The Delhi Legislative Assembly became the first legislature in India to run entirely on solar energy. This transformation follows the commissioning of a 500-kilowatt rooftop solar power plant. Additionally, the Assembly adopted the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) to enable fully paperless legislative functioning.
Key Highlights
- The Delhi Assembly building, built in 1912, originally housed India’s first Parliament.
- The solar rooftop plant is expected to reduce the Assembly’s monthly electricity bill by ₹15 lakh, saving around ₹1.75 crore annually.
- The plant is also capable of generating surplus power, with provisions for net metering to feed excess electricity back to the grid.
- The solarisation is part of a broader shift toward sustainable and digital governance.
National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA): Digital Legislative Transition
- The NeVA platform was launched simultaneously and made fully functional from the Monsoon Session of the Delhi Assembly.
- It is a key component of the “One Nation, One Application” initiative under the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs (MoPA).
- Delhi MLAs and legislative staff were trained to use the platform.
NeVA’s Key Features in Delhi Assembly
- Smart delegate units: Integrated with microphones, voting panels, and RFID/NFC-based access.
- Multilingual support: Documents accessible in multiple languages.
- Real-time access: Legislators use iPads for instant access to legislative documents.
- Automated AV system: High-definition cameras and secure, power-backed network infrastructure enable seamless operations.
- Device-agnostic: Accessible on mobiles, tablets, desktops, and laptops.
What is NeVA?
- NeVA (National e-Vidhan Application) is a centralized digital platform to digitize the entire legislative process across India’s State Assemblies and Parliament.
- Aims to enable paperless governance, enhance efficiency, promote transparency, and improve accessibility.
- Nagaland was the first state in India to implement NeVA fully and go completely paperless.
Benefits of NeVA Implementation
- Reduces paper consumption and printing costs.
- Speeds up legislative workflows and enhances coordination among legislators and secretariat.
- Increases transparency by making legislative business available online.
- Supports sustainability goals through eco-friendly digital operations.
- Ensures data security and integrity through hosting on Meghraj 2.0, India’s national cloud infrastructure.
Why It Matters?
- Marks a major milestone in green governance and e-governance.
- Sets a national benchmark for other legislatures to adopt renewable energy and digital legislative platforms.
- Supports climate goals, cost efficiency, and digital India initiatives.
- Promotes legislative modernization and better public service through environmentally responsible operations.