The organisational structure of NIC encompasses its Headquarters at Delhi ; Regional centre at pune, Bhubaneshwar and Hyderabad ; State units in all the state Capitals and Union Territory Headquarters ; and Offices in over all Districts of the country.

There is large number of support groups at NIC headquarters which provide the required informatics infrastructural backbone for helping the Application Divisions deliver services to the users. The Network communication group operates the satellite and terrestrial -communication networks and makes available data communication networks  services over NICNET through out the country.

GOVERNMENT INFORMATICS

The rapid advances and recent breakthroughs in the realm of micro-electronics, telecommunication and computers has resulted in the "INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY" revolution. This technological revolution, after making its tremendous impact felt in the sphere of science and technology, is swiftly permeating into our society to bring about dramatic changes in the way we live and work. Information Technology can be broadly described as a science of collecting, storing, processing and transmitting information.

Informatics is the combination of Information Technology (IT) and applications coupled with Telecommunication. Information has acquired an added dimension with the status of a global currency. It is the information, that will keep the vitality of the economy in future. The economy would become an "Information Movement and Management (IM&M)" Economy. Today, it is not only the most sought after costly commodity, but also the mainstay of decision making process in any organizational set up.

In order to explore and exploit the vast opportunities offered by Information Technology , which will improve and accelerate the planning process and implementation of socio-economic programmes for all-round developmental growth of the nation, National Informatics Centre (NIC) , the NODAL Organization of Government of India to introduce Computer-based MIS, file-less-office concept, electronic mail services and telematic services in the central, state and district government departments, has set up a satellite based Computer-Communication Network (NICNET) covering all Districts, State capitals and the Centre. This is facilitating the development of District Information system at District level(DISNIC) and essential databases for state and central government departments.

NICNET Comprises of

*  Mother Earth Station at NIC Hqrs., Delhi and a Micro Earth Station at each of NIC State Units and District Informatics Centres, for exchange of information via satellite (INTELSAT).

Each District Informatics Centre has facilities to process information for monitoring socio-economic developmental activities within the district.

Each District Informatics Centre  will have communication link with the State Informatics Centre for flow of information between the states and the districts. Information exchange between districts will be through the state systems only.

The State Informatics Centre  will support all district systems and, in addition, support the state Government departments. It would provide interactive facilities to all the state government departments and district administrations.

The network has high reliability and would be available all the time for efficient information flow. The State, Regional and National centres have facility to share loads and also serve as back-up to one another

The Regional Centres provide technical support to the States in the respective regions. They provide specialized peripherals and high processing power for high level modelling and simulation studies. It will also serve as a repository for compilation of information on the State systems, if required. In addition, the Centres have sophisticated Research and Development projects to develop relevant software tools to support District, State and Regional level requirements.

District Information System of NIC (DISNIC)

National Informatics Centre (NIC) has launched its District Information System programme (DISNIC) to:

  i)  Develop the necessary information/data bases in various sectors of the economy. for planning and decision making at the district level.

(ii) promote informatics culture at the district level.

(iii) improve the analysis capacity and the presentation of the statistics utilized for national, regional and district planning.

(iv) develop modelling and forecasting techniques that are required for decision making for socio-economic development.

DISNIC facilitates easy collection, compilation, dissemination and on-line accessibility of information on several sectors of the economy at state level with the availability of qualitative information at all possible levels like

(i) District

(ii) Taluk

(iii) Block

(iv) Panchayat

(v) Village

DISNIC also facilitates the building up of databases of national importance through active co-operation of the State Governments.

MIS for the Revenue Administration (MISRA) at the district level

The following sectors will be included for the development of MIS to begin with:

1. Revenue Recovery

2. Land Administration

3. Implementation of Housing Schemes

4. Functional Literacy Programme

5. Relief Works following Natural Calamity

6. Law and Order

7. Vigilance Cases

8. Pension and Welfare Schemes etc.

MIS For the Development Administration (Sectoral database)

The following sectors, among the others, are considered tor the development of M IS to start with :-

Geographic Information System (GISNIC)

Emphasis in information processing in the 1960 was on hardware, in the 1970 on software, in the 1980 on databases, and now computer cartography is fast emerging as a superior tool in accessing and interpreting their contents. Computer cartography is a component ot Geographic Information System. Among the various Cartography applications, some of the prominent ones include:

1 .Maps of the landscape

2. Maps of the atmosphere

National Natural Resources Management System (NNRMs), Department of Space

Remotely sensed data obtained from satellites and aircraft surveys are used to study and monitor natural resources, natural phenomena and the dynamic effects of human activities with them. Rapid, synoptic and accurate studies on crops, soil resources including growth, water potential, forests, envlronment and pollution, wastelands and land use, desertification and urbanisation, geology, mineral resources etc., are now feasible with satellite remote sensing and digital image analysis. DISNIC will utilise NNRMS for analysis and use at the district level.

District Planning Information System (DISNIC -PLAN)

Facilitates the District authorities to have the planning process at the District level. District Planning Information system (DISNIC-PLAN) has been designed to have a three level database containing development indicators of sectors of importance.

A report by the Committee of the Study Group on Information Gap, constituted by the Planning Commission, was submitted on 15th July'89. The committee in its suggestions has recommended that the NICNET facilities at the District level is to be effectively used for creating the essential databases through DISN IC for planning at the District, Block and Village levels; and proposed three proformae for information collection for micro level planning. These proformae have been titled as "DISNIC proformae for information collection for micro level planning at District/Block/ Village level".