Case Studies

e-Vidhan: Paperless Legislative Assembly

Discover how Synaptron’s e‑Vidhan platform transformed a northeastern Indian state assembly into a fully paperless, efficient, and transparent legislature—cutting costs, speeding processes & empowering MLAs.

Executive Summary

As part of India’s national e-governance drive, a northeastern state partnered with Synaptron to transform its Legislative Assembly into a fully digital and paperless institution. Through the successful deployment of an integrated e-Vidhan platform, Synaptron streamlined legislative processes, reduced manual dependencies, and brought transparency and efficiency into public governance. The initiative resulted in:

90% reduction in paper usage across assembly sessions and standing committee operations
70% faster preparation and distribution of legislative documents
100% digital recordkeeping with instant retrieval of bills, debates, and proceedings
Significant cost savings in printing, logistics, and human resources

This digitalization model is now being positioned as a replicable benchmark for other state assemblies across India.

Challenge

Manual, Paper-Heavy Legislative Processes

Before the transformation, the state assembly faced significant inefficiencies due to traditional practices:

High Administrative Burden from Paper-Based Workflows

Preparing, printing, and distributing hundreds of physical copies of bills, session notices, questions, and responses involved enormous manpower and time.

Limited Access to Legislative Records and Reports

MLAs and officers lacked centralized, searchable access to past proceedings, committee reports, and bill histories—slowing legislative productivity and debate readiness.

Delays in Document Circulation Affected Participation

Key documents often reached members late, hindering their ability to review and contribute effectively to discussions.

Heavy Environmental and Printing Costs

Thousands of reams of paper were used each year, incurring heavy printing and logistics costs—especially during budget and monsoon sessions.

Low Digital Readiness Among MLAs and Staff

MLAs and staff had minimal exposure to digital tools, making change management a major concern.

With the central government pushing for e-Vidhan implementation under the “Digital India” initiative, the state recognized the need for a partner that could not only deploy the platform but also drive institutional change and capacity building.

Solution

End-to-End e-Vidhan Implementation by Synaptron

Synaptron took ownership of the full lifecycle of the digital transformation, delivering a secure, cloud-ready, and user-friendly solution aligned with NIC’s e-Vidhan architecture.

Platform Customization & Deployment
- - Customized the e-Vidhan software to support the unique workflow of the state’s legislative operations, including session scheduling, starred/unstarred questions, bill tracking, and committee reports.
  - Integrated role-based access for MLAs, Speaker, committee members, secretariat staff, and ministers.
Digitization & Data Migration
- - All legislative documents from previous years—bills, debates, replies, reports—were scanned, digitized, and indexed for instant access through the platform.
  - Legacy data entry forms were transformed into smart digital templates to eliminate duplicate effort.
Tablet Enablement for MLAs
- - Deployed government-issued tablets to all Members of the Legislative Assembly preloaded with the e-Vidhan app.
  - Developed an offline-first version to allow rural area MLAs to access content even with limited connectivity.
Training & Adoption Support
- - Conducted multilingual digital literacy workshops for all elected representatives and staff.
  - Created simplified video guides and helpline support to accelerate adoption and comfort with digital tools.
Security & Compliance
- - Implemented multi-layer authentication and encryption to safeguard sensitive legislative data.
  - Configured audit logs and access trails to ensure traceability and accountability.

Outcome

A Modern, Transparent, and Efficient Assembly

The transformation yielded immediate and measurable benefits for the legislature:

90% Paper Reduction: Physical copies of bills, notices, and reports were eliminated. All members accessed documents digitally—before, during, and after sessions.
Drastic Time Savings: Preparation and circulation of assembly materials that used to take 3–4 days were now completed in under 12 hours.
On-Demand Access: MLAs could search for any document (bill, question, answer, speech) in seconds, boosting productivity, debate preparedness, and cross-referencing.
Improved Legislative Output: With faster turnarounds and better access, the frequency of committee reviews and legislative drafts increased—without increasing staff or budget.
Cost Optimization: Annual expenditure on printing, courier, logistics, and document storage dropped by over 65%.
Environmental Impact: The paperless model led to conservation of thousands of sheets annually, aligning with India’s sustainability goals.
Model for Others: The state is now among the first few in India to run fully digital assembly sessions, drawing attention from other legislatures for replication.