Centre launches NUDM, various other digital initiatives

NEW DELHI: The Government of India on Tuesday, February 23, launched the National Urban Digital Mission (NUDM) and various other digital initiatives with an intention to transform urban governance.

Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, said that the NUDM will build an ideal space to channel immense synergies from the domain of technology towards creating citizen–centric governance reflecting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘minimum government and maximum governance’. NUDM has been initiated by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) along with the Minister of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)

Addressing the launch of NUDM and other initiatives in the national capital, Puri said that the MoHUA must work with and support all urban local bodies, from the largest to the smallest, to deliver on the promise of serving all the citizens. He added that this is what ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas’ denotes for urban India presently.

Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, who was also a part of the event virtually, said that the cities will become smarter only if digital technology is properly established. Prasad added that an important message of this launch is that uniformity is essential to good governance through a digital mode. He further stated that the goal of Digital India can be achieved through technology that is domestic, developmental, cost effective and inclusive.

In a statement, the MoHUA said that various other digital initiatives like the India Urban Data Exchange, Smart Code, Smart Cities 2.0 website, and Geo-spatial Management Information System, have also been set up.