Pro. M Moni Professor Madaswamy Moni is the Director General
(Retd), National Informatics Centre, a premier Institution of
Government of India in the areas of e-Governance and Informatics
development.
Professor Moni is a Distinguished
Technocrat and Eminent Informatics Scientist in the area of
“e-Governance, Informatics and Agricultural Informatics” in India
and has been a PIONEER. “Played a significant role in taking
e-Governance in India and strived hard, thought strategically for
long-term solutions, fought ground realities and challenges faced
the country, yet devised ways to succeed” … This is how the Good
Governance Magazine (September Issue 2011) described and identified
him as “e-People” of September 2011. During his tenure as Deputy
Director General in NIC, he was sent on Official Mission by the
Ministry of External Affairs to Lao PDR and Timor Leste, to prepare
and submit Project Proposal on e-Governance Programme. He has
visited many African, European and Asian Countries, including USA
and Canada, on various Technical Missions.
Professor Moni has more than 40 years of experience in the field of
e-Governance and Informatics, having held prestigious assignments,
including sharing important responsibilities as Principal Systems
Analyst to the Former Finance Minister of India, Hon’ble Shri V. P.
Singh, during 1985-88.
Professor M. Moni was
the Chairman of the Task Force on IT in Agriculture of the
Government of Jharkhand 2007-08; and the Chairman of Sub-Group on
“IT and ICT usage in Agricultural data, at Agro-Climatic level, and
also in Small Area farm business” of National Statistical
Commission, Government of India, 2011. His Publications have
generated academic and research interests in the areas of regional
development, agricultural development and informatics development.
He was instrumental for ICT for District Administration (DISNIC
Programme: e-Government) in +512 Districts during 1987-91 and ICT
for Agriculture (ICT4Ag) from 1995-2013 in India. These ICT
Projects have been internationally recognized. His article titled
“Capacity Building and E-Governance in Agriculture and Rural
Development: An Informatics Blueprint for Developing Countries’ in
African-Asian Journal of Rural Development, Volume 48, No. 2, 2015,
pp. 7-63, has been well received.
Founder
Project Director of District Information System Programme of NIC
(DISNIC) 1987 in 28 development sectors (Agriculture, Livestock,
Fisheries, Irrigation, Health, Education, Industries, SC
development, ST development, Micro-level planning etc.), and
operationalized, during 1980s, in about 520+ districts in India.
The DISNIC Programme 1987 has been the “front-runner” of the
present day “e-Governance Programme” of India. Instrumental in
conceiving and operationalizing many national ICT projects viz.,
AgRIS, AGRISNET, AGMARKNET, SEEDNET, HORTNET, APHNET, FISHNET,
NADRS (National Animal Disease Monitoring System) Project etc in
the Agricultural Sector in India. He was instrumental in
visualizing, designing and operationalizing “IntraNIC” for National
Informatics Centre (Government of India) using SharePoint Portal
Software Tool in 2002. This was the frontrunner for Internets
Development for various Ministries later, and then Portal
Development using Open Source Technologies Software later.
Instrumental in visualizing the development Schemes under
the Eleventh Plan (2007-12) of National Informatics Centre (NIC):
GRID (Grass Root Informatics Development) Project, SMART VILLAGE
Project and SMART ISLAND Project. Instrumental in conceptualizing
NADRS (National Animal Disease Reporting System) Project for
implementation in about 7032 locations for strengthening the Animal
disease surveillance and monitoring system in the country.
Conceptualized the need for establishing a “National Centre for
Farm Health Management Research Studies” to understand an
integrated view of Plant health, Animal Health, Soil Health and
water Quality for agricultural productivity increase.
Prof. M. Moni is the Former Secretary General, Bhoovigyan Vikas
Foundation, New Delhi, founded in 2000 CE for Earth Sciences
Development, Sustainable Development and Earth Care Policy Studies,
in developing Countries. A Distinguished Fellow and the Co-Chairman
of Bhoovigyan Vikas Foundation (BVF), New Delhi. As the Secretary
General, Prof. M. Moni was instrumental in organizing the following
Conferences: -
- Earth Day Celebrations and 1st International Conference
on Sustainable Development and Sustainable Life Styles, 21-23
April 2001, New Delhi
- 2nd International Conference on Sustainable Agriculture,
Water Resources Development & Earth Care Policies, 18-20,
December 2002, New Delhi
- 3rd International Conference on Rural India: Achieving
Millennium Development Tools and Grassroots Development, 10-12,
November 2005 [M. Moni (2005): Rural India: Different Meaning to
Different People – A Discussion Paper]
In the National Symposium on “Paradigm Shift in
Geography”, Organized by A. M. Khwaja Chair, Jamia Milia Islamia,
New Delhi, 28-29, November 2011, his Keynote Address “Paradigm
Shift in Geography: Challenges and Opportunities” was well
received, instrumental for creating a debate on establishing a
“National University of Geography” in India to build up enough
“Capacity Building for Sustainable Development”, and published in
the Proceedings (pp 1-40). He was also the Member Secretary of the
Task Force on “Agricultural Resources Information System (AgRIS)
–2000” under the National Natural Resources Management System
(Department of Space, Government of India).
