Nagaland: Kohima HC e-governance sustained, with minor strain; NMC and NSCW stalled

NIC remains forerunner among websites of judicial, statutory, and regulatory bodies

Moa Jamir
Dimapur | December 15

After setting a benchmark for best practices during the last assessment on September 17, 2023, the website of the Gauhati High Court Kohima Bench (GHCKB) has managed to sustain its progress, albeit with minor slippages in some sections.

A re-assessment by The Morung Express of the websites of judicial, statutory, and regulatory bodies in Nagaland, as of December 15, indicates that while some have shown improvement, others have either stalled or fallen behind.

Apart from the GHCKB’s website, the Nagaland Information Commission (NIC) continues to reflect commendable e-governance practices. The Nagaland Lokayukta website also showed significant improvement since the last assessment, although the quality of its data remains average.

The websites of the Nagaland Pollution Control Board (NPCB) display regular updates, while the Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority (NSDMA) had intermittent updates. 

The State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (SCPD), Nagaland State Legal Services Authority (NSLSA) and Nagaland Police websites remains largely unchanged barring few updates.  

However, the websites Nagaland Medical Council (NMC) and Nagaland State Commission for Women (NSCW) have shown no updates since the previous review.

GHCKB’s good practices, albeit minor strain
As noted last year, the HC Kohima Bench’s website (https://kohimahighcourt.gov.in/) meets all necessary transparency requirements, providing access to valuable resources, historical information, profiles, public notifications, and up-to-date disclosures. 

Sections such as General Notices, Transfers & Postings, Recruitment, and Miscellaneous were updated as of December 13.
More importantly, updates appear to follow a consciously streamlined policy measure. On June 10, 2024, the GHCKB also launched an information channel on WhatsApp, providing links to live streaming of court proceedings, daily cause lists, and news reports.

However, the website occasionally lags in publishing the ‘Case Status,’ typically made available to the public by the evening of each proceeding. 

Since November 29, the ‘Case Status’ section has frequently displayed the message, “Orders are not uploaded...”.

Additionally, the Right to Information (RTI) Act 2005 disclosure section still contains the 2022-2023 RTI Manual, last modified on July 26, 2023. 

Nevertheless, GHCKB remains one of the few government websites in Nagaland with a relatively recent RTI Manual.

Robust NIC
Established on March 14, 2006, under the RTI Act, the NIC website continues to showcase robust data and regular updates. 

As of October 15, 2024, it features the Annual Administrative Reports (AAR) for 2022-23, along with Complaints and Appeals for 2024-25. An RTI Manual created on November 9, 2023, is also available.

However, the ‘Notifications’ section lacks updates, and recruitment or circular-related information is missing.

Lokayukta revamps  
The Nagaland Lokayukta website has undergone noticeable changes, improving in design, information, and the addition of new sections. 

The ‘About Us’ section now includes details on the profiles of the Lokayukta and UPA Lokayukta, their powers and functions, and organisational structure.

A new RTI section with the 2023 manual has been added, though the Annual Report section remains empty. Sections for filing complaints, downloading various forms, viewing closed cases, and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) have also been introduced.

However, while the 'News & Events' section was updated on February 18, 2024, regarding an October 2023 event, archives for finalised cases remain missing.

Decent but needs improvement
The websites of the NPCB, NSDMA, SCPD, and Nagaland Police are functional but continue to lack quality data and comprehensive disclosures.

For instance, the NPCB website, updated as of December 12, 2024, features prominently displayed public complaints and contact details for all members. However, the RTI section remains blank, and reports on water, air, and noise monitoring, such as Action Plans for River Rejuvenation and Non-Attainment Towns, are absent.

The SCPD website, created under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, provides relevant data, including Acts & Rules, instructions, schemes, and sign language videos. However, it remains largely unchanged from the last assessment. While its X (formerly Twitter) links now function, the linked YouTube account directs users to the Election Commission of India, and the Facebook link is non-functional.

Similarly, the NSDMA website remains outdated, with its AAR still showing 2013-2014 data, and it lacks an RTI disclosure section. The NSDMA appears to remain preoccupied with COVID-19-related content.

Meanwhile, apart from a few advertisements posted in July, the NSLSA website has shown no significant updates since the last review.

No progress for NMC and NSCW
The websites of the NMC and NSCW continue to suffer from serious digital gaps. The NMC’s last notable update was on May 22, 2023, while the NSCW’s website last updated its ‘News & Updates’ section on August 28, 2023. Both websites have shown no significant progress since the September 2023 review.