INTRODUCTION 

The National Informatics Centre (NIC) is a prominent Science and Technology institution established by the Government of India in 1976. Its primary mission is to offer e-Government/e-Governance Solutions by adopting best practices, integrated services, and global solutions within the government sector.

In 1975, the Indian government strategically decided to take decisive actions for the development of information systems and the utilization of information resources. The goal was to introduce computer-based decision support systems (informatics-led development) in government ministries and departments to facilitate planning and program implementation, thus contributing to economic and social development. Subsequently, the Central Government initiated a high-priority plan project known as the "National Informatics Centre (NIC)" in 1976, with financial assistance from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) amounting to US$4.4 million.

When the Government of India approved NICNET, the National Information Center had the task of evaluating various technological options available at that time to determine the optimal solution for a nationwide data network. Considering the nation's success stories in satellite communication, such as in broadcasting, television, or voice, a satellite-based solution for linking all state capitals and district headquarters through a data network seemed most appropriate. This solution provided a distance-independent, cost-effective, scalable, and easily deployable option. Once the decision for a satellite-based approach was made, the challenge of channel sharing mechanisms was addressed. Implementing classical Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) or Frequency Time Division Multiple Access (FTDMA) mechanisms for carrier sharing to enable two-way communication among a large number of nodes was deemed impractical unless more expensive and complex sharing mechanisms were incorporated.

Hence it was decided to go for a Code Division multiple Access (CDMA) based on Very Small Aperture Terminal (VAST) networking under the NICNET program. Commercially viable, cheap VSATs in C-band using CDMA of nodes for the same carrier in the two-way data link. The advantages of the CDMA. VSAT option chosen were specifically

• Small size (1.2 dia) 
• Low cost
• Ease of installation and deployment
• Easy scalability

The VSAT had a 1200 bps uplink and 19.2 kbps downlink, through a few VSAT's had an uplink of 9600 bps. This low speed was, of course, a limitation.

NICNET, utilizing VSATs as a communication link, spearheaded several pioneering applications in government, including:

• Electronic Mail for Government Communications: NICNET played a crucial role in offering pre-internet electronic mail services to all state government secretariats, Government of India ministries, and district collectorates through a centralized e-mail service.
• Database Access: NICNET facilitated users in remotely accessing databases such as GISTNIC (General Information Services Terminal-National Informatics Centre) and MEDLARS (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval Systems).
• Remote Talent Access: NICNET enabled remote system logins across the country, enhancing accessibility to talent and resources.
• File Transfer Protocol (FTP): NICNET facilitated file transfers across states and districts, proving especially valuable for applications like budget transmission and election result analysis.

HISTORY

Established in 1976 under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the National Informatics Centre (NIC) played a pivotal role in steering the Indian government toward IT adoption in the 1990s and widespread dissemination of e-governance initiatives. With an annual budget of ₹11.5 billion (US$160 million) for the fiscal year 2018–19, NIC has been a key player in India's technological landscape.

In May 2019, the government took a significant step by establishing the Centre for Smart Governance (CSG). Subsequently, state governments were advised to seek the expertise of CSG for IT projects, a shift from their previous consultations with NIC and private firms. Some suggest that concerns over NIC's scalability led to this change, with Rajeev Chawla, Additional Chief Secretary (e-Governance), comparing CSG to an "analogue to NIC."

ACHIEVEMENT

Over the span of more than 25 years, NIC has positioned itself as a key architect in developing e-Government/e-Governance applications across the national, state, and local government sectors. It also actively champions digital opportunities for sustainable development. Through its ICT Network "NICNET," NIC has established institutional connections with all Central Government Departments/Ministries, 28 State Governments, the National Capital Territory of Delhi, 6 Union Territories, and approximately 600 District administrations in India.

NIC has played a crucial role in driving the implementation of e-Government/e-Governance applications in Government Ministries and Departments at various levels, including the Centre, States, Districts, and Blocks. This involvement has contributed to enhancing government services, fostering transparency, encouraging decentralized planning and management, and ultimately improving efficiency and accountability to the people.

NIC has been involved implementing “eGovernance agenda” of the Central Government with respect to:

• Internet/Intranet Infrastructure (PCs, Office productivity tools, Portals on Business allocation) upto Section officers levels; 
• IT empowerment of Officers/Officials & Capacity Building 
• ICT Enabled Services (G2G, G2E, G2C and G2B) 
• ICT Plans for Sectoral Informatics Development;
• Business Process Re-Engineering 
• Services profiles, among the others, include: 
• Network services (WAN, MAN, LAN) 
• Capacity Building through Human Resources Development of Government Employees; 
• Datamining and data warehousing 
• Total ICT Solutions 
• Video Conferencing & web services
• Certification Authority and PKI Services 
• Domain (gov.in) Registrar
• Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) Services 
• National Disaster Recovery Centre 
• Geomatics & Informatics design and development for decision support 
• Sectoral ICT Plan formulation 
• ICT projects consultancy 

STRENGTH OF NIC 

• Domain expertise in various sectors of Government Business Allocation (Social Sectors, Economic Sectors, and Accounting and Treasuries, etc);
• Development Expertise & Experience in Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC); 
• Expertise & Experience in Networking, Software Technology and Hardware technology; 
• Web sites development and hosting with expertise in developing dynamic sites; 
• Email and Internet services using NICNET; 
• Imparting training in ‘standard tools’, computer awareness and application systems; 
• Handholding support during implementation;
• District Centers providing state-wide and nation-wide support for application systems; 
• “NIC is, perhaps, the only S&T organization which has the infrastructures to perform the functions of four different service providers envisaged in the Convergence Communication Bill 2000, namely: 
• Network Infrastructure Facility Provider (NIFP) 
• Network Services Provider (NSP)
• Application Service Provider (ASP) 
• Content ASP”

CONCLUSION

In this case study we have studied the history of NICNET and how VSAT was established and its application. NICNET was upgraded to meet the present day requirements of the governmental various levels. Also we studied the achievement and strength of NICNET.