GOVERNMENT
OF INDIA
A Digital India Initiative
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GOVERNMENT
OF INDIA
Keeping all the benefits in mind and realising the value of Open Government Data, the NDSAP was drafted and put into effect so that the vast amount of data which is collected by the government can be utilised for socio-economic transformation of India. The initiation of NDSAP for furthering Open Government Data is a step in the right direction and one can feel that it is already making an impact in terms of transparency and accountability and engagement of citizens. This is very much apparent from the statistics which can be seen on the Open Government Data (OGD) Platform India. The Open Government Data Platform India has made it easy to access government data in open format which would not have been possible without the NDSAP policy guidelines.
However, despite the inroads which have been made by the Open Government Data Platform India, courtesy NDSAP, a lot more needs to be done. One can easily notice that the number of government departments which are contributing data to the platform is increasing but one cannot deny that the progress is slower than desired. There are a lot of ministries and departments including the state and local governments which needs to be brought together to share data. Going by the numbers, it is quite clear that major part of the government departments are yet to participate in this initiative or rather initiate the process of participation.
Unless and until all the departments especially the state and the local governments become part of data sharing through this portal, the utility and value of NDSAP will be confined to a particular level. The data shared by ministries have their utility to a certain extent. When one talks about open data impacting the daily life and routine of a common citizen, the bulk of the data for this should come from the state and local governments. The major part of dealing in a common man’s engagement with the government is with the local bodies starting from transportation, sanitation etc. Therefore, it is essential to get all the government body into the NDSAP initiative to realise the actual impact of Open Government Data.
To open up the enormous government data, we need to tap the IT Systems/e-Gov Applications and various other applications under Mission Mode Projects/National e-Governance Plan. From where we can make arrangements for pulling out data directly in open formats and published on Open Government Data Platform India.
In order to do this, Project Management Unit (PMU) of NDSAP is trying its best to get newer data to be shared on the platform and also encourage the government departments to participate. PMU will continue to do this to uphold the aims and objectives of NDSAP. In addition to this, it is suggested that the additions can be made to NDSAP to make it more effective. It might not be a bad idea to make NDSAP into an Act. NDSAP now is just a policy of the government without any legal backing as an Act. Making NDSAP into an Act which makes it mandatory for the all the government departments to share data can go a long way in making the NDSAP more effective and realizing the full potential of Open Government Data. As mentioned earlier despite being a policy, it is somewhat the discretion of the respective government department whether to share data or not. Therefore, making NDSAPinto an Act mandating the sharing of data coupled with the efforts of PMU can go a long way in fulfilling the goals of Open Government Data in reality.
To realise the full potential of Open Government Data NDSAP has to be given more importance and taken forward in a cogent manner. NDSAP Act is one such way and perhaps is a necessity which will eventually take the Open Government Data initiative forward to benefit the society, economy and make India an enviable example for Open Government Data. This along with the publicity and awareness campaigns can add to making NDSAP a success.