E-Governance Raqeem
E-Governance Raqeem
E-Governance Raqeem
IN INDIA
PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES
Abstract
Innovations can elevate the human ceiling of efficiency doesn’t matter if it is algorithmic
interpretation or matters of governance enabled throughout a complex network throughout a
country. In 21st century it is one of the most challenging arenas for the Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) that is to regulate the demands and supports emerging
from the masses. The effective provision of public services has been made possible by the use
of information and communication technologies. The establishment of trust towards the
government has been facilitated by the digitization of public services. The nation's
socioeconomic development now places the highest importance on improving public
administration and governance. The internet has altered the way that businesses operate
nowadays and the usage of ICT tools has revolutionised the entire perception of
communication between businesses, citizens, and the government. India witnessing a
tremendous shift in its methodology of governance which has been transformed over the
years to meet the policies starting from the seventies and currently being evolved into an even
more accessible asset for the people promises for a bright future along with new challenges
emerging at every avenue.
Abbreviations:
ICT: Information and Communication Technology, IT: Information Technology,
ARC: Administrative Reforms Commission
METHODOLOGY
This paper is based on the assessment of various articles extracted from different journals
written at different time periods which in turns helps the discussion ultimately. Its objective is
to reflect on the various aspects of E-Governance including a historical analysis of its evolution
proceeding towards the current state of affairs in this field based on empirical references
collected over a significant period. The inferences are derived from secondary sources
culminating descriptive insights which I further deduced to form considerable number of
insights required to understand the subject. Not limiting the content matter to the positive side,
I also made an attempt to produce a critical side to this argument through depiction of short-
comings. The targeted audience of this paper mainly includes administrators, trainers,
professional teachers, and research scholars. This paper creates an opportunity for my
perspective to be shared thoroughly.
INTRODUCTION
With the advent of revolutionary technologies along with the penetrating effect of
globalisation in every sphere of public service it was concluded that traditional methods of
governance do not hold the potentional to catch up with ever-changing dynamics of public
demand. The remedy for this shortcoming can be dealt through inducing creative concepts
and techniques to enhance public service delivery. This is how the concept of e-governance
has emerged as a result of the growth of information and communication technology (ICT),
which has given rise to a platform for good governance.
The term "e-Governance" typically describes the application of ICTs, which can revolutionise
interactions between the government, corporations, and citizens. These technologies can help
citizens get government services more effectively.
The role and operations of the Government Department have been impacted by the
introduction of IT in the evolution of applications. In order to benefit citizens and make
business easier, a prompt and efficient service delivery mechanism is needed. The necessity
for an efficient, clear, and timely decision-making process is supported by e-government. The
primary goals of government are to uphold the rule of law, provide services that fall within
the legal parameters, and meet the needs and ambitions of the populace. E-government has
shown to be an effective instrument for upholding openness, informing the public, quickly
meeting their demands, and facilitating processing through all obstacles.
A number of policy-level initiatives were made in the ten years that followed the economic
reforms with the goal of preparing the nation for the shift to a knowledge economy.
The creation of software technology parks, export enterprise zones, tax holidays, and other
measures to encourage foreign direct investment in the IT and IT-enabled service industries
with the establishment in 1999 of an independent Ministry for Information Technology in
addition to the corporatization of the Department of Telecommunications and the adoption of
the National Telecommunication Policy 1999, the goal was to "provide a balance between the
provision of universal service to all uncovered areas, including the rural areas.
Moreover, the 1990s 'New Public Management' paradigm approach to public sector reform
was reflected in the emphasis on using the growing capabilities in the IT and IT-enabled
service sectors for higher efficiency, transparency, accessibility and accountability as well as
reduction of procedural complexity that breeds corruption within the framework of the
administrative systems already in place. In 2000, a 12-point e-governance agenda was
developed and distributed to all Union Ministries and departments. The agenda's primary
components included digitising internal procedures and housekeeping processes, building
employee ICT skills, and implementing electronic service delivery to the public. The
enactment of the IT Act in 2000 gave a boost to the digital process of inducing new methods
in governance. This acceptable environment led to the beginning of a number of bottom-up e-
government initiatives, supported by district level officials who were inspired by socially
conscious business concepts in the developing IT industry.
