With the bare minimum that is just 5 per cent government officers still coming to office, the rest are working from home with the help of Centre’s e-office tool that was developed way back in 2014-15.

E-office software was developed to accelerate movement of files in the offices through bureaucracy to make them accountable. The tool has now become the lifeline of the government as the country is giving a brave fight to coronavirus outbreak.

This is helping to create government files online and uploading scanned letters. The e-office is mandated not only to replace physical files but also to keep a tab on which officer is sitting on a file for how long.

The system also allows colour coding to ascertain priorities, if any file needs immediate clearance it is marked red. With travel restrictions and social distancing guidelines in place, the government’s e-office is busier than ever. While decisions are pushed through digital files, consultations happen through video-conferencing.

Almost 70 per cent inter-ministerial video conferences or files are related to Covid-19. Officials working from home, the e-office can be accessed through a VPN provided by the National Informatics Centre, which manages the entire e-office.