July 17: In just one year since the formation of the present government, there has been a significant progress in the field of information, communication and technology of the country. During this period, significant success has been achieved especially in the field of ICT by completing the 'Digital Nepal' plan put forward by the government.

The Information and Broadcasting Department has started providing all its service through online medium from July 3. The department has been providing online services such as BRLMS, DMS, Information Management System and Cash SMS. The department started the information management system under the online service from last year.

Gogan Bahadur Hamal, director general of the department, informed that all the works of the department including issuance of press representative certificate, renewal of identity card, registration and renewal of online media, management of records of newspapers and journalists and management and distribution of public information are done through the online system.

In the last fiscal year, the department distributed 2,092 press passes and renewed 2,557 press passes through online system. Hamal says that 3,463 online registrations were done, with 662 registrations and 677 renewals in the last fiscal year.

Secretary of the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology Dr. Baikuntha Aryal informed that 90 percent of the services of the Ministry of Communication are provided online for the purpose of fulfilling the plan of Digital Nepal. In Nepal, where the digital journey started with the use of computers for the national census in the year 1971, now has a 100 percent access to mobile phones and 60 percent Internet access.

The government continued policy, legal and structural reforms for the overall development of the information and communication sector. In this 1 year period, National Cyber ​​Security Strategy 2078, National Broadcasting (Eleventh Amendment) Regulations 2078, Radio Communication (License) (Fifth Amendment) Regulations 2078 and Film (Production, Exhibition and Distribution) (Seventh Amendment) Regulations 2078 were approved and implemented by the Council of Ministers.

Similarly, the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology issued the National Information Technology Development Committee (Formation) (Third Amendment) Order 2078, approved guidelines for the construction and management of government offices' websites, and issued guidelines for new technologies including Citizen Apps (Operation and Management) 2078 and 5G.

Uttar Kumar Khatri, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Communication and  Information Technology, informed that the 'Digital Nepal Framework 2076' is in the implementation phase.

“Under the framework, we are now running software called automation and we are working through the Internet, email. Comments are also made from here. Not only that, but now we have also received the support of the World Bank,” said Khatri.

As per the Ministry of Communication, comments, letters, correspondence, employee leave, attendance, etc. are now done in the digital system under the integrated work management system. Spokesperson Khatri also informed that it will be applied to other ministries and offices within the Singha Durbar from mid-July.