Science & Technology
Computers and Information Technology
IT and E-Governance in Chhattisgarh
CHiPS, CHOiCE, the computerised PDS and paddy procurement, Bhuiyan land records, Lok Seva Guarantee Act, Sanchar Kranti Yojana, Bastar Net and recent portals.
Prerequisites
- Digital India, E-Governance and IT in Rural India: NeGP, SWAN, SDC, CSCs and BharatNet, the national frame these state projects sit in.
- Formation of the State and Administrative Structure: the state’s departments and districts that deliver these services.
- Agriculture and Irrigation: why paddy procurement is so central to the state.
The Hook: The Paddy Token and the SMS
Connect
Every winter, lakhs of farmers across Chhattisgarh bring paddy to cooperative procurement centres. The quantity is entered into a computer at the centre, and the payment goes to the farmer’s bank account. Months later, rice from that paddy reaches a fair price shop in a distant district, and the cardholder may get an SMS that grain has arrived.
This chain, from farm to ration shop, was computerised in Chhattisgarh in the 2000s and became one of the most studied e-governance examples in India. Which other state projects should you know, and what do they teach about IT in rural India? This page gives you the Chhattisgarh examples that lift a Mains answer above the generic.
Why it matters: Prelims Part 2 (Chhattisgarh) can ask about state schemes and portals. In Mains GS-II, one or two accurate state examples in an answer on e-governance or IT in rural India show local knowledge, which examiners reward.
How to use state examples
Portals and schemes are renamed, merged and relaunched often. Learn the idea behind each project (what problem it solved) and quote figures with their year. Check the latest state budget and the Economic Survey before the exam for new launches.
Institutions
| Institution | Role |
|---|---|
| Department of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of Chhattisgarh | Policy for IT and e-governance in the state |
| CHiPS (Chhattisgarh Infotech Promotion Society, चिप्स) | The state’s nodal agency for IT and e-governance projects. Registered as a society; set up in the state’s early years. It has implemented the State Data Centre (SDC), State Wide Area Network (SWAN), State Service Delivery Gateway, GIS projects, CHOiCE and e-Procurement |
| NIC Chhattisgarh (National Informatics Centre state unit) | Builds and runs many state software systems, including food and land-record applications, with district informatics officers in each district |
Key Projects
1. CHOiCE: one-stop citizen services
- CHOiCE = CHhattisgarh Online information for Citizen Empowerment.
- The idea took shape soon after the state’s formation (around 2001) and was piloted in Raipur.
- Aim: a one-stop, anywhere-anytime window for G2C services such as certificates and applications, delivered through kiosks (CHOiCE centres) run in public–private partnership mode.
- Recognition: CHOiCE won a CSI e-Governance Award (2009–10), and Chhattisgarh was named Best e-Governed State in the CSI–Nihilent e-Governance Awards 2007–08.
2. Computerised PDS and online paddy procurement (the “Chhattisgarh model”)
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| When | Paddy procurement computerisation operational from 2007; PDS reforms in the same period |
| Scope | End-to-end: paddy purchase at cooperative procurement centres → storage → milling (custom-milled rice) → movement to fair price shops → distribution to cardholders |
| Farmer side | Online records of each farmer’s sale; payment into bank accounts |
| Citizen side | SMS alerts on grain dispatch; computerised public records of stock and sales |
| Recognition | The online paddy procurement system received a PCQuest Best IT Implementation Award (2009) |
| Legal backing | The Chhattisgarh Food Security Act, 2012, passed before the national National Food Security Act, 2013 |
Why the PDS model is cited nationally
Before reform, PDS grain in many states leaked to the open market. Chhattisgarh combined technology (computerised supply chain, SMS, online tracking) with institutional change (shops run by panchayats, cooperatives and SHGs instead of private dealers) and political commitment. The lesson for Mains: IT works when it is paired with process and institutional reform, not as a stand-alone fix.
