Guj govt websites to get face-lift, connect to social media

Websites of various departments of Gujarat Government will soon be seen in a new avatar with fresh user-friendly content along with integration of social media platforms in a bid to deliver more reliable, accurate and updated information to people.
The state government has also directed all its departments to ensure that content of all its websites is in both Gujarati and English languages.
Apart from making websites more accurate, attractive and user-friendly, the government has also planned to make them more secure and participative, said Science and Technology department secretary Dhananjay Dwivedi.
"Our objective is to improve the overall content of the websites and deliver more reliable, trusted and updated information to users. We also want to streamline the entire process of website design. Thus, we have issued guidelines to all the departments to achieve this objective," he said.

Dwivedi's department recently formulated a comprehensive set of guidelines for integration of social media and for designing, maintaining, promoting, updating, developing and securing the websites.
These guidelines have now been sent to government departments, boards, corporations and societies for their implementation and follow up.

One of the key features of the guidelines is the use of Gujarati language and use of social media platforms to promote the website and engage with users.
Now, all the departments will have to ensure that content of their website would be available in Gujarati as well as in English against the present case wherein several websites have only English text.

"Websites shall be bilingual (Gujarati and English). In case the current website is not bilingual, the respective organisation shall take necessary steps to render it bilingual within six months", stated the guideline document sent to various departments.
The departments have also been asked to integrate various social media platforms into their websites. These platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, should also be used to promote the website, stated the guidelines.