The announcement will be made by the CM at Nishagandhi Auditorium at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday and will be a significant step in Kerala’s journey towards a knowledge-based economy and governance.
The event will be presided over by State Transport Minister Antony Raju, while others attending include Chief Secretary V P Joy and Secretary of Electronics and Information Technology Dr. Rathan U Kelkar.
Digitising Kerala
The declaration will mark a significant milestone in Kerala’s journey towards achieving comprehensive digital literacy. This notable accomplishment comes several decades after Kerala proudly gained recognition as the first fully literate state in India. Through a series of effective government policies aimed at transforming Kerala into a digitally empowered state, the objective of attaining digital literacy has been successfully realized.
Digitisation of government services and policies will ensure that these services are not just enjoyed by those who have the time and resources to receive them or demand for them. By making them transparent, fast, and inclusive, such a measure will also ensure that the services are enjoyed by the marginalised and those who survive on the peripheries of the state.
This system will also enable the online delivery of government services. e-Sevanam, a comprehensive initiative by the Government, is a unified online platform that integrates over 800 government services, thereby simplifying service delivery.
Apart from e-Sevanam, the state IT mission has also developed a set of digitalized platforms and applications, including e-Office File Flow, taking it down to the level of village offices in order to support the chief minister’s vision for the transparent and prompt delivery of services to all citizens.
KFON’s (Kerala Fibre Optic Network) implementation will also be a significant step in that direction. KFON is an innovative, publicly-funded project designed to give every resident of the state access to high-speed Internet. In addition to guaranteeing universal Internet access and addressing the issue of the digital divide, it seeks to link 20 lakh below-poverty-line (BPL) homes in the State to the Internet.
By making digital infrastructure accessible to everyone at an affordable price, e-governance would also assist in bridging the digital gap, which is essential in transforming Kerala into a digital society to achieve sustainable economic growth.
Previous Achievements in the Journey
Kerala stands out as the first state in India to enshrine internet access as an essential right of a citizen and it also topped the National e-Service Delivery Assessment conducted by the Government of India.
All essential services, including those in the fields of health, education, land revenue, property documentation, public assistance, and social security payments, have already been delivered digitally through projects like eDistrict, K-Swift, EHealth, ePDS, eCourt management, ERSS, Pol App, Cyber DOM, and KITE amongst others.
In July 2022, Kerala achieved a significant milestone by becoming the pioneer and sole state in the nation to possess its own independent internet service. By January 2024, the state accomplished yet another remarkable feat by becoming the first in the country to completely digitize its banking services.
