Shillong, May 07: The Computer Centre of North-Eastern Hill University, in collaboration with the National e-Governance Division, successfully organised the “Digital India Awareness University Workshops” featuring a Digital India Talk Show cum Interactive Session at the Multi-use Convention Hall, NEHU, Shillong, on May 7, 2026.
The programme aimed to create awareness about key digital initiatives of the Government of India that are increasingly relevant to academic administration, examination systems, and digital governance. The workshop witnessed the participation of faculty members, officers, staff, researchers, and students of the university.
Representatives and officials from the National e-Governance Division (NeGD), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, attended the programme as resource persons and conducted technical sessions on various flagship Digital India initiatives.
Delivering the opening remarks, Sunil Jain emphasized the transformative role of Digital Public Infrastructure in ensuring inclusive governance, transparent service delivery, and seamless citizen access to government services. He highlighted the Government of India’s vision of leveraging technology for empowerment, accessibility, and ease of living.
Sumarbin Umdor attended the programme as the Chief Guest. In his inaugural address, Prof. Umdor reflected on the vast transformation brought about by the digital revolution in India.
He stated that during his student days there existed a huge disparity between the resources available in metropolitan cities such as Delhi and those accessible in Shillong and other remote regions.
However, with the advent of the digital wave, resources and information are now available simultaneously to everyone, irrespective of geographical location.
He further remarked that programmes such as the Digital India Awareness Workshop would greatly help students, faculty, and staff understand the immense potential of the digital resources and services provided by the Government of India and learn how to effectively access and utilise them.
Prof. Umdor also expressed his gratitude to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, for organising such an important awareness programme at NEHU and for taking initiatives to sensitise students, faculty, and staff on digital platforms and services.
Earlier, delivering the welcome address, L. J. Singh highlighted that the programme served as an important opportunity to connect academia with the rapidly evolving digital ecosystem of the nation. He emphasised that digital empowerment is no longer optional but essential in today’s educational and administrative environment.
He noted that the workshop enabled the university community to directly interact with experts associated with national digital initiatives and gain insights into platforms such as DigiLocker, APAAR ID, UMANG, cybersecurity, digital personal data protection, and AI-based educational initiatives.
Prof. Singh also welcomed the distinguished resource persons and officials associated with the Digital India initiatives and stressed that such technologies are instruments that promote accessibility, transparency, efficiency, and inclusion in society and education.
Ibadani Syiem, in his remarks, appreciated the relevance of digital technology in transforming the educational landscape. She noted that students of the present generation are highly privileged in comparison to earlier generations due to the accessibility of digital technologies and online services.
She further stated that India has made remarkable progress in digital development and that continued initiatives by the Government of India would help address existing challenges and strengthen the country’s digital infrastructure. She also acknowledged the significance of the workshop in helping students access digital services anytime and from anywhere.
The resource persons from NeGD, Meity, GoI included Shri Sunil Jain, Director, Shri Ajeet Kumar, Shri Ajay Kumar, Miss Rituparna Nath and Shri Varun Dhingra, NeGD. The technical sessions covered several flagship Digital India initiatives on UMANG and the myScheme portal, DigiLocker, Entity Locker, Academic Bank of Credits (ABC), National Academic Depository (NAD), and APAAR ID, elaborating on the growing importance of secure digital academic credentials and interoperable educational ecosystems under the National Education Policy framework, Cybersecurity and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 and API Setu.
