A two days workshop-cum-training programme on GePNIC (Government e-Procurement System of NIC) was organised by NIC, Puducherry in close Co-ordination with CPPP team of Delhi and Chennai at Pondicherry University on 20th & 21st May 2019. The primary goal of this workshop was to impart training on eTendering which will result in enhanced transparency in all activities relating to tendering process and non-discrimination amongst bidders. The training programme was inaugurated by Dr. S. Balakrishnnan, Director, Directorate of Studies, Educational Innovations & Rural Reconstruction, Pondicherry University and the Director delivered a keynote address. Shri. K.Srinivasa Raghavan, DDG & SIO, Tamil Nadu had given a comprehensive presentation on GepNIC and explained its advantages , security functionalities to bring in transparency and efficiency in the tendering process as per the GFR 2017, adherence to CVC guidelines, World Bank and ADB guidelines etc.

Shri. R. Sivakumar, Senior Technical Director & CPPP Co-ordinator, NIC, Puducherry had explained the advantages of using online tendering process through CPPP and briefed about QCBS too. The Head of the departments, Centre Heads, Principal Investigators, Senior Professors and other officers from sections such as administration, purchase etc.,numbering approx 50 officials attended the Workshop cum Training. Live demonstration was completed during these two days by Shri. B. Seenivasan, Technical Director, CPPP team, NIC, Chennai on the demo server of eProcurement during the workshop. The demonstrations included the entire process of Online tendering from Tender Preparation till Award of Contract including Tender approval, Online Publishing, Technical bid opening, evaluation, financial bid opening, evaluation with comparison chart generation and L1 bidder selection. Other facilities like corrigendum creation and technical deliberation on DSC technologies. Various security functionalities were also explained to the participants. CPPP team has to setup help desk as part of paid project for e- procurement.

Participants from all these departments were requested to register and practice on the demo site of eProcurement to make themselves more comfortable in online tendering process before floating their tenders in CPP Portal on pilot basis. DR. B. CHITHRA, Registrar (i/c), Pondicherry University appreciated and thanked NIC officials, and specially thanked the NIC faculty for excellent delivery of the sessions and for successful completion of the training programme and concluded the session.