Empowering Government Tech Through Open Source: NeGD and ITDA Host Workshop in Dehradun

In a concerted effort to drive open-source adoption and promote digital governance, the National e-Governance Division (NeGD), in partnership with the Information Technology Development Agency (ITDA), Government of Uttarakhand, successfully conducted a two-day workshop on the OpenForge platform. Held on May 19th and 20th, 2025, at Hotel Aketa on Rajpur Road, Dehradun, the event marked a significant milestone in strengthening Uttarakhand’s e-Governance capabilities through collaborative and transparent software practices.

Promoting Open Source in Government Development

The workshop aimed to equip government departments with the skills and knowledge to leverage OpenForge — India’s official open-source platform developed under the Digital India initiative. OpenForge enables secure, transparent, and reusable software development by offering a suite of modern tools such as Git-based version control, project dashboards, issue tracking, CI/CD pipelines, and collaborative documentation.

With over 65 participants each day from more than 50 departments across the Uttarakhand government, the workshop fostered a dynamic learning environment. The attendees, comprising software developers, engineers, and project managers, engaged in practical sessions designed to promote best practices in public sector software development.

Key Inaugural Addresses and Institutional Support

The event was formally inaugurated by Ms. Nitika Khandelwal (IAS), Additional Secretary, IT, Government of Uttarakhand. She highlighted the importance of integrating secure and optimized software practices in government systems, emphasizing that open-source adoption is critical for building resilient and scalable digital solutions.

Mr. Tirath Pal Singh, Additional Director, ITDA, endorsed the initiative as a crucial step towards institutionalizing open-source development throughout the state. His remarks underscored the need for a paradigm shift in the way government software projects are executed — moving from isolated silos to a more unified, collaborative framework.

Also present was Mr. Ram Unyal, DGM, ITDA, who urged departments to integrate OpenForge into their internal workflows and development cycles. His call for action was echoed by Mr. J.L. Gupta, Director, NeGD, who appreciated the participants' engagement and reaffirmed NeGD’s vision for expanding the use of collaborative, open-source models in digital governance.

Interactive Modules and Technical Demonstrations

A key feature of the workshop was its hands-on nature. NeGD experts Mr. Amit Kumar (DGM, NeGD) and Mr. Sanjay Patel (Sr. Manager) delivered in-depth demonstrations of the OpenForge platform, guiding participants through the full breadth of its features. From creating repositories to managing project workflows and implementing CI/CD pipelines, the sessions were designed to ensure participants gained both theoretical knowledge and practical experience.

The workshop was adeptly moderated by Mr. Ravi Shankar Singh, Head of SeMT, Uttarakhand, and Mr. Arun Bisht, Senior Executive, ITDA, who ensured smooth coordination and participant interaction throughout the sessions.

Comprehensive Curriculum to Encourage Scalable Adoption

The two-day workshop covered a wide spectrum of content, structured around the following key modules:

• Introduction to OpenForge and its strategic importance under Digital India

• Demonstration of Git-based version control, project management, and automation tools

• Live case studies of successful e-Governance projects implemented via OpenForge

• Step-by-step guidance on setting up repositories, workflows, and collaborative documentation

Robust Interdepartmental Participation

Departments in attendance included key stakeholders such as the Information Technology Development Agency (ITDA), Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited (UPCL), Power Transmission Corporation of Uttarakhand Limited (PTCUL), State Tax, Agriculture, Livestock Development Board, Pollution Control Board, SCERT, National Health Mission (NHM), Higher Education, Smart City Ltd, Labour, Ayush, and others.

This extensive participation highlighted the growing commitment of Uttarakhand’s governmental institutions to embracing modern software development methodologies and open-source platforms.

Event Conclusion and Future Outlook

The workshop concluded with an interactive Q&A session, collection of participant feedback, and a formal certificate distribution ceremony. The feedback collected underscored the value of practical learning and called for more such initiatives to be held across districts and departments.

This event is part of ITDA’s broader vision of strengthening Uttarakhand’s digital infrastructure and building long-term software development capacity across government institutions. By promoting the adoption of platforms like OpenForge, the initiative aligns seamlessly with the goals of the Digital India program — fostering a more open, efficient, and participative digital ecosystem.

As open-source platforms become increasingly essential to building resilient public digital systems, such capacity-building efforts play a pivotal role in transforming governance from the grassroots level upward.