Professor Moni is the Recipient of Seva Ratna Award 2004 (The
Centenarian Trust, Chennai) and Bhoogol Bhushan Award 2006 (The
Deccan Geographical Society India, Pune) for ICT for Agricultural
Development (ICT4Ag) in India, and also nominated to the Technology
Museum Award, USA 2004 and 2005 for visualizing and
operationalizing the AGMARKNET Project in India. Indian Council of
Food and Agriculture (ICFA) decorated Prof. Moni with its
prestigious “ICT Leadership Award” during Agriculture Leadership
Conclave 2019 held in July 2019 at New Delhi, and “Life Time
Achievement Award 2020” by Global Outreach Research & Education
Association (GOREA) in 5th Global Outreach Conference on Modern
Approaches for SMART Agriculture (MASA-2020, “Outstanding
Contribution to Community” Certificate, presented by Indian
education Network at 9th Annual Higher Education Summit, held on
25th February 2021 at Le Meridian Hotel, New Delhi; Bharat Ratna
Atal Bihari Vajpayee Tribute to Titans of Technology: Furthering
the Indic Atmanirbharta - Conferred for lifelong contribution to
the Indian Information Technology while being in National
Informatics Centre & Thereafter, National Technology Day 2021, 11th
Day of May 2021 by Re:think India, New Delhi; Guru Golwalkar
Tribute to the GURUS of Atmanirbhar Bharat - Professor Moni
Madaswamy on Guru Purnima Day, July 24th, 2021, by Re: think India,
New Delhi.
Professor Moni is the Chairman of
ICFA’s Working Group on ICT (www.icfa.org.in); Member, Indigram
Labs Foundation Advisory Board, Delhi (www.indigramlabs.org); Hon.
Chairman, AHIMSA Chennai (an NGO involved Agricultural and Rural
Developmental Activities in Tamil Nadu) – www.ahimsact.com.;
Advisor to ICCo India (www.iccoindia.org), New Delhi. He was,
earlier, the one of its Vice-President and Board Member of the
Asian Federation of Information Technology in Agriculture (AFITA),
Tokyo.
After retirement from the Government
Service, Professor Moni has been become the Professor Emeritus and
Chairman, Centre for Agricultural Informatics and e-Governance
Research Studies (CAIRS) 2013; and instrumental for establishing
Centre for AgriBusiness and Disaster Management Studies (CADMS)
2017, Centre for Industry 4.0 Technology Studies and Applications
(CITSA) 2018 and Centre for Informatics development Studies and
Applications(CIDSA) in 2019, in Shobhit Deemed University Meerut
(NCR Delhi, Uttar Pradesh). The University provides Agricultural
Informatics Programme at M.Tech/B.Tech level, MBA in Agri Business
Management, and also Diploma on e-Governance in Farming Sector.
CAIRS is the first centre in India.
In December
2018, Prof. M. Moni has been invited to be the Chairman of the
“Working Group of BRICS Biomedical Informatics, India’’, by
Professor Shamil Akhmedov, Chairman of BRICS-Biomed Consortium and
Deputy Director for Innovation Research Institute of Cardiology of
Tomsk National Research Medical Center (Russian Academy of
Science). He has accepted the Invitation.
Prof.
M. Moni was formerly Chief Advisor (IT), Department of Agriculture,
Cooperation & Farmers Welfare, Government of India, New Delhi, and
has been associated as the Group Leader of two sub-Groups on
Volume-11: Empowering the Farmers through Extension and Knowledge
Dissemination, and Volume 12: Digital Technology in Agriculture
(Chapters 7-10), for formulating Draft for the “Report on Doubling
Farmers Income by 2022” (DFI-2022) of the Ministry of Agriculture
and Farmers Welfare. Instrumental for visualizing following
strategic recommendations as DFI-2022 Mission Mode Programmes: -
1. Digitalised Agriculture: Digital Technology and
Innovation in Agriculture: Digital India, Make in India, Skill
India and StartUp India Programmes for Transformational Reforms in
Agricultural Sector (SMART Irrigated, SMART Rainfed and SMART
Tribal Agri Systems)
2. Digitalised Agro-Met
Advisories & Agricultural Risk Management Solution;
3.
Digitalized Agricultural Resources Information System and
Micro-Level Planning for achieving SMART VILLAGE & SMART FARMING;
4. Digitalized Agricultural Value Chain from “Farms” to “Profits” –
nearly about 400 Commodities;
5. Digitalised Access to
Inputs, Technology, Knowledge, Skill, Agricultural Finance, Credit,
Marketing and Agribusiness Management, to Farmers;
6.
Digitalized Integrated Land and Water Management System – Per Drop
More Crop;
7. Digitalized Farm Health Management for
reduction of Farmers’ Losses.
Prof. M. Moni was
Advisor (IT) in Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Ministry of
Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India during the period of
January 2017 to March 2020. He has recently become Principal
Advisor to eHealthSystem Technologies LLP, Pune (Maharashtra),
which is promoting One Health - Eco Health System components.
His Articles titled: (i) “e-Governance in Farming Sector:
A Roadmap to enhance Agricultural and Food Security”, Section –
III, Chapter 13 in the Book titled “Modi’s Odyssey: Digital India,
Developed India” - Sameer Kochhar (Eds), December 2015, Publication
of SKOCH Group, Gurgaon, NCR Delhi, received vast readership.
Prof. M. Moni moderates two Weekly Webinar Series -
National Webinar Series on Doubling Farmers’ Income by 2022
(Atmanirbhar Bharat in Agriculture) on Thursdays, and International
Webinar Series on Open Source Digital Technologies towards
Self-Reliant India (Atmanirbhar Bharat) on Saturdays. Both the
Webinar Series have completed their 40th Edition by 14th August
2021.
Prof. M. Moni is a Technocrat,
Academician, Researcher, Author, Project Developer, Project
Implementer, Organization builder, Optimist and above all, a Man of
Missionary Zeal.
