New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind, speaking after conferring the Digital India Award-2020, on Wednesday, stressed the need for optimum utilization of technology in addressing the problems being faced by us today. “The year 2020 has been the year of Covid-19. The year is about to end now, and let us hope the pandemic will also end soon. It will not be an overstatement to say that the coronavirus has changed the world in terms of social relations, economic activities, health care, education and several other aspects of life.”

“Yet life has not come to a standstill, thanks largely to information and communication technology. Technological advances are often termed as disruptions but this year they helped us overcome the big disruption to a great extent,” he said, adding that due to proactive digital interventions, “we have been able to ensure operational continuity of important government services during and after the lockdown.”

He said that the role of our digital warriors has been commendable in helping the country overcome challenges posed by the pandemic. The President urged to keep exploring innovative solutions for the functioning of government offices in paperless and contactless mode for security and benefit of every citizen. He said that it will also help in making administrative processes more eco-friendly. 

Quoting the famous proverb, the President said that information is power. Sharing more information is power. Sharing more information with more people not only enhances transparency in society, but also empowers citizens and civil society. 

The Digital India Awards is an initiative of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to honour outstanding practices in Digital Governance. The 6th Digital India Awards 2020 have been presented in six categories - Innovation in Pandemic, Excellence in Digital Governance, Excellence in Digital Governance, and Excellence in Digital Governance, Open Data Champion and Exemplary Product. /BI/