It is clearly evident from the instances of history that how the Indian civilisation seeks to
accommodate traditional practices through channelling modern day practices. Tools of
ancient times are still relevant to this day in contemporary economy with each stratum of
working class indulge in different types of activities. In parallel to prosperity a significant
portion of Indian population struggles to keep up with sustainable economic conditions and
operates under the minimal socio-economic benchmarks. The demographic includes all types
of people belonging to different regional associations, gender, caste etc. In its pursuit of this
elusive goal of social justice Indian government choosing the course of action aptly suitable
for any developing countries which is e-governance. The application of these reforms can be
only materialised through administrative reforms. The objective in vision was to provide
equitable access to every community and individuals in need. Backwardness in their capacity
to interact with technology can be a possible deterrent in e-governance but on the bright side
it could if assigned properly with equipment and learned personnels act as a means to bridge
the gap between this vast gap of awareness.
An assumption can easily be formed by the consumers on the basis of the term ‘e-
governance’ as something which can only be attained through a viable internet connection
and works only on the behalf of transmission of data packages through cellular networks. But
in reality, the case is entirely different, the usage of Internet is just a scene of a bigger picture
which includes other productive technologies in governance. There are storage devices,
scanners, digital directories, and other electronic devices which tends to supplement the
governance. Although, the analogy of internet can be placed as the blood in the veins of a
person working towards smooth circulation and ultimately for efficient functioning. It would
also be wrong to limit the scope of e-governance to the extent of developing websites and its
maintenance because e-governance along with the introduction of new methods of operations
also involves substantial investments in collection, organisation and analysing information of
its subjects i.e., people, tools, policies and processes.
What we may see as a mere digital page carrying information of our credentials in its
background that paper is the product of intense information processing which could not
possibly come into existence without the help of devices and tools other than internet. The
complications are solved internally by officials to make it look easy for the service
consumers. Even though the process takes less time now ever than before but it also requires
a particular skill set to make everything work.
It requires the inculcation of modern approach with the promotion of new approaches through
political and bureaucratic machinery of the country. Obviously, a mass scale digital
revolution cannot be executed until unless it creates its own requirement in public sphere. The
political machinery with the help of the tool of legislation is competent enough to create and
ratify laws to promote a digital environment in policies of the administration. Executive on
the other hand inclines toward the practical side of this process. With change in its techniques
and methods of work it can surely explore the new frontiers of efficiency and accessibility.
Customer vis-à-vis the citizen is at the centre of policy formation which deals with digital
security, artificial intelligence, chatbots and data analytics. In order to profit from new digital
technology that improves operational efficiency, citizens should be able to swiftly adapt to it.
The beneficial usage of digital technology by citizens will contribute to the development of a
culture of innovative technology use. The way that citizens accept technology should be
outward-focused, meaning that it should interact and respond to their needs. The public can
provide input on how they use technology and any issues they encounter. In this attempt to
satisfy the needs of the business community and the general public, digital transformation
should be relevant.
Digital strategies should adopt a comprehensive approach to digitise public service delivery
in order to improve the citizen experience. They should also be able to identify potential
roadblocks to the digitization process so that citizens and public service personnel can
respond to opportunities and threats associated with digitization. It should be laid down in a
way it receives maximum interaction from every person which is involved in the data transfer
process. The crafting of the digital strategy is supposed to be in a way that it remains
accessible to businesses and individuals also.
The implementation is not limited to only one aspect but it employs different methods in each
unique field. When it comes to e-services the government facilitates the services for the
public usage through its various programs. For an example, there are e-services on national
level where facilities for visas, passports, bills etc. are provided. These services open
opportunities for the citizens on international level and eases their travel. The working of e-
services is not only limited to macro-levels such as on national scale but it also operates on
micro-level such as district levels. Issue of birth certificates, domicile certificates, income
certificates etc. are made possible only through e-services of district bureaus.
Keeping its focus on the requirements of the citizenry a new approach of ‘E-Democracy’ is
developed to meet the ever-changing scenarios of the representative democracy. The
representation of people’s legitimate demands acts as the anchor for policy making and
implementation in a democracy. To sustain the pillars of the civil society it is important to
limit the intervention of state as well modify its method of working. The dictates of media
corporations and structures of social inequality can also be kept under check through
formation of independent social associations. Similar to the concept of direct democracy it
accommodates the channels of direct responsiveness of citizen and their influence in the
decision-making process.
