{{advert|date=September 2024}} {{Short description|Science and technology agency of the Government of India}} {{Use Indian English|date=January 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2014}} {{Infobox organization | logo = NIC logo.svg | image_alt = | caption = | map = | formation = {{Start date and age|df=yes|paren=yes|1976}} | extinction = | type = Digital information | status = | purpose = | headquarters = New Delhi | language = English and Hindi | leader_title = Director General | leader_name = Shri T.V.T Ramana <ref>https://igod.gov.in/organization/edJDHHUBGGphvn7wU-O6</ref> | main_organ = | affiliations = | budget = {{INRConvert|11.5|b|lk=r}}{{Sfnp|Government of India|2019|p=324}} | remarks = | name = National Informatics Centre | image_border = | image_size = | map_size = | map_alt = | map_caption = | abbreviation = NIC | location = Pan India | region_served = India | membership = | parent_organisation = Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology | num_staff = 3500 (April 2023)<ref name="DC4"/> | num_volunteers = | website = {{Official URL}} | module = {{Infobox network service provider | child = yes | asn = [http://www.cidr-report.org/cgi-bin/as-report?as=AS4758 4758] | trafficlevels = 70–80 Gbit/s }} }} The '''National Informatics Centre''' ('''NIC''') is an Indian government department under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).{{Sfnp|Rituraj|2018|p=2}}{{Sfnp|Prabhu|2012|pp=45–47}}{{Sfnp|Malwad|1996|pp=36–39}}
It provides infrastructure, IT consultancy, IT services including but not limited to architecture, design, development and implementation of IT systems to central government departments and state governments, helping in implementing the digitization initiatives of Digital India.<ref name="NIC-DO"/>
The organisation also carries out research in the IT domain and recruits various scientists and Scientific/Technical Assistants. The organisation's primary function is to cater to ICT needs at all levels of governance and facilitate digital access to government services for citizens.
==History== '''The National Informatics Centre (NIC)''' is an Indian government department under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). Established in 1976, NIC provides information technology infrastructure and support to central and state government ministries, departments, and agencies. It is responsible for the development, maintenance, and operation of government IT systems, networks, and data centres, and supports the delivery of digital services by public authorities.
It had an annual budget of {{INRConvert|11.5|b|lk=r}} for the year 2018–19.{{Sfnp|Government of India|2019|p=324}} Most of this is spent in providing free services to various government departments.
== Infrastructure and services == National Informatics Centre Services include:<ref>{{Cite web |title=NIC SERVICES {{!}} National Informatics Centre |url=https://www.nic.in/services-main-page/ |access-date=2023-06-22 |website=www.nic.in}}</ref> * Digital Government Research Centre (DGRC) * Government Local Area Networks (LANs) * Video conferencing * National Knowledge Network (NKN) * Mobile competency centre * Email & messaging * Remote sensing & GIS * Webcast * Domain registration * National Cloud * Command and control * NICNET * Data centre * Security * Blockchain Technology
NIC's Network, "NICNET",{{Sfnp|Bhagavan|1997|p=112}} facilitates the institutional linkages with the Ministries/Departments of the Central Government, state Governments and District administrations of India.<ref>{{Cite web |title=NICNET {{!}} National Informatics Centre |url=https://www.nic.in/servicecontents/nicnet/ |access-date=2023-06-22 |website=www.nic.in}}</ref> NIC is the primary constructor of e-government applications.<ref name="AN-1">{{Cite web |url=https://www.altnews.in/gois-national-informatics-centre-also-culpable-abhinav-srivastavs-aadhaar-data-hack-incident/ |title=Is GOI's National Informatics Centre also culpable for Abhinav Srivastav's Aadhaar data hack incident? |date=11 August 2017 |website=AltNews.in |url-status=live |first1=Anand |last1=Venkatanarayan |first2=Pratik |last2=Sinha |first3=Anivar |last3=Aravind |access-date=6 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190328105246/https://www.altnews.in/gois-national-informatics-centre-also-culpable-abhinav-srivastavs-aadhaar-data-hack-incident/ |archive-date=28 March 2019}}</ref> It also manages the National Knowledge Network.
