E-Governance

Definition:

A new paradigm shift has been developed in the field of governance by the application of ICT in the processes of governing called Electronic-Governance or E-Governance.

E-governance raises the transparency, accountability, efficiency, and effectiveness and inclusiveness in the governing process in terms of reliable access to the information within government, between government, national, state, municipal, and local level governments, citizens, and businesses and empowers business through access and use of information

E-governance is not just about government websites or e-mail or financial transactions. “It will change how citizens relate to government as much as it changes how citizens relate to each other”. It also refers to the utilization of IT in the country’s democratic processes itself such as the election.

The objectives of e governance are as follows-

• One of the basic objectives of e-governance is to make every information of the government available to all in the public interest.
• One of its goals is to create a cooperative structure between the government and the people and to seek help and advice from the people, to make the government aware of the problems of the people.
• To increase and encourage people’s participation in the governance process.
• e-Governance improves the country’s information and communication technology and electronic media, with the aim of strengthening the country’s economy by keeping governments, people and businesses in tune with the modern world.
• One of its main objectives is to establish transparency and accountability in the governance process.
• To reduce government spending on information and services.

It has been proven from the concept of e-governance that it is a powerful means of public service in the present era. Some of its features can be found by observing the functioning of e-governance.

• De bureaucratization: Due to e-governance, the gap between the people and the government in all the services of the government is narrowing and the dependence of the people on the bureaucracy is also greatly reduced.
• E-Services: Its main feature is the provision of services through the Internet. As a result, we get G2C, G2B, G2E, etc. services. This is already discussed in the section of ‘types of governance’.
• International Services: through e-governance, all the essential services can be delivered to the citizens who are living outside of their country for job purposes or any other reasons.
• It enhances the right to express to the citizens. Using the means of e-governance anyone can share their views with the government on any bill or act or decision taken by the government.
• Economic Development: With the introduction of e-governance, various information like import-export, registration of companies, investment situations, etc. are available through the internet. As a result, time is saved, procrastination decreases, and economic dynamism increases.
• Reduce inequality: using e-governance tools everyone can gather information and empower themselves. In this globalized world, knowledge is power, and means of e-governance empower us by providing relevant information at minimal cost, effort, and time.

• Increased effectiveness and efficiency: Improved government services in terms of accomplishing the government purpose and functioning
• Better services: E-government can provide quick and timely services to stakeholders
• Transparency by dissemination and publication of information on the web: This provides easy access to information and subsequently makes the system publicly accountable. Also as the web enables the free flow of information, it can be easily accessed by all without any discrimination.
• Accessible anytime and anywhere: As e-government services are provided through web-enabled technology they can be accessed anytime and anywhere
• User-centred ICT enabled services: The services are primarily intended for the use of citizens, businesses, and the government itself
• Reduced cost and time: As the services are provided through internet they are effective in terms of time and cost
• Economic Development: The deployment of ICTs reduces the transaction costs, which makes services cheaper. For example, rural areas suffer on account of lack of information regarding markets, products, agriculture, health, education, weather, etc. and if all this could be accessed online would lead to better and more opportunities and thereby prosperity in these areas.
• Social Development: The access to information empowers the citizens. The informed citizenry can participate and voice their concerns, which can be accommodated in the programme/ project formulation, implementation, monitoring and service delivery. Web-enabled participation will counter the discriminatory factors affecting our societal behaviour.
• Reduced bureaucracy: E-government minimizes hierarchy of authority for availing any government services
• Automation of Administrative Processes: A truly e-governed system would require minimal human intervention and would rather be system driven.
• Enhanced communication and coordination between government organizations: An automated services can be accessed by different organizations coordination and further communication became relative
• Paper Work Reduction: An immediate impact of automation would be on the paperwork. Paperwork is reduced to a greater extent with communication being enabled via electronic route and storage and retrieval of information in the electronic form. All this has led to the emergence of less paper office’.
• Quality of Services: ICT helps governments to deliver services to citizens with greater accountability responsiveness and sensitivity. Quality of services improves, as now the people are able to, get services efficiently and instantaneously.
• Elimination of Hierarchy: ICT has reduced procedural delays caused by hierarchical processes in the organisation. Through Intranet and LAN, it has become possible to send information and data across various levels in the organisation at the same time.
• Change in Administrative Culture: Bureaucratic structures have been plagued by characteristics aptly described by Victor Thompson as ‘bureau-pathology’. From the day s of New Public Administration, efforts have been made to find ways to deal with the pathological or dysfunctional aspects of art.
• Strategic Information System: Changing organisational environment and increasing competitiveness have put pressures on the performance of the functionaries. Information regarding all aspects needs to be made available to the management at every point to make routine as well as strategic decisions.

• Department of Electronics: The establishment of the Department of Electronics in 1970 was the first major step towards e-governance in India as it brought ‘information’ and its communication to focus.
• National Informatics Centre (NIC): established in 1977, launched the District Information System program to computerize all district offices in the country
• NICNET – National Informatics Centre: The main thrust for e-governance was provided by the launching of NICNET in 1987 – the national satellite-based computer network.

The Indian experience demonstrates that the onset of e-Governance proceeded through the following phases:

• Computerisation: In the first phase, with the availability of personal computers, a large number of Government offices got equipped with computers. The use of computers began with word processing, quickly followed by data processing.
• Networking: In this phase, some units of a few government organizations got connected through a hub leading to sharing of information and flow of data between different government entities.
• On-line presence: With increasing internet connectivity, a need was felt for maintaining a presence on the web. This resulted in maintenance of websites by government departments and other entities. Generally, these web-pages/web-sites contained information about the organizational structure, contact details, reports and publications, objectives and vision statements of the respective government entities.
• On-line interactivity: A natural consequence of on-line presence was opening up of communication channels between government entities and the citizens, civil society organizations etc. The main aim at this stage was to minimize the scope of personal interface with government entities by providing downloadable Forms, Instructions, Acts, and Rules etc. In some cases, this has already led to on-line submission of Forms. Most citizen-government transactions have the potential of being put on e-Governance mode.

E-Governance related policies in India

E-governance related applications in Indian governance

• Different Language: India is a country where people with different cultures and different religions live. The diversity of people in context of language is a huge challenge for implementing e-Governance projects as e-Governance applications are written in English language
• Low Literacy: Literacy level of India is very low which is a huge obstacle in implementation of e-Governance projects. Illiterate people are not able to access the e-Governance applications; hence the projects do not get much success
• User friendliness of government websites: Users of e-Governance applications are often non-expert users who may not be able to use the applications in a right manner.
• Services are not accessible easily: Even if the users of Internet are growing but still there is a major part of Indian population which is not able to access e-Governance activities for variety of reasons
• Population: Population of India is probably the biggest challenge in implementing eGovernance projects.
• Lack of integrated services: Most of the egovernance services which are offered by the state or central government are not integrated
• Cost: In developing countries like India, cost is one of the most important obstacles in the path of implementation of e-Governance where major part of the population is living below poverty line
• Privacy and Security: A critical obstacle in implementing e-Governance is the privacy and security of an individual’s personal data that he/she provides to obtain government services.