E-governance in India: a study

Transcription

1 E-governance in India: a study Gouda Ugandher Department of Public Administration Kakatiya University Warangal Abstract: Government of India recognizes that e-governance, in the context of developing countries, provides an excellent opportunity for improving governance. These changes could not only go a long way in improving the quality of life of these sections of society, but could actually provide them more equitable access to economic opportunities than ever before. Hence the Government of India views e-governance as a vehicle to initiate and sustain reforms. The present work focuses on various e-government initiatives in India. This study aims at finding users perception on level of Satisfaction from e-filling Project in Indian companies. Descriptive as well as inferential statistics were used for analyzing data Forms format, Ease in communicating information to outsiders, and data Accuracy in India. Implications of the study, limitations and future research directions have also been discussed in this paper. Key Words: e-governance, developing countries, initiatives, Implications INTRODUCTION: In today s era Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) has brought remarkable change in the lives of people in every respect also enabling government to deliver better services even at remotest corners of the country. Various ICT applications have been designed specifically for the people residing in rural areas of the country. Ministry of Rural Development (India) has taken various initiatives at different levels by way of strengthening the ICT infrastructure to provide opportunities, information and easy access of the rural development Schemes to all citizens in rural India. Such developments have facilitated access to innumerable services and information in a very economical manner in a scenario where the cost of accessing information has been a biggest hurdle for the poor farmers. Through ICT, several e-governance initiatives have been adopted which have ultimately proved to be a major contributor in rural development DEFINING E-GOVERNANCE The U.S. e-government Act, 2002 delineates e-government as The use by the Government of web-based Internet applications and other information technologies, combined with processes that implement these technologies, to enhance the access to and delivery of Government information and services to the public, other agencies, and other Government entities or bring about improvements in Government operations that may include effectiveness, efficiency, service quality, or transformation;. Whereas the European Union defines it as e- Government is the use of Information and Communication Technologies in public administrations combined with organisational change and new skills in order to improve public services and democratic processes. Defined e-governance as a tool for leveraging the potential of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for improving effectiveness of government activities, strengthening democratic process which led to more empowered citizens and more transparent government offices. In the current era e-government has transformed from being just another 38 The research journal of social sciences December 2017 volume 8 number 12

2 office tool to a powerful utility for innovation, change and a tool for rejuvenating public sector. It is pertinently mentioned that e-governance and e-government are being used as a synonym in Indian perspective Since the time India has adopted e-governance as a part of its policy, E-Governance has witnessed a productive advancement. E-governance is using information communication technologies in order to improve the interactions within the government departments and between citizens and government. Prabhu states that the motto behind E-Governance is to provide SMART (Simple, Moral, Accountable, Responsible and Transparent) government. Abramson and Means define E-Government as the electronic interaction (transaction and information exchange) between the government, the public (citizens and businesses) and employees. World Bank has defined E-Government as the usage of information technologies by various government departments and agencies that have the ability to modify the relations among people, businesses and the government. Such technological advancements are capable of providing numerous benefits like improvised delivery of services to citizens and businesses, better empowerment of citizens, reduced levels of corruptions and efficiency in working styles adopted by government. The concept of E-Governance is not just used in India but is renowned globally specifically in China where lot of open source soft wares are available. E-Governance initiatives have not just benefitted people by providing market information economically but have also helped in the uplift of level of education of students living in rural areas through various educational projects. Definitely these projects are need of the hour and there is a vast scope for introduction of such projects in to develop rural areas. BACKGROUND AND GLOBAL ERA OF E-GOVERNANCE On one hand E-governance initiatives have flourished well in many parts of the world while on the other hand failure stories abundantly reflect that such initiatives with development perspectives have not yielded encouraging results. Estimates indicate that 35 per cent are total failures, 50 per cent are partial failures, and 15 per cent are successes in developing and transitional countries. These failures are due a gap between the phase of designing a project and the final phase of implementation. Considerable differences have been seen in the way the projects are being implemented. Despite such unpromising outcomes, e-government initiatives in developing countries have grown to a level of recognition among government agencies. Heeks and Molla has given ICT which highlights that initially the major issue with regards to E- Governance was readiness where it was difficult to implement such initiatives due to lack of awareness, more digital divide and lack of infrastructure. With the passage of time, the problem of availability of resources for carrying out the E-Governance Projects came up. Once with heartfelt efforts of Government these first two issues were addressed, a new concern for usage of services provided to citizens under this initiative cropped up. People were finding it hard to believe that they can have such easy access to all their needs and wants. Then after 2010 the major concern was impact of various E-Governance Projects initiated in terms of efficiency of working, effectiveness with regards to time and equity. Evolution of E-Governance Global shifts towards increased deployment of IT by governments emerged in the nineties, with the advent of the World Wide Web (WWW). The technology as well as e- governance initiatives have come a long way since then. With the increase in Internet and mobile connections, the citizens are learning to exploit their new mode of access in wide ranging ways. They have started expecting more and more information and services online form governments 39 The research journal of social sciences December 2017 volume 8 number 12

