Management Information System
The Computerised Management Information System (MIS) developed for Ministry of Steel with the assistance of National Informatics Centre (NIC) is functional in the area of Accounting and Budgeting, Section Activity Monitoring System, Industrial Entrepreneurs Memoranda System, VIP References Monitoring, Public Grievances Monitoring and Steel Control & Supply(Imports/Exports, Duties, Prices, apparent consumption and category-wise production.
The Computer Centre in the Ministry has been established as central facility is equipped with two Pentium Servers (Unix & Windows-NT based) and 3 nos. of Pentium based Client nodes, one no. Scanner for document imaging operations and switches & hubs as a backbone for Local Area Network and Internet Operations in the Ministry . Apart from NIC Central facility, about 50 Pentium/486 based computers as a client nodes on LAN have been operational with various Senior level Officials and key desks/sections in the Ministry.
A Local Area Network of about 50 nodes has been established in the Ministry with the assistance of NIC for resource and information sharing among the various user communities in the Ministry . The Internet access has been provided on all 50 nodes for browsing and E-mail operations. Efforts are being made to establish Ministry -wide Intranet by opening Work-flow and Web-enabled applications in Iron & Steel Sector. E-mail accounts on Internet has been created for various Users in the Ministry for making smooth workflow between Ministry 's PSUs and other sub-ordinate Offices on day-to-day basis.
A Homepage on Internet has been launched for Ministry of Steel with the assistance of NIC, which provides details on Iron & Steel Sector Policies, Demand and Supply Trends on Steel Sector. The Homepage is being updated regularly.
NIC Computer Centre is actively involved in promoting software standardization by providing Window-based Office Automation suits and a move towards paperless office. Various in-house training programmes on LAN operations, E-mail & browsing operations on Internet and Windows-based Office Automation Suits have been organised by NIC Computer Centre in the Ministry from time to time.
A Five-year IT Plan has been prepared for the Ministry in which 2 to 3% budget has been earmarked for providing computers, software development and training to the users in the Ministry . In this Plan, main emphasis has been given to computerise monitoring and work-flow applications in the first phase. Subsequently, the databases will be setup in Iron & Steel Sector with the closer co-operation of Ministry 's sub-ordinate offices & PSUs.