Union Minister Chandrasekhar sees bright tech future for Nagaland State

May 7, 2022 63 Views No Comment

Morung Express News
Dimapur | May 7

Aiming to promote skill based development using technology and innovation in the State and the Northeast, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State, Electronics and IT, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, unveiled 5 NIELIT centres and launched the NECB 2.0 Project during an event at the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NEILIT), Dimapur on May 6.

Rajeev Chandrasekhar stated that he had seen extensive growth in the number of entrepreneurs in the state. Recalling his first visit, he said, “There was only one entrepreneur at the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) in Kohima about seven months ago. But now the STPI is packed with entrepreneurs.” He termed this as a symbol of the future of Nagaland and the Northeast.

He further shared the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Digital India in 2014 which had three objectives—to use technology to transform the lives of ordinary citizens; to create more opportunities for youth; and to create global leadership in India.

Chandrasekhar also said that the advancement in technology over the past few decades has improved the characteristic of India’s democracy. “Especially during the COVID period, it has been demonstrated that technology enables government and governance to deliver every rupee meant for every beneficiary to his/her account without any leakage or delay that is the power of technology,” he claimed.

He said that had it not been for technology, the COVID response would have been much different and more lives and livelihoods would have been destroyed. He remarked how India’s vaccination rate of more than 180 crores helped mitigate the challenges and turmoil posed by the pandemic even as countries like China and the US were grappling with the disease. This, he said was due to the fact that “technology has played a defining role in the rise of India and the global respect that it commands within the global community.”

He mentioned that India’s growing economy has helped create over 100 ‘unicorns’ (start-ups valued at 1 billion dollars or more) over the last 2 years along with boosting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). He added that in the tech and electronics industry, the country has created over 10 lakh new jobs which indicated that the new trend is moving towards those with digital skills and training.

When it comes to Nagaland, he felt optimistic seeing the youths who are at the forefront of the trend of ‘Digital Nagaland,’ which would help create new jobs and opportunities for every citizen. He encouraged the youths to look beyond the prospect of government jobs.

Chandrasekhar also expressed his view that the youths of the state would contribute towards the vision of digital India as the Prime Minister had stated that, “the future of India is technology and that the next ten years as India’s Techade.”

This, he said can only be possible through institutions like NIELIT, STPI and NIC that are actively working with state governments to provide opportunities for the youths undergoing training in these centres.

Earlier in the programme, speeches were delivered by special guests, Imnatiba, Advisor, Industries and Commerce, Labour and Employment, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, who shared that the newly inaugurated building of NIELIT was initially built for a different purpose. However, after further deliberation, the government decided to give it to the institute as an extension centre at Dimapur for the interests of the youths in the state.

Mmhonlumo Kikon, Advisor, IT & Communication, Science and Technology, NRE, also spoke about the future of IT and e-governance, stating that this will be the backbone of Nagaland’s future. He motivated the youths to take up enterprising initiatives and to contribute to the future of a ‘new India’ in an extensive way.

The four NIELIT centres, excluding Dimapur, were virtually inaugurated by the Union Minister in a simultaneous manner during the programme. The centres are located at Jorhat, Dibrugrah, Pasighat and Senapati under the states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur respectively.

Source: https://morungexpress.com/union-minister-chandrasekhar-sees-bright-tech-future-for-nagaland-state