3 and corporate organizations to further their civic, professional and personal lives, thus creating abundant evidences that the new e-citizenship is taking hold. The concept of e-governance has its origins in India during the seventies with a focus on development of in-house government applications in the areas of defence, economic monitoring, planning and the deployment of IT to manage data intensive functions related to elections, census, tax administration etc. The efforts of the National Informatics Centre (NIC) to connect all the district headquarters during the eighties was a very significant development. From the early nineties, IT technologies were supplemented by ICT technologies to extend its use for wider sectoral applications with policy emphasis on reaching out to the rural areas and taking in greater inputs from some NGO s and private sector as well. There has been increasing involvement of international donor agencies under the framework of e-governance for development to catalyze the development of e-governance laws and technologies in developing countries. While the emphasis has been primarily on automation and computerization, state governments have also endeavour to use ICT tools into connectivity, networking, setting up systems for processing information and delivering services. At a micro level, this has ranged from IT automation in individual departments, electronic file handling and workflow systems, access to entitlements, public grievance systems, service delivery for high volume routine transactions such as payments of bills, tax dues to meeting poverty, alleviation goals through the promotion of entrepreneurial models and provisions of market information. The thrust has varied across initiatives, with some focusing on enabling the citizen-state interface for various government services, and others focusing on bettering live hoods. Every state government has taken the initiatives to form an IT task force to outline IT policy document for the state and the citizen charters have started appearing on government websites. For governments, the more overt motivation to shift from manual processes to ITenabled processes may increased efficiency in administration and service delivery, but this shift can be conceived as a worthwhile investment with potential for returns. Phases of E-Governance Gartner, an international consultancy firm, has formulated four-phase e-governance model. This can serve as a reference for governments to position where a project fits in the overall evolution of an e-governance strategy. An effort as tremendous as complete realization of e- governance has to be addressed in these phase. This approach would allow for retrospection 45 after each phase, and the ability to retrace steps if required, within a feasible frame of time and money. The design and purpose of each step would have to serve the relevant needs of all G2C, G2B and G2G sectors. Phase I Presence This first phase calls for making the intentions and objectives of the government known. Development of an inclusive government website, or a network of sites dedicated to different ministries and departments would set the stage for further advancements. These sites would convey the government s initiatives, providing information such as official addresses, working hours, as well as forms and applications to the public, economic reviews, corporate regulations for business and budgetary allocations and spending as a reference for government agencies. With this first phase, the very critical task of building the infrastructure, such as telecommunications would be undertaken. Phase II Interaction 40 The research journal of social sciences December 2017 volume 8 number 12

4 This phase would allow for basic interaction with the government. Besides hosting search engines on the sites for easy navigation, information detailing social records and job application forms for the public, permit and license documentation for businesses and census details, submission of requests and approvals to the centre by local government officers would have to be provided. The task of building the underlying infrastructure would have to be sustained through these two stages, allowing for rapid implementation of advanced applications as endorsed by the consequent phases. Phase III Transaction This phase onwards would signify direct interaction of the government and relevant entities. With the infrastructure in place, complete online service suites can be put forth for the public, businesses and governmental agencies. Services for the public such as bill and fine 46 payments, license renewal, aggregating opinion etc online procurement tax returns etc for businesses, cooperative budget preparation, tax records, etc for governmental agencies can be envisaged here. Phase IV Transformation This final phase would strive to achieve the true vision of e-governance. A single point of contact to constituent entities would provide an integrated platform for government services and organization totally transparent to citizens and businesses. Focus on virtual agencies where government information is readily available to all allowing a seamless interface to respective agencies involved in the transactions. State-of-the-art Intranets linking government employees in different agencies extranets allowing seamless flow of information thereby facilitating collaborative decisions among government agencies, NGO s and the public. Review of Literature 1. Nikitha Yadav, V.B.Singh, (2012): This paper sheds light on what type of technology adopted by govt. for e-governance and also pointed out that, e-governance made govt. working more transparent, effective to citizens of India. Very importantly, it concludes that by introducing technologies such as, open source and cloud computing for e-governance. 2. Shrinivas Meghashyam Athalye, (2013): This paper stresses on some issues and challenges of e-governance and also suggests some remedies for e-governance failures in India. 3. V.S. Benival and Kapil Sikka, (2013): This article highlights about future prospects and challenges in India. Besides, what initiatives taken by govt. discussed as well. It concludes that, India still lagging behind in properly utilizing ICT for delivering govt. services. 4. Poonam, Priyanka and P. Verma, (2014): This paper throws light on initiatives of e-governance in various states of India, and it includes challenges, failures of e-governance projects, solutions for good governance, etc. And also discussed the targets set out for e-governance under twelve five year plan. 5. Intekhab Khan, Nadeem Khan and Nazia, (2015): This paper discusses the reforms of e- governance regarding issues, challenges and strategies of e-governance in India. 6. Suneel Kumar, (2016): This article pointed out that position of India in the world in using ICT against developed countries. And focused on issues and challenges of e-governance in India. Statement of the Problem 41 The research journal of social sciences December 2017 volume 8 number 12