3. Bhuiyan (भुइयाँ): computerised land records
- The state’s official computerised land-records system, run by the Revenue and Disaster Management Department (portal and mobile app).
- Gives online access to B-1 (खतौनी), the account of a landholder’s rights, and P-II (खसरा), the plot-wise field record kept by the patwari, along with maps.
- Digitally signed copies can be downloaded and used for bank loans and registration.
- Links to the national DILRMP; reduces visits to the tehsil and dependence on intermediaries.
4. Chhattisgarh Lok Sewa Guarantee Act, 2011 (लोक सेवा गारंटी अधिनियम)
- Enacted in 2011, one of the “Right to Public Services” laws passed by several states around that time.
- Requires notified public services to be delivered within a stipulated time and fixes liability (including penalties) on officials who default.
- E-governance and the Act reinforce each other: online applications create a time-stamped record that makes delays visible.
5. Sanchar Kranti Yojana (SKY, संचार क्रांति योजना), 2018
- Launched in 2018 by the then state government to digitally empower rural people, primarily women.
- Plan: free smartphones for about 50 lakh beneficiaries, reported as about 45 lakh rural women (one per rural household) and about 5 lakh college students, with new mobile towers to extend coverage. Distribution took place during 2018.
- Phones came pre-loaded with citizen-service apps.
- Debate: supporters saw it as tackling the gender digital divide; critics questioned the cost and timing before the 2018 Assembly elections, and studies raised questions about women’s actual control over the phones within households. A good Mains example for “access is not the same as empowerment”.
6. Bastar Net (बस्तर नेट)
- A state project to build a digital highway for mobile and internet connectivity across the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected Bastar division.
- Lays about 832 km of optical fibre cable across Bastar, so that telecom companies can install towers and offer broadband where fibre had been absent.
- Shows that in conflict-affected and forested areas, connectivity is also a security and development issue: it enables banking, schooling, health services and administration.
7. Recent digital governance (dated)
| Initiative | Detail |
|---|---|
| e-Office | Launched in August 2024 by Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, along with a CMO portal and the ‘Swagatam’ visitor portal, to move government files online across departments |
| Seva Setu | The state’s integrated citizen-services portal; an upgraded version launched in April 2026 was reported to offer about 560 services from 35 departments (as of 2026) |
| One Click Single Window System 2.0 | Online, time-bound approvals for investors; reported to integrate about 150 services across 19 departments (as of 2026) |
| e-Procurement | Online tendering for state works and purchases, implemented through CHiPS |
Analysis: Lessons from Chhattisgarh
| Strengths | Gaps and challenges |
|---|---|
| Early adopter: CHOiCE and award-winning e-governance within the state’s first decade | Connectivity gaps in forested and LWE-affected areas of Bastar and Surguja |
| PDS and paddy procurement: IT plus institutional reform cut leakages and delays | Digital literacy among tribal and elderly populations; dependence on intermediaries |
| Land records online (Bhuiyan) reduce visits and disputes | Language: content in English and Hindi, little in Gondi, Halbi and other tribal languages |
| Legal guarantee of timely services (2011 Act) | Biometric and network failures at ration shops can exclude the needy |
| Focus on women’s access (SKY) and Bastar connectivity (Bastar Net) | Device access without skills or control limits empowerment; power supply |
Way forward: complete fibre-to-village through BharatNet and Bastar Net; expand assisted service points (CSCs, Seva Setu centres) at the panchayat level; offer services in Chhattisgarhi, Gondi and Halbi; build offline fallbacks for PDS; train women’s SHGs as digital helpers; strengthen cyber-safety awareness; integrate portals so a citizen faces one window rather than many.
Memory Tricks
'CHIPS makes CHOiCE'
CHiPS is the agency; CHOiCE was its flagship citizen service. Both start with CH for Chhattisgarh.