Economical functions of any state give direction for the material prosperity for its citizenry.
Traditional commercial practices used to work on the basis of physical interactions in which
the consumers used to interact with the sellers and producers in marketplaces. It sometimes
raised the issue of mobility and time management due to its nature of practice. The options
available for the consumers were also limited to selected regions which created a major
obstruction in country-wide service. But with the introduction of E-Commerce, all process
related to monetary transactions became even more swift and cost-efficient. Inspired from the
market revolution the issues of governance were also solved with a similar approach.
Taxations which once considered as difficult to understand and to pay was made easy for
citizens, unlike the old period when a consumer has to visit several offices to file a taxation
making the whole process more time consuming and less efficient. A consumer could also
pay his utility bills through government applications now. The ministries related to vehicle
registration avail services for registration and even for renewals for the vehicles. Not only
that, the government to fulfil the welfare promises organises and formulates several
recreational programmes for the citizens. To sell its spare and surplus assets which are not
engaged in any work are put up for auction which are bought by traders and businessmen.
With significant rise in population, it was clearly evident that the database of a huge citizenry
to be maintained in order to keep a check on different individuals, associations, business
groups etc. For that massive electronic storage device are used to store information which are
sensitive and confidential in nature.
The source of sovereign will emit from the public which has to be prioritised in a democracy.
Even the legitimacy of the government is derived from the support and trust of the people.
The general public exercises their right to vote in the hope that their representatives will
uphold their rights to the greatest services and represent their interests at all levels. The
government has a duty to provide the people with the bare minimum, if not the highest
quality, of services and to allow them to partake in the benefits of growth.
With this in vision, the 2nd Administrative Reforms Commission was founded on August 31,
2005, with Veerappa Moily as its head. The Administrative Reforms Commission discussed
the steps that needed to be taken in order to accomplish the goal of e-Government. Regarding
this, the Administrative Reforms Commission filed its Eleventh Report in 2008. Up to
seventeen proposals were made by the Commission. The second Administrative Reforms
Commission on e-Governance placed emphasis on e-Government initiatives and their
execution, supervision, and appraisal. It was of the opinion that a conducive atmosphere is a
prerequisite to achieve the goal of e-Government, necessitating the determination for
mutation by the executive, working in collaboration with the private sector. In its report, the
second Administrative Reforms Commission discussed how e-Government is being applied
to government operations, looked into how it is being applied, and suggested potential steps
to enhance how ICT is being used to augment government operations. The Administrative
Reforms Commission 's primary goal was to create a novel kind of government that would
improve the relationship and sense of belonging between the people and their governments.
The relationship between people and their governments is more important in creating a robust
and dynamic democracy in India. Citizens can participate in the government process through
e-Government. It offers strategies and tools to improve civic participation in a democracy that
values participation. Considered as a big leap in an attempt to attain Simple, Moral,
Accountable, Responsive, and Transparent (SMART) Governance, electronic techniques like
email and Short Message Service (SMS) are applied in the fulfilment of governmental
activities. Simultaneously, it seeks to improve public services and reduce spending while
altering how the government operates. It also seeks to educate the populace. In its report, the
second Administrative Reforms Commission discussed how e-Government is being applied
to government operations, looked into how it is being applied, and suggested potential steps
to enhance how ICT is being used to augment government operations.
Governments in India, across all three tiers, are shown a desire to advance e-Government
through the creation of various systems that have somewhat simplified and eased people's
lives. Three key benefits that the public will receive through e-Government are: simplified
operations, convenience in service delivery, and provision of pertinent information to allow
citizens to engage in the governing process. The cornerstones of good governance are thought
to include citizens, processes, expertise, and capital. Many issues that continue to exist and
impede the government's ability to function properly such as bribery, dishonesty, red tape,
and public servants' lethargy can be resolved by e-Government. The motto of this reform is to
reduce the use of bureaucratic processes in government transactions and use ICT to combat
service delivery delays and untimeliness and to develop a knowledgeable populace in order to
accomplish better government.
