A 3-day National Conference for e-Governance will begin in Visakhapatnam today. The 20th Edition of the National Conference for e-Governance 2016-17 is being organised by the Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY) and the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Government of India in partnership with Information Technology, Electronics and Communication (ITE&C) Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh.<br/><br/>Built on the premise of "Minimum Government, Maximum Governance", the conference is an opportunity for the public and private sector to discuss best practices and explore new areas of partnership in areas related to e-Governance by leveraging various technology initiatives. The theme of this year's conference is 'Internet of Things and e-Governance' and will be covering newly evolving areas of e-Governance across five plenary sessions. <br/><br/>The subjects of the plenary session include 'IoT and Data Analytics', 'Cyber Security policy for the future', 'Digital Connectivity to the last mile', 'Technology led monetary transactions leading to financial inclusion' and 'Andhra Pradesh – Leading 4.0 which refers to the 4th Industrial Revolution. Aligned with the Digital India programme launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the National Conference on e-Governance is the largest annual event in the arena of Governance reforms in the country.<br/><br/>Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu will be the Chief Guest for the programme presided by Union Minister for Urban Development and Information Broadcasting M. Venkaiah Naidu and attended by a host of Central and State government ministers, Members of Parliament and officials.<br/><br/>E-Governance is one of the subjects allocated to DARPG under the Second Schedule to the Allocation of Business Rules, 1961. The Department has been entrusted the role to promote e-Governance activities in consonance with the overall national objectivities and priorities. DeitY's mandate is to encourage e-Governance to empower citizens, promote inclusive and sustainable growth of Electronics, IT &ITeS industries.<br/><br/>This conference will serve as an ideal platform for Andhra Pradesh to showcase its leadership position in e-Governance and to share its learning on leveraging Internet of Things while delivering services to citizens and businesses. This year's conference will feature an event based application which features a Virtual Assistant for attending delegates and a Virtual Reality video to showcase Andhra Pradesh's pioneering initiatives in the field of e-Governance.<br/> <br/>Last year's edition of the National Conference on e-Governance was held on 21st January, 2016 at Nagpur, Maharashtra. Union Minister for Urban Development and Information Broadcasting M. Venkaiah Naidu along with Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare JP Nadda will also participate in the Inauguration of Central Government Health Scheme's "wellness centre" on the premises of the Hospital for Mental Health in Visakhapatnam.