===Data centres and offices=== In 2018, NIC opened its fourth data centre in Bhubaneshwar to complement its existing data centres in New Delhi, Hyderabad and Pune.<ref name="DC4">{{Cite news |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/internet/nic-launches-fourth-data-centre-in-bhubaneswar/articleshow/64353894.cms |title=NIC launches fourth data centre in Bhubaneswar |first=Surabhi |last=Agarwal |date=28 May 2018 |newspaper=The Economic Times}}</ref> In addition to the National Data Centres, NIC offices include Head Quarters situated in New Delhi and has State Centres in all 36 states and Union territories.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.expresscomputer.in/artificial-intelligence-ai/ravi-shankar-prasad-inaugurates-nic-command-control-centre-to-support-cloud-data-infra/31640/ |title=Ravi Shankar Prasad inaugurates NIC Command & Control Centre to support cloud, data infra |date=14 January 2019 |last=Staff |website=Express Computer}}</ref><ref name="NIC-DO">{{cite web |url=https://www.nic.in/district-office/ |title=District Offices |publisher=National Informatics Centre |access-date=8 November 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191108073952/https://www.nic.in/district-office/ |archive-date=8 November 2019}}</ref> This is supplemented by 741 district offices.<ref name="NIC-DO"/>
===National cloud=== thumb|Kapil Sibal inaugurating the ‘National Cloud’ MeghRaj in February 2014 National Informatics Centre developed GI Cloud named as MeghRaj. This project was launched by Government of India for cloud computing in February 2014.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=102979 |title=Shri Kapil Sibal Launches 'National Cloud' Under 'MeghRaj'}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/ites/kapil-sibal-suggests-nic-forms-cloud-service-jv-with-private-firms/articleshow/29869238.cms?from=mdr |title=Kapil Sibal suggests NIC forms cloud service JV with private firms |newspaper=The Economic Times |date=4 February 2014}}</ref> MeghRaj Cloud offers a variety of service model like platform as a service (PaaS), infrastructure as a service (IaaS), software as a service (Saas), virtual servers, Kubernetes containers, dev ops, etc.<ref name="economictimes.indiatimes.com">{{cite news |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/technology/jio-platforms-bags-rs-350-crore-deal-to-run-national-informatics-centres-cloud-services/articleshow/99362491.cms?from=mdr |title=Jio Platforms bags Rs 350 crore deal to run National Informatics Centre's cloud services |newspaper=The Economic Times |date=10 April 2023 |last1=P |first1=Suraksha}}</ref> In April 2023, Jio Platforms secured a {{INRConvert|3.5|b|year=2023}} contract to manage and improve the cloud services of National Informatics Centre (NIC) for five years for onsite maintenance at various data centres in Delhi, Pune, and Bhubaneswar.<ref name="economictimes.indiatimes.com"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.business-standard.com/companies/news/jio-platforms-gets-rs-350-crore-deal-to-run-nic-s-cloud-services-for-5-yrs-123041000176_1.html |title=Jio Platforms gets Rs 350 crore deal to run NIC's cloud services for 5 yrs}}</ref>
=== Centres of Excellence === The following CoE (Centre of Excellence) has been established: * Artificial intelligence * Blockchain technology * Microservices * Data analytics * Application security
NIC established the Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence in 2019 to explore more opportunities for AI applications in governance. In 2020, the Union Government and NIC has launched the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in blockchain technology in Bengaluru.