The second Administrative Reforms Commission expressed in its report that it hoped to
actualize e-Government in all its manifestations in the years to come. It demanded the
support and collaboration of the public, government, and employees in order to accomplish
this. It emphasised the need for significant government support, the dedication of public
employees to the public through prompt service delivery and increased civic participation in
public affairs, and the availability of necessary arrangements for the achievement of e-
Government's goals. Considering the needs of the public, the Central and state government
agencies saw value in the e-Government recommendations given by the second American
Regional Commission. The e-Government proposals include the following: projects to
develop an informed citizenry; initiatives that would not require the creation of the historical
databank in order to generate the likely data; initiatives that would start basic virtual
operations including facility reimbursement; projects that would allow for the virtual
verification of facts tendered; and proposals concerning the design and integration of the
databank.
The Reports have been put on this Department’s website at www.darpg.nic.in. Copies of the
Reports have also been placed in the Parliament Library.
The committee also noted that the aforementioned e-Government recommendations will be
presented first and that the Department of Information Technology should support the
relevant establishments/departments in realising and understanding the extent to which these
proposals are unavoidable.
The goal of this two-way interpersonal interaction between the government and the
populace is to increase public support for the government through the exchange of
knowledge through e-governance. The government is reachable by the public at any
time (24/7 service), at any place (home, office, or service centre), and by any suitable
media. Examples are E-Education, E-Registration, E-Transport and more.
The central government has their services instated to meet the needs at national
level but to maximise the range of its reach and to ensure the welfare of
individuals, states also made their efforts. Each state has provided services to its
citizenry to ease the process of governance on state-level as well as on district
level.
Even though a lot of work has been put into the construction and management of e-
governance by government organisations and public services, if one were to closely
collaborate with a range of governmental and commercial concerns, with the ongoing trends
in the field of e-governance it is evident there are certain lapses in execution requiring
solutions for a smooth functioning of the administrative machinery.
Education
India ranks 139th out of 184 countries in terms of literacy, with a rate of 74.1%. Moreover,
the low literacy rate is a major challenge that impacts major societal issues, and e-governance
is one likely solution to address the issue. Since rural India lacks access to quality education,
e-governance can play a significant role in providing education to rural villages by using
technology to allow students in these villages to receive instruction from teachers in urban
areas. The Indian government has taken significant strides in this direction, such as launching
"EDUSAT," the nation's first satellite built specifically for the purpose of serving the
educational sector. The Department of Space/ Indian Space Administrative Reforms
Commission Organisation, the Indira Gandhi National Open University, and the Ministry of
Human Resource Development are working together on this initiative. Its primary goal is to
satisfy the nation's need for an interactive satellite-based distant learning programme. It
amply illustrates India's resolve to exploit space technology for the country's development,
particularly for the population's growth in isolated and rural areas. However, in spite of this,
the awareness level of our education system is low in rural regions. This can be addressed by
tightly guiding state governments to guarantee successful implementation all the way down to
the grassroots level and incorporating e-governance and its services into the curriculum.
Healthcare
Numbers show that 42% of India's under-three-year-old children are undernourished, only
43.5% of children have received all recommended vaccinations, and the country has a high
infant mortality rate roughly 1.72 million children pass away before turning one year old each
year. Government can be used as a tool for comprehensive management of hospitals and
health centres in the villages to ensure proper delivery of health-related services in rural
India. In underdeveloped nations, ICT is being used to enable remote diagnosis, treatment,
and consultation. To further increase the percentage of vaccinated children, e-governance can
also include the immunisation procedure. A newborn kid can be registered, which enables the
uploading of that child's vaccination records to a central database on the web. To remind
parents of their child's scheduled immunisation day, an SMS service can be put in place. It
will also be beneficial for monitoring vaccination programmes across state lines in addition to
the immunisation procedure.
An energy-efficient, low-carbon economy can be achieved in large part through the use of
information and communication technologies. ICT is leading the way in the revolution of
energy, according to the European Commission. By 2020, energy consumption in buildings
could be cut by 17%, transport and logistics by 27%, and overall carbon emissions may be
reduced by 15% with the intelligent use of ICT. Some of the effective measures and its
effects are described below:
REFERENCES
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