5 The existing literature describes about e-governance related to strategies, new technologies, implementation mechanism, issues and challenges and future prospects, etc. In fact, those literatures didn t focus on evolution, recent initiatives, etc. Therefore, this paper focuses on evolution and recent initiatives of e-governance. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY: The following are the objectives of the present study. 1. To study the evolution of e-governance in India 2. To focus on recent initiatives of e-governance 3. To analyze the issues and challenges of e-governance 4. To shed light on future prospects of e-governance METHODOLOGY: The secondary data has been collected from various publishing books, literatures, paper clippings, acts, laws, official and unofficial documents, reports, surveys and periodicals. For the purpose of the secondary source the researcher has visited various libraries and research institutes. Future Prospects of E-Governance: 1. To deliver all kind of govt. services through electronic mode. It will make government transparent, efficient and easily accessible to citizens to get benefitted of various services by way of e-governance. 2. In order to reach out the citizens from remote control areas, mobile governance to be given priority, through which,both transactional and informational govt. services provided and providing innovation in mobile governance. 3. Govt. to try so as to infuse advanced technology for executing the ongoing projects to greater extent. It would keep the sustainability of multiple projects. 4. To create an eco-system that promotes innovation in ICT for govt. and for applications that can benefit the citizens. 5. To promote ethical use of e-governance services. In which, keeping the information of govt., private institutions safer and securing e-govt. cyber world. Development & Implementation of e-governance The model presented can serve as a reference for governments to position where projects fit in the overall evolution of their e-governance implementation. The model can also support governments in defining an e-governance vision and strategy. A vision is a high-level goal, or ambition level, of government regarding the democracy, government and business aspects of e- governance. A strategy consists of plans that translate the vision into SMART (Simple, Measurable, Accountable, Realistic & Time-related) projects. A good strategy is crucial to keep the speed in the reform of and implementation process. Thus budgets must be available, time consuming legal transformations should be initiated and quick results must be achieved and communicated to all stakeholders, including the public SUGGESTIONS A hybrid approach needs to be adopted for enhancing interoperability among e- governance applications which will encompass centralized approach for document management, 42 The research journal of social sciences December 2017 volume 8 number 12

6 knowledge management, file management, grievance management etc. and distributed approach for land registration, building plans, vehicle registration, criminal and crime information etcetera. The Cloud computing is also becoming a big force to enhance delivery of services related to e- governance. The cloud computing is not only a tool for cost reduction but also it helps in; enabling new services, improving education system and creating new jobs/ opportunities. The paper also affirms the usage of cloud for e-governance applications to exaggerate the availability of information, diminish the cost of ICT infrastructure and enhancing interoperability between applications. The government of Japan has established "Kasumigaseki Cloud" to deliver public services to its citizens and according to government of Singapore; it is a major source of economic development. The e-governance initiatives in the rural areas should be taken by identifying and analysing the grass root realities. The states that the strategy devised for the implementation of e- governance should be comprehensive; an approach should be citizen centric and should follow multiple channels of communication for dissemination of e-services. d. The government should also focus on devising appropriate, feasible, distinct and effective capacity building mechanisms for various stakeholders viz. bureaucrats, rural masses, urban masses, elected representatives etc. CONCLUSION: In this paper discus Electronic government (e-government) is one of the most important ways to bridge the digital divide in developing nations like India. Different initiatives by government through the developments in ICT have helped E-governance to take off since the beginning of millennium. Different building blocks like increasing literacy rate in rural areas, the initiatives like Digital India campaign will help in making the rural people more tech savvy encouraging them to get in contact with Indian government through just a click of button. So in a nutshell it can be concluded that increasing digital literacy with the help of technical advancements are leading and will lead to rural development in India References 1. Government of India, India in Figures 2015, (Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation, New Delhi: Central Statistics Office, 2015) 2. R. Chambers, Rural Development - Putting The Last First. (Essex, England: Longmans Scientific and Technical Publishers; New York: John Wiley, K. Singh, Rural Development: Principles, Policies and Management (2 nd), (New-Delhi, India: Sage Publications, 1999) 4. A.Shah, S. Bajpai and N. Jain, INDIA@digital.Bharat, (Boston Consulting Group, 2015). 5. S.Kumar, E-Governance in India, Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research, 2(2), 2016, CSR Prabhu, E-Governance: Concepts and Case Studies, (New Delhi: PHI Learning Private Limited, 2004). 7. A.M. Abramson and E.G Means, E-Government, Price water house Coopers Endowment for the Business of Government, (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Inc, 2001) 8. World Bank, Issue Note: E-Government and the World Bank, The research journal of social sciences December 2017 volume 8 number 12