Jigar Saraswat The report suggests that apart from the high-end Apple phone, iPads and tablets have also been given for official use to all MLAs, including CM Rekha Gupta.
All Delhi legislators reportedly underwent training last month to familiarise themselves with the digital interface. The 70 Delhi Legislative Assembly members have received a brand-new iPhone 16 Pro for official use this week, which has come as a significant upgrade aimed toward the government’s paperless initiative.
iPhone 16 Pro handed to Delhi MLAs, including opposition leaders.
The high-end smartphones were handed out on Monday as part of the Delhi Assembly’s rollout of the National e-VidhanApplication (NeVA), which is a tech-driven initiative under the Centre’s “One Nation, One Application” program, said a leading portal. Apart from iPhones, all the MLAs, including Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, were also given iPads and tablets. Distribution of the premium devices made headlines during the first day of the Monsoon Session, where all legislators attended the proceedings with their new mobile handsets and tablets, said an official from the Vidhan Sabha.
Legislators underwent training for the digital interface.
The legislators also underwent training for the digital interface, which includes smart delegate units with microphones and voting panels, RFID/NFC (Radio Frequency Identification, Near Field Communication) access, multilingual support, real-time document access via iPads, an automated AV system with HD cameras, and a secure, power-backed networking environment. However, the move to provide legislators with Apple devices sparked political chatter.
Last month, the Delhi government revised the mobile phone purchase ceiling for the CM and ministers to ₹1.5 lakh and ₹1.25 lakh respectively, up from ₹50,000. Meanwhile, the Delhi Legislative Assembly also became India’s first assembly to run entirely on solar power, following the launch of a 500-kilowatt rooftop plant on Sunday.
