H&S) like Inventory, Stock Register, Expenditure register, Sanction Order Register etc. on regular basis. (vi) Files for the year 2007-2010 were classified and action was taken as per Weeding out Policy of the Sections in order to weed out the old records. (vii) The computer equipment declared obsolete by the ODC was disposed of through computerised draw of lots as per provision of Obsolescence Declaration Policy. 160
Accordingly, 39-computers, 14-printers, 7-scanners and 3-HTC handheld communicators were disposed of to the employees of the Secretariat. (viii) STQC Certification Rajya Sabha website:-stqc submitted its 2 nd evaluation report after testing of Rajya Sabha website. The modifications required as per the STQC, 2 nd evaluation report were completed and again submitted to STQC for evaluation. (ix) Attended to all work (issuing of notices, preparation of memoranda and minutes, taking action on the directions/decisions) relating to the following Committees serviced by the Sections: a. Committee on Provision of Computer Equipment to Members of Rajya Sabha. This Committee (i) decides on the parameters with regard to application of Information Technology in the functioning of the Rajya Sabha; (ii) decides on norms for provision of computer hardware and software to be made available to Members from time to time along with suitable measures, including training, to encourage Members to be proficient in the use of IT tools; and (iii) takes steps to ensure increasing use of electronic mode of information dissemination in the Rajya Sabha. During the year, no meeting of the Committee was held as six out of its eight Members, including its Chairman retired on 02.04.2012. The Committee was reconstituted on 23.08.2012. b. Computerization Coordination Committee: This Committee, under the chairmanship of Secretary-General, carries out detailed planning and scheduling of computerization of various aspects of working of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat. During the year, the Committee held one meeting. c. Committee of Officers for Procurement of Computer equipment for Rajya Sabha Secretariat: This Committee considers the requests from officers/sections for supply of computer equipment and LAN nodes. During the year, the Committee held two meetings. d. Obsolescence Declaration Committee: This Committee formulates Obsolescence Declaration Policy (ODP) and declares computer equipment held by the Secretariat obsolete within the framework of the ODP. During the year, the Committee held one meeting. e. Standing Technical Advisory Committee: This Committee gives technical advice to the Committee on Provision of Computer Equipment to Members of Rajya Sabha and the Secretariat regarding the specifications/models/makes of various computer items which are to be procured, and also on various technical issues encountered in the process of computerization. During the year, no meeting of the Committee was held. Besides the formal meetings of these Committees, various meetings took place under the guidance and supervision of the Joint Secretary (M) and the Director in charge of computerization in connection with the implementation of the decisions taken by the aforementioned Committees and monitoring of various IT projects undertaken by the Secretariat. 23.3 Budget allocation and expenditure: The Budgetary Grant for the financial year 2012-2013 under the head 02 00 20 other Administrative expenses and 02 00 13 office expenses (Member s Head) was Rs.1,00,00,000/- (Revised to Rs. 1,40,00,000/-) and budget estimates 2011-12 under the Head 01.105 Rajya Sabah Secretariat (Minor Head) 01 Secretariat 01 00 13 Office expenses (Secretariat s Head) was Rs.1,60,00,000/-. The major items for which funds were used during the year (January to December, 2012) are as follow:- HEAD: Member 02 00 13 Office Expenses: Item Reimbursement towards bills/invoices received from Members of Rajya Sabha for computer equipment under the Scheme of Financial Entitlement Total HEAD: Rajya Sabha Secretariat 01 00 13 Office Expenses Item Expenditure(Approx.) Rs.1,16,34,569/- Rs.1,16,34,569/- Expenditure (Approx.) 161
Procurement of 137 desktop computers Procurement of 02 laptop computers Procurement of 32 DeskJet/Office jet printers /line matrix printer Procurement of 29 Laserjet printers Procurement of 03 Multi-function printer Procurement of 02 Scanners Handheld computer/accessories Procurement of 21 UPS UPS Batteries Procurement of 19 Pen drives e-reader/accessories/warranty extension Comprehensive AMC towards computer equipment/servers Mantra Project LAN Man Power (NICSI) Miscellaneous Rs. 58,63,229/- Rs. 1,21,029/- Rs.4,48,080/- Rs. 5,60,371/- Rs. 1,11,150 /- Rs. 67,524 /- Rs. 1,55,007/- Rs. 2,65,298/- Rs. 1,30,804/- Rs. 33,094/- Rs3,99,400/- Rs.23,09,579/- Rs.44,32,545/- Rs.1,07,878/- Rs.1,83,408/- Rs.4,25,661/- Total Rs. 1,56,14,057/- 23.4 Inspection of the Sections and training of staff Inspection of I.T. Sections was done by Shri Shashi Bhushan, Joint Director, on 18 th April, 2012. Problems faced by the Section with regard to inadequate manpower resources were pointed out. 23.5 Training to the Staff: During the year, Shri Har Prateek Arya, Assistant Director attended a workshop on Ethics &Values in Public Governance between 19 th October to 2 nd November, 2012 at ISTM, New Delhi. 23.6 Goals and Analysis: Since the re-organization of the erstwhile Computer Cell into two IT Sections namely, IT Section (Hardware) and IT Section (Software), both the Sections have been working in close coordination to meet their outlined goals in the fields of hardware procurement and upgradation, software development, Networking and Website maintenance, etc. Both the Sections synchronize their efforts to achieve the desired result in implementation of IT Plan, various projects, and in advancing the reach of computerization throughout the Secretariat. At present, one of the main thrusts in IT initiatives is pushing for new technologies to reduce paper documents and move towards electronic dissemination of information. For this purpose, initiatives for Members through the Committee on Provision of Computer Equipment to Members of Rajya Sabha and for the Secretariat through Secretary-General are underway. Besides, IT training initiatives for Members as well as employees of the Secretariat is also being envisaged keeping in view of the fast technological advancement in the globe. Also new initiatives to augment infrastructural requirements of the Secretariat with an eye on the future needs by upgrading the LAN in the Parliament House Complex and by other possible means are being followed and are likely to get implemented during the year. 162
Shri Mohammad Hamid Ansari Hon ble Vice President and Chairman Rajya Sabha, Dr. Manmohan Singh Hon ble Prime Minister and Smt. Meira Kumar Hon ble Speaker Lok Sabha accompanying Smt Pratibha Devisingh Patil Hon ble President to address the Joint Session of the Parliament (1st day of the Budget Session).