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Time of India
14-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Digital ‘panchanama' to accelerate disaster compensation
Nagpur: After a successful two-year pilot in Nagpur division, e-Panchanama project is ready for a full-scale roll out across the state. The digital platform has been developed to streamline and expedite disaster damage assessment and compensation. Training for its implementation has been done in four divisions including Nagpur, Amravati, Nashik, and in the remaining two divisions, Pune and Chatrapati Sambhajinagar, is under way, with statewide implementation expected by the end of under the initiative of Nagpur divisional commissioner Vijayalakshmi Bidari, in collaboration with the Maharashtra Remote Sensing Application Centre (MRSAC) and the Relief & Rehabilitation Department, the e-Panchanama system replaces traditional manual processes with a GPS-enabled mobile and web-based platform. This allows for real-time, location-specific documentation of damage, enabling swift and accurate Maharashtra govt approved an administrative expenditure of Rs 4.95 crore for the project on March 14, 2023. Subsequently, on January 25, 2024, an additional Rs 20.65 crore was sanctioned for MRSAC to develop the necessary server infrastructure to support the recently presented the e-Panchanama project at the Tech-Wari conference in Mumbai, where she was invited as one of the key speakers. Reflecting on the development process, she shared how on-ground feedback played a crucial role during the pilot in Nagpur. "We're also exploring similar modules to assess human and animal losses due to floods and other natural calamities, although those are still in the early brainstorming stage. However, this system became much more efficient thanks to suggestions from village-level officers," Bidari told TOI."For instance, we introduced the land masking feature based on their input, which automatically excludes forest land and Gaothan areas — zones typically not eligible for compensation when farms are damaged by unseasonal rains. Initially, the system allowed uploading only one photo per assessment. But field officers pointed out that damages are often more evident from different angles, so we incorporated the option to upload multiple photos. These changes made the platform more practical and accurate," she its pilot inception, the project demonstrated significant results. In the 2023–24 fiscal year, 46,884 e-Panchanamas were conducted, benefiting 43,844 farmers. In 2024–25, 40,982 assessments have already been carried out, impacting 39,866 farmers during which parallelly manual punchanamas were filed. A total of 2,932 govt personnel, including Talathis, Tahsildars, BDOs, Agriculture Assistants, and Gram Sevaks, have been trained across the four completed features of the system include integration with land record systems (7/12, e-Peek Pahani), Sevarth ID for Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), and auto-calculation of compensation based on crop-wise and farmer-specific damage. Each e-Panchanama is geotagged, assigned a unique ID, and stored in a centralised database that supports damage pattern analysis, decision-making, and ahead, plans are also there to integrate the system with the Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellite network and streamline DBT delivery. A Government Resolution detailing the new e-Panchanama process is under development. Support structures are also being established, including a dedicated support cell at Mantralaya and designated officers at each divisional and collector office.
Time of India
11-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
E-panchnama trial success in Nagpur division paves way for statewide roll-out
Nagpur: Success of E-panchnama system — a digital tool designed to streamline crop damage reporting for farmers, in Nagpur division has opened the way for a statewide roll-out within the year. Speaking at Tech-Wari, a technology learning week held in Mumbai from May 5 to 8, divisional commissioner Vijayalakshmi Bidari presented the success of the the brain behind the initiative, highlighted how traditional panchnama process for assessing crop damage, done manually and passed through multiple administrative levels, often took up to a year. "By the time relief reached farmers, many were already burdened by debt," she new digital system allows talathis (village-level officers) to report crop losses directly through a mobile app. The app includes drop-down menus, GPS tagging, and photo upload features, making the process faster and transparent. "In 2023–24, over 46,000 e-panchnamas were successfully completed, and more than 40,000 were filed in 2024–25," she said while training sessions for Konkan, Nashik, and Amravati divisions have already been completed, once the remaining two divisions are trained, the system can be rolled out across Maharashtra within the in collaboration with agencies like Maharashtra Remote Sensing Applications Centre (MRSAC), the app integrates existing govt datasets such as Mahavedh (for rainfall alerts), IRS (for unique identification), land records, and e-peek pahani (crop data). Officials say the e-panchnama system will not only speed up compensation process but also increase accuracy, transparency, and accountability — offering much-needed relief to farmers affected by natural Success of E-panchnama system — a digital tool designed to streamline crop damage reporting for farmers, in Nagpur division has opened the way for a statewide roll-out within the year. Speaking at Tech-Wari, a technology learning week held in Mumbai from May 5 to 8, divisional commissioner Vijayalakshmi Bidari presented the success of the the brain behind the initiative, highlighted how traditional panchnama process for assessing crop damage, done manually and passed through multiple administrative levels, often took up to a year. "By the time relief reached farmers, many were already burdened by debt," she new digital system allows talathis (village-level officers) to report crop losses directly through a mobile app. The app includes drop-down menus, GPS tagging, and photo upload features, making the process faster and transparent. "In 2023–24, over 46,000 e-panchnamas were successfully completed, and more than 40,000 were filed in 2024–25," she said while training sessions for Konkan, Nashik, and Amravati divisions have already been completed, once the remaining two divisions are trained, the system can be rolled out across Maharashtra within the in collaboration with agencies like Maharashtra Remote Sensing Applications Centre (MRSAC), the app integrates existing govt datasets such as Mahavedh (for rainfall alerts), IRS (for unique identification), land records, and e-peek pahani (crop data). Officials say the e-panchnama system will not only speed up compensation process but also increase accuracy, transparency, and accountability — offering much-needed relief to farmers affected by natural disasters. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Mother's Day wishes , messages , and quotes !
