Maharashtra moves to adopt digital legislature platform NeVA

The National e-Vidhan Application is a Mission Mode Project of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs under the Digital India Programme.

Maharashtra has taken a major step towards becoming a fully digital legislature after expressing its commitment to adopt the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA), a flagship initiative under the Digital India Programme that seeks to modernise legislative functioning across the country.

The decision supports Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of "One Nation, One Application" by creating a unified digital platform that enables state legislatures to conduct business electronically while improving transparency, efficiency and public access to legislative proceedings.

Maharashtra prepares for NeVA rollout

The commitment was reaffirmed during a meeting held at Vidhan Bhawan in Mumbai on 16 July, bringing together officials from the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, the Maharashtra Legislature Secretariat and the Department of Parliamentary Affairs, Government of Maharashtra.

The discussions were led by Dr Satya Prakash, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Mission Leader for NeVA. Representatives from the Maharashtra Legislature included Secretary-I Jitendra Bhole and Secretary-IV Sudarshan Sathey, while the state government was represented by Department of Parliamentary Affairs Secretary Supriya Dhivre and other senior officials.

The meeting concluded with an agreement to speed up the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, the Maharashtra Legislature Secretariat and the state government's Department of Parliamentary Affairs, clearing the way for the project's implementation.

Digital platform to modernise legislative work

Officials held detailed discussions on the roadmap for implementing NeVA, covering software features, technical infrastructure, institutional preparedness, funding support, staff training, implementation timelines and the responsibilities of each participating agency.

Queries relating to software functionality, financial assistance, technical support and operational requirements were addressed during the meeting, with participants agreeing to prioritise the next steps needed to launch the project.

The Maharashtra government and Legislature said the initiative reflects their commitment, under the leadership of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar and Legislative Council Chairman Prof. Ram Shinde, to create a paperless, transparent and citizen-focused legislative system.

NeVA expands India's digital governance network

The National e-Vidhan Application is a Mission Mode Project of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs under the Digital India Programme. Approved with a total outlay of ₹673.94 crore, it seeks to digitise all 37 State and Union Territory legislatures through a common platform that allows members to access legislative business electronically.

The Maharashtra project, which will cover both the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council in Mumbai and Nagpur, is estimated to cost around ₹48 crore. Once operational, the platform will help legislators perform their duties more efficiently while giving citizens easier access to legislative business and proceedings, strengthening transparency and encouraging greater public participation.

So far, 33 State and Union Territory legislatures have signed Memorandums of Understanding with the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, while 21 have already become fully digital Houses. Maharashtra's adoption of NeVA will mark another important milestone in expanding digital governance and building a more connected legislative ecosystem across India.