The state's IT years: 07–11–12–18
2007 paddy procurement online → 2011 Lok Sewa Guarantee Act → 2012 Chhattisgarh Food Security Act → 2018 Sanchar Kranti Yojana.
Don’t Confuse
| This | vs | That |
|---|---|---|
| CHiPS: the nodal agency | vs | CHOiCE: a project it implemented |
| B-1: landholder’s account (khatauni) | vs | P-II: plot-wise field record (khasra) |
| Chhattisgarh Food Security Act, 2012 | vs | National Food Security Act, 2013 |
| Bastar Net: state optical fibre in Bastar division | vs | BharatNet: national fibre to gram panchayats |
| SKY (2018): smartphones and towers | vs | PMGDISHA (2017): national digital literacy |
Common Mistakes
MCQ traps
- “Chhattisgarh’s Food Security Act came after the national Act.” False. The state Act (2012) preceded the NFSA (2013).
- “CHOiCE is a central government scheme.” False. It is a Chhattisgarh project implemented through CHiPS.
- “Bhuiyan is the state’s paddy procurement portal.” False. Bhuiyan is for land records.
- “SKY gave smartphones mainly to urban youth.” False. The main target was rural women, plus college students.
- Writing exact current figures without a year. Portal service counts change every few months. Always write “as of 2026”.
Practice
All questions below are original practice questions written in CGPSC style. They are not previous-year questions.
Level 1: Foundation
- CHiPS stands for ______.
- The Bhuiyan portal provides which two core land records?
- The state law that guarantees time-bound delivery of public services was enacted in ______.
Answers
- Chhattisgarh Infotech Promotion Society.
- B-1 (khatauni) and P-II (khasra).
- 2011 (Chhattisgarh Lok Sewa Guarantee Act).
Level 2: Prelims MCQs
Q1. Consider the following statements about e-governance in Chhattisgarh:
- CHOiCE was a citizen-service delivery project piloted in Raipur.
- The Chhattisgarh Food Security Act was enacted after the National Food Security Act, 2013.
- The Bastar Net project aims to lay optical fibre across the Bastar division.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 2 and 3 only
- (c) 1 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer and explanation
(c) 1 and 3 only. CHOiCE (Chhattisgarh Online information for Citizen Empowerment) was piloted in Raipur. The state’s Food Security Act was passed in 2012, before the national Act of 2013. Bastar Net plans about 832 km of optical fibre across the LWE-affected Bastar division.
Q2. Match List I (Initiative) with List II (Main purpose):
| List I | List II |
|---|---|
| A. Bhuiyan | 1. Free smartphones, mainly for rural women |
| B. Sanchar Kranti Yojana | 2. Online land records |
| C. Lok Sewa Guarantee Act | 3. Optical fibre connectivity in an LWE-affected region |
| D. Bastar Net | 4. Time-bound delivery of public services |
- (a) A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3
- (b) A-2, B-4, C-1, D-3
- (c) A-1, B-2, C-4, D-3
- (d) A-2, B-1, C-3, D-4
Answer and explanation
(a) A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3. Bhuiyan hosts land records; SKY (2018) distributed smartphones; the 2011 Act fixes time limits and penalties for service delivery; Bastar Net builds fibre connectivity in Bastar.
Q3. The computerisation of Chhattisgarh’s paddy procurement and PDS is often cited as a model mainly because it:
- (a) replaced the PDS with cash transfers
- (b) computerised the supply chain end to end, with SMS alerts and online records, alongside institutional reforms
- (c) used blockchain to track every grain sack
- (d) was implemented entirely by private companies
Answer and explanation
(b). The reform tracked grain from procurement centres to fair price shops, sent SMS alerts and put records online, and was paired with changes such as community-run ration shops. It did not replace grain with cash, did not use blockchain, and was government-led.
Q4. Which agency is the nodal agency for IT and e-governance projects of the Government of Chhattisgarh?