=== Bharat Maps === Bharat Maps is a web mapping service maintained by the National Informatics Centre.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bharatmaps.gov.in/bharatmaps/#about|title=About Bharat Maps|publisher=Government of India|access-date=1 December 2023|archive-date=19 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240119084034/https://bharatmaps.gov.in/bharatmaps/#about|url-status=live}}</ref> The project was implemented in the 2004–09 five-year cycle and the data is derived from Survey of India, Registrar General of India and Indian Space Research Organization.<ref name="BM"/> The maps are used by various government departments for official purposes and is also available for the use of consumers.<ref name="BM">{{cite report|url=https://informatics.nic.in/article/593|title=Bharat Maps|publisher=Government of India|access-date=1 December 2023|archive-date=12 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200512163648/https://informatics.nic.in/article/593|url-status=live}}</ref>
=== National Portal of India === NIC maintains the National Portal of India. The portal contains the Constitution of India,<ref name="TRLAW-portal">{{Cite web |url=https://uk.practicallaw.thomsonreuters.com/1-604-1225 |title=National Informatics Centre portal |website=Thomson Reuters Practical Law |access-date=6 November 2019 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20191106110742/https://uk.practicallaw.thomsonreuters.com/1-604-1225?transitionType=Default&contextData=(sc.Default)&firstPage=true&bhcp=1 |archive-date=6 November 2019}}</ref> and has a design objective to a single point to access the information and services of the Government of India.<ref name="Portal-about">{{Cite web |url=https://www.india.gov.in/about-portal |title=About us — National Portal of India |website=www.india.gov.in |access-date=6 November 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190809150703/https://www.india.gov.in/about-portal |archive-date=9 August 2019}}</ref>
== See also == *Electronic Transaction Aggregation & Analysis Layer
== References == {{Reflist}}
==Sources== * {{cite book |last1=Bhattacharya |first1=Jaijit |date=2006 |title=Technology In Government, 1/e |publisher=Jaijit Bhattacharya |isbn=978-81-903397-4-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0BIJ69iZyZ0C&dq=%22National+Informatics+Centre%22+-wikipedia&pg=PA276 |access-date=5 November 2019 |language=en}} * {{cite book |last=Bhagavan |first=M.R. |date=1997 |title=New Generic Technologies in Developing Countries |isbn=978-0-333-65049-3 |publisher=Macmillan & St. Martin |location=London & New York}} * {{cite report |date=2019 |author=Government of India |title=Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology — Annual Report 2018–19 |url=https://meity.gov.in/writereaddata/files/MeiTY_AR_2018-19.pdf |publisher=Government of India |access-date=6 November 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191105233515/https://meity.gov.in/writereaddata/files/MeiTY_AR_2018-19.pdf |archive-date=5 November 2019}} * {{cite book |last1=Malwad |first1=N. M. |date=1996 |title=Digital Libraries: Dynamic Storehouse of Digitized Information : Papers Presented at the SIS '96 15th Annual Convention and Conference 18-20 January, 1996 Bangalore |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-81-224-0898-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eVqg0fvsxXQC |access-date=5 November 2019 |language=en}} * {{cite book |last1=Prabhu |first1=C. S. R. |date=2012 |title=E-Governance: Concepts and Case Studies |publisher=PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd. |isbn=978-81-203-4557-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lW5NnqT32xoC&dq=%22National+Informatics+Centre%22+-wikipedia&pg=PA45 |edition=6 |language=en}} * {{cite book |last1=Rituraj |first1=Vishalakshi |editor1=Kumar, Puneet |editor2=Jain, Vinod Kumar |editor3=Pareek, Kumar Sambhav |date=2018 |title=The Stances of e-Government: Policies, Processes and Technologies |chapter=e-Governance Plan: Impact and Changes |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=978-1-351-39618-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-ZV2DwAAQBAJ |access-date=5 November 2019 |language=en |oclc=1064971921}} * {{cite news |title=Shri Rajesh Gera joins as Director General, National Informatics Centre (NIC) |url=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1830151 |access-date=1 June 2022 |work=Press Information Bureau |date=1 June 2022}}
==External links== * {{Official website}}
{{Authority control}} {{Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (India)}}
National Informatics Centre Category:Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (India) Category:E-government in India Category:Government agencies established in 1976 Category:1976 establishments in India