Puducherry Becomes 19th Legislature to Launch NeVA, Embracing Digital and Paperless Governance

Puducherry: Union Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs, Dr. L. Murugan, today inaugurated the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) for the Puducherry Legislative Assembly. The launch marks a significant stride in promoting transparent, efficient, and environment-friendly governance.

The inauguration ceremony, held at the Puducherry Assembly, was graced by Lieutenant Governor K. Kailashnathan, Chief Minister N. Rangasamy, and Assembly Speaker R. Selvam.

With this launch, Puducherry becomes the 19th legislature in the country to adopt the NeVA platform, aligning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Digital India initiative. Fully funded by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs under a 100% Central Assistance scheme, NeVA aims to revolutionize legislative functioning by eliminating the need for paper and enabling real-time digital access to Assembly proceedings.

“NeVA is a transformative initiative that strengthens our democracy by ensuring transparency and citizen participation,” said Dr. Murugan. “It embodies the vision of ‘One Nation, One Application,’ akin to other historic reforms like ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ and the proposed ‘One Nation, One Election.’ The public has the right to know how laws are made.”

Highlighting the broader vision of the Modi government, the Minister pointed to India’s rise as the second-largest country in digital transactions and the successful rollout of welfare schemes through Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT). He also cited the significant progress made under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, including a 50% reduction in defence imports, infrastructure development, and efforts to build robust social capital.

Lieutenant Governor K. Kailashnathan called the NeVA launch a “milestone moment” for Puducherry. “Digitizing legislative work and enabling live-streaming of proceedings will bring our Assembly closer to the people. This move will also save an estimated 3–5 tonnes of paper annually, aligning with the principles of Digital India, environmental sustainability, and good governance,” he remarked.

Officials noted that training sessions and awareness programmes will be conducted for legislators and staff to ensure the effective use of NeVA. The platform not only supports seamless document sharing and discussions but also allows citizens to access legislative information in real-time.