Deptts, ministries asked to stop printing calendars, coffee table books

New Delhi, 2-September-2020

The Union government on Wednesday asked all ministries and departments to stop printing wall calendars, desktop calendars, diaries and greeting cards in their physical forms in a bid to encourage usage of digital format.
There would be no activity towards printing of wall calendars, desktop calendars, diaries and other such materials for use in the coming year by any ministry, department, public sector companies, state-run banks and all other organs of the government, the finance ministry said in a statement.
�All such activity shall go digital and online,� it said.
The department of expenditure, an arm of the Union finance ministry, issued an order on Wednesday emphasising that the decision has come into force with immediate effect.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his governance model have always seen technology as an enabler. �Integrating technology into our work is in line with his (PM�s) vision,� it said.
�There is to be a concerted effort towards incorporating innovative methods in such matters. Using technological innovations for planning, scheduling and forecasting is well known to be economical, efficient and effective,� it added.
The order also banned publication of coffee table books in physical form to encourage appropriate use of e-books, it said.
�Innovative digital and online solutions which will achieve the same result as physical calendars or diaries are to be prioritised and to be put into practice,� it said.
Government officials and executives working in public sector companies said the decision would stop the practice of distributing diaries and calendars by government departments, public sector banks and state-run companies before the beginning of every new calendar year.
The department of expenditure said the decision has been taken as �the world is increasingly moving towards adopting digital force multipliers for productivity and given the fact that using technological innovations for planning, scheduling and forecasting is known to be economical, efficient and effective�.