
Information, Education and Communication (IEC) Scheme, 2025
Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) is an essential component of India's public health and social development interventions.

Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) is an essential component of India's public health and social development interventions.

The Make in India campaign is a paradigm change in the Indian economic policy that was launched by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, in September 2014. It was at this very critical juncture when the world was doubting whether India could sustain its high population birth rates, and at the same time keep up with the economic development process.

India is a vast and diverse country, characterized by linguistic plurality and cultural richness. It recognizes 22 official languages and 12 different scripts reflecting its multilingual character. About 95% of India’s population uses Indian languages for communication. This makes it essential to provide government services and information in all constitutionally recognized local languages. Yet, many people, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas, face challenges accessing e-Governance services due to the digital divide and language barriers. This is where Localisation becomes vital. Adapting e-Governance services to local languages and cultural context ensures that more citizens can access, understand and benefit from digital government initiatives.

When India speaks of inclusive development, the Northeast often features at the center of the conversation, a region of not only picturesque beauty and rich diversity but also persistent infrastructure gaps. In 2017, recognizing that existing central schemes were not fully bridging these gaps, the Government of India launched the North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NESIDS) under the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDONER).

The proposed 6000 MW Mithi Virdi Nuclear Power Project, once seen as a crown jewel of India-US energy cooperation, promised much on paper: clean energy, strategic diplomacy, and economic growth. But for the people of Jaspara, Mithi Virdi, Khadpar, Mandva, and Sosiya, it asked for too much in return for their land, their livelihoods, their way of life.

Modified Special Incentive Package Scheme (M-SIPS) started in July 2012 as a three-year scheme addressing India’s growing import dependency. In 2015, it underwent its first major revision, extending the program to 2020, adding 15 verticals, and simplifying approval processes to encourage faster investment. By 2017, strategic amendments further expedited procedures and extended deadlines to the end of 2018. Applications closed in December 2018, but implementation continues. In 2020, the Scheme for Promotion of Manufacturing of Electronic Components and Semiconductors (SPECS) was launched as a successor, focusing on incentivizing component manufacturing with 25% capital expenditure support.

Indian engineers have designed a three-nanometre chip. Another team of Indian engineers is hard at work developing a two-nanometre chip, right at the frontier of chip technology. So, India is taking great strides in the area of semiconductor design and manufacture, right? Wrong.