Indian Express
30-04-2025
- General
- Indian Express
As deadline ends today, over 86% Maharashtra schools complete geo-tagging process
Over 86 per cent of schools in Maharashtra have completed the geo-tagging process as of April 30, the deadline set by the government, according to data available on the MahaSchool portal. Out of the 1,08,301 schools in the state, 93,548 schools, that constitute 86.38 per cent, have been mapped while 14,753 remain unmapped, the data said. The School Education and Sports Department, through a government resolution dated March 23, mandated schools to complete a 'geo-tagging' process involving the capture of the Geographic Information System (GIS) location, which includes the latitude and longitude along with the timestamp. In addition, the schools are bound to upload five photos of the school building, the kitchen shed, the boys' and girls' washrooms, and the drinking water facility on the 'Maha School GIS' mobile application. As per the latest update, Sindhudurg district has the highest percentage of schools mapped at 97.76, while Mumbai (Suburban) has the lowest at 73.46 per cent. In terms of numbers, Pune has the highest number of schools mapped at 6,648 schools, while Hingoli has the lowest at 1,024. The circular stated that geo-tagging of schools is being done as the Unified District Information System For Education Plus (UDISE +) portal does not have data like the physical locations of these schools, settlements, villages, roads, and highways, the distance between two schools, and facilities provided by other government facilities near these schools. It contained only information like the number of schools and teachers, and facilities available in the school. To fill this gap, a contract was signed with the Maharashtra Remote Sensing Application Centre (MRSAC) on February 5. Under this, data of various departments available with MRSAC and UDISE + data will be combined and made available on a separate dashboard. The Maha School GIS, which was inaugurated by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on April 22, has also been developed by the MRSAC. Maharashtra Commissioner for Education Sachindra Pratap Singh was unavailable for a comment.
Time of India
24-04-2025
- General
- Time of India
Maharashtra schools to be geotagged by April 30
Pune: Maharashtra's school education department has launched a statewide initiative to geotag all schools and Anganwadi centres to aid in better policy planning and implementing various programmes. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Physical location and key facilities of each institution would be mapped through the newly developed Maha School GIS mobile app, bringing in greater accuracy and transparency to govt data, , a department official said. Geotagging would allow the state to correlate school data with geospatial information, such as road connectivity, nearby facilities, and population density, enabling more targeted policy decisions and efficient resource allocation. The initiative also seeks to address long-standing gaps in planning, especially in rural and remote areas. Developed by Maharashtra Remote Sensing Application Centre (MRSAC), Maha School GIS app is now live. Schools are required to log in using UDISE code or the mobile number registered by the headmaster on UDISE Plus. The existing school details from UDISE Plus portal would be auto-populated after one has logged in. Sharad Gosavi, director of education (primary), said, "While updating the information on the app, the concerned headmaster should ensure to be present on the school premises to update photos/information. Additionally, this information should be updated on the app before April 30. The education department has instructed the concerned education officers to verify that all schools have submitted this information." Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Meanwhile, detailed information about all schools in the state is available on the central govt's UDISE Plus portal. This includes various details about schools such as the number of students, number of teachers, available physical facilities, and computer facilities. This information is used at the govt level for planning and implementing various policies/programmes. "For policy planning and implementation, information such as location of villages, hamlets, population density, available districts, state highways/national highways, distance between schools, and facilities provided by other govt departments near schools is not currently available with the department. To address this gap, an agreement has been made with MRSAC," added Gosavi. As a result, the information available with MRSAC and school education department's data on UDISE Plus portal would be integrated and made available on a separate dashboard.
Time of India
23-04-2025
- General
- Time of India
Schools rush to meet state GIS tagging deadline
Nagpur: Schools across Maharashtra have been directed to complete GIS tagging of their premises by April 30, using a newly launched application — Maha School GIS . Officials said schools in the Nagpur division are progressing well and are set to meet the deadline. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The initiative is part of a major push towards digitising school infrastructure data, following the official rollout of the Maharashtra Remote Sensing Application Centre (MRSAC) by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday. Schools had already begun uploading their data through the Maha School GIS app last week. The application uses advanced geospatial technology to log the precise location of schools across the state, while also integrating photographs and key data points. The system is designed to feed into a unified dashboard, consolidating crucial information such as student and staff counts, infrastructure details, computing resources, and other amenities. It directly synchronises with the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+), a central government portal that tracks educational statistics nationwide. To access the app, school heads must log in using their UDISE code and registered mobile number. Once authenticated, the app displays the school's current UDISE+ profile. Administrators are then required to geotag the school's location — capturing latitude, longitude, and a timestamp — and upload five mandatory photos: the school nameplate, full building view, kitchen area, separate toilets for boys and girls, and water facilities. For data authenticity, all uploads must be carried out while physically present on the school premises. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now This GIS-based system addresses longstanding gaps in the educational data framework, particularly in areas such as village location, population distribution, road connectivity, inter-school distances, and access to government services. By linking this information with UDISE+ records, the state aims to build a robust database to guide policy formulation and improve programme implementation. The Maha School GIS initiative is expected to significantly strengthen educational planning, giving policymakers and administrators real-time insights to better allocate resources, address infrastructure deficits, and ultimately raise the standard of education across Maharashtra.
