In a remarkable achievement, the Himachal Pradesh Government has reached 100 percent saturation of 56 mandatory e-services under the National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA). The milestone, achieved through the collaborative efforts of the Department of Digital Technologies and various State Government departments, underscored the state’s commitment to enhancing digital governance. An impact evaluation by the Indian School of Business (ISB) revealed an impressive 40.89 percent improvement in six months based on NeSDA framework parameters.

Key departments, including Jal Shakti Vibhag, the Education Department, and HPSEBL, have been recognized as top performers, significantly contributing to this success. Their outstanding performance is anticipated to elevate Himachal Pradesh’s ranking in NeSDA framework. Despite this progress, departments have been encouraged to sustain their efforts to ensure complete compliance with all NeSDA criteria.

To build on this momentum, the Department of Digital Technologies and Governance, in collaboration with the ISB team, organized a workshop on June 29, 2024, (Saturday) to train representatives from various departments on the Him Data Portal and the NeSDA framework. During the event, the ISB team presented a detailed report and impact assessment of the state’s advancements in the NeSDA framework.

Dr Aarushi Jain, Director of Policy at the Bharti Institute of Public Policy at ISB, emphasized the significance of the Him Data Portal in enhancing the open data ecosystem. She noted that this aligns with the recent NeSDA guidelines aimed at improving the e-governance service delivery mechanism.

Launched in 2023, the Him Data Portal serves as a comprehensive platform integrating data from various State Government departments. The portal aims to foster transparency, accountability, and innovation by providing citizens, businesses, and policymakers with easy access to high-quality data. Developed by the Indian School of Business (ISB), Mohali, the portal has now been transferred to the State Government for further management.

About NeSDA

The National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA) was launched in 2018 by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Government of India. It is a thorough evaluation of e-governance service delivery mechanisms across all government levels in India, measuring their depth and effectiveness. The ISB was tasked with identifying gaps and providing recommendations to enhance the state’s digital governance and rating.