- (a) NPCI
- (b) C-DAC
- (c) CHiPS
- (d) UIDAI
Answer and explanation
(c) CHiPS. NPCI runs national payment systems such as UPI, C-DAC is a national advanced computing centre (PARAM supercomputers), and UIDAI issues Aadhaar.
Level 3: Mains Answer Writing
Q1. (60 words) What is Bastar Net? Why is it important?
Model answer outline
- What: a Chhattisgarh government project laying about 832 km of optical fibre across the LWE-affected Bastar division, a “digital highway” for mobile and internet services.
- Importance: enables towers and broadband where fibre was absent; supports banking, DBT, schooling, telemedicine and administration in remote areas; strengthens security communications; helps bring tribal areas into the digital economy.
Q2. (150–200 words) Evaluate the role of e-governance in improving public service delivery in Chhattisgarh.
Model answer outline
- Intro: Chhattisgarh adopted e-governance early, through CHiPS, and was named Best e-Governed State in the CSI–Nihilent awards 2007–08.
- Achievements:
- PDS and paddy procurement (from 2007): end-to-end computerisation, SMS alerts, bank payments to farmers; backed by the Chhattisgarh Food Security Act, 2012.
- CHOiCE: one-stop citizen services.
- Bhuiyan: online, digitally signed land records.
- Lok Sewa Guarantee Act, 2011: time-bound services with accountability.
- Connectivity: Bastar Net; SKY smartphones (2018); e-Office (2024) and an upgraded Seva Setu portal (2026).
- Limitations: connectivity and power gaps in Bastar and Surguja; digital literacy; little tribal-language content; biometric exclusion; women’s limited control of devices; many portals rather than one window.
- Way forward: BharatNet and Bastar Net to the last mile; assisted access through CSCs and SHGs; local-language services; offline fallbacks; integrated single window; cyber-safety awareness.
- Conclusion: Chhattisgarh shows that e-governance succeeds when technology is joined with institutional reform and legal accountability; the next task is inclusion of the remotest citizen.
Quick Revision Table
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Nodal IT agency | CHiPS (Chhattisgarh Infotech Promotion Society) |
| CHOiCE | Chhattisgarh Online information for Citizen Empowerment; pilot in Raipur; CSI e-Gov Award 2009–10 |
| Best e-Governed State | CSI–Nihilent e-Governance Awards 2007–08 |
| Paddy procurement online | From 2007; PCQuest Best IT Implementation Award 2009 |
| PDS reform | End-to-end computerisation, SMS alerts, community-run ration shops |
| Chhattisgarh Food Security Act | 2012 (before NFSA 2013) |
| Bhuiyan | Land records: B-1 (khatauni), P-II (khasra); digitally signed copies |
| Lok Sewa Guarantee Act | 2011; time-bound services, penalties |
| Sanchar Kranti Yojana | 2018; smartphones mainly for rural women, plus college students |
| Bastar Net | About 832 km of optical fibre in Bastar division |
| e-Office | Launched August 2024 |
| Seva Setu | Upgraded April 2026 (about 560 services, 35 departments, as reported) |
Key Takeaways
Key Takeaways
- CHiPS is the nodal agency; CHOiCE, SWAN, SDC and e-Procurement were among its early projects.
- The computerised PDS and paddy procurement (from 2007) are Chhattisgarh’s best-known e-governance success, because technology came with institutional reform.
- Bhuiyan, the 2011 Lok Sewa Guarantee Act and newer portals bring land records and services online with accountability.
- SKY (2018) and Bastar Net target the state’s biggest gaps: women’s access and connectivity in Bastar.
- Quote state figures with their year; the Mains lesson is “access + ability + accountability”.
What’s Next
- Computers and IT: Quick Revision: the whole chapter on one page
- Economy, Budget and State Schemes: the state schemes these portals deliver
- Panchayati Raj and Local Government in Chhattisgarh: the gram panchayat as the unit of rural service delivery
- Welfare and Development Programmes: national schemes for Mains GS